By Ignatius Ushie
The Nigeria Civil Aviation (NCAA) has commenced training its consumer protection officers (CPOs) and the airlines’ staff representatives on using the soon- to be-launched consumer protection portal to solve real-time passenger complaints against airlines.
In a statement made available to Transport Day in Abuja, the two-day training which began on Wednesday at the NCAA corporate headquarters in Abuja was declared open by the Acting Director General, Civil Aviation, Nigeria captain Chris Najomo.
Represented at the event by the Director Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, the Ag.DG said the portal when launched before the year ends will foster faster and seamless resolution of passenger complaints.
The portal will also ensure the on-time performance of all the airlines operating in Nigeria.
According to him, “There has never been a consumer protection portal in the NCAA. This is the first and it is historic. When you check the time frame it took us to get to this point, you will see the determination to make it work” he said, adding that the building of the portal started when he was the Director Public Affairs and Consumer Protection.
He noted that the portal has made the job easier for the 260 CPOs across all the airports in Nigeria.
Capt. Najomo said the portal building is a fulfillment of one of his action points for 2024 because it speaks to the ease of doing business environment the Authority is consciously creating.
The portal makes the processes of complaints and complaints resolution very easier.
“This postal is also for data collation. You will agree that data is a major issue in Nigeria. In the aviation industry, you can’t make a proper plan and get things right without data. This portal makes it easier for everyone including stakeholders” he noted.
“The portal will ensure transparency as we are onboarding all the airlines where people get to see all the number of complaints that have been sent to each airline. You can track the resolution process. We don’t need to name and shame because it is a self-reporting system. You are already naming and shaming yourself if you don’t perform well” he emphasized.
The Ag.DGCA emphasized that the NCAA officers responsible for monitoring the portal and the appropriate airline staff must be properly trained before the portal is launched to ensure proper utilization.
The Assistant General Manager, Consumer Protection, Mrs. Ifueko Abdulmalik said the portal is in line with NCAA’s automation of its processes amid reforms.
“In the times past, we did it manually but it wasn’t very efficient, with automation, everything is simplified and we will have better results in consumer complaints resolutions she assured.
“We are onboarding the staff of the airlines so that they are also be seeing the complaints in real-time. This makes the processes smoother, and faster and the consumers happier because that’s the ultimate goal” she noted.
On monitoring, she said even the Minister and the DGCA will be on the portal and they can monitor complaints resolutions all the time.
Also on the portal, the airlines can log the flights that have been delayed so the NCAA can monitor regulatory compliance, she further stated.
