BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Fresh accolades came the way of the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Michael Achimugu, who was honoured with the 2026/2027 African Brands Personality Award in recognition of his contributions to consumer protection and the promotion of passenger rights in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
The award was presented at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja by a delegation from African Brands led by Mr. Godwin Enesi Chatta.
Presenting the award, Chatta said Achimugu was recognised for strengthening consumer protection and improving public engagement since assuming leadership of the Directorate of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection.
He noted that the directorate had intensified public awareness campaigns to educate passengers on their rights under the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, while also strengthening engagement with airlines to improve compliance with consumer protection rules.
According to him, the directorate’s sustained public enlightenment programmes and transparent communication on aviation issues have enhanced the NCAA’s relationship with the travelling public and improved passengers’ understanding of their rights.
Chatta also commended Achimugu for defending the Authority against misinformation while ensuring that accurate and timely information on aviation safety and regulatory activities reaches the public.
He added that the directorate’s advocacy had increased awareness of passenger compensation policies, flight delay rights and complaint resolution mechanisms, leading to significant improvements in passenger refunds and airline compliance with consumer protection regulations.
Receiving the award, Achimugu described the recognition as a tribute to the collective efforts of the NCAA in safeguarding the rights and interests of air travellers across the country.
He said the Directorate of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection is statutorily responsible for resolving complaints arising from flight delays, cancellations, baggage issues, ticket refunds and other consumer-related matters within the aviation sector.
According to him, the directorate has recorded the highest volume of ticket refunds, passenger compensation and regulatory compliance interventions in the history of the Authority.
Achimugu disclosed that the NCAA achieved a 65 per cent passenger complaint resolution rate in 2025, representing a 10 percentage-point improvement over the previous year.
He expressed optimism that the Authority would attain a 90 per cent complaint resolution rate before the end of 2026 as it continues to strengthen consumer protection and improve service delivery in the aviation industry.
The NCAA official dedicated the award to his children, members of his team and the leadership of the Authority, describing the recognition as motivation to sustain efforts aimed at protecting the rights of Nigerian air travellers.
He also urged passengers to familiarise themselves with their rights and responsibilities under the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, stressing that an informed travelling public is critical to building a more accountable, transparent and responsive aviation sector.
The African Brands Personality Award recognises individuals whose leadership, innovation and commitment to excellence have made significant contributions to public service, industry and sustainable development across Africa.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
