Nigeria's air fare taxes more ridiculously expensive than most African countries
Nigerian air travelers face significantly higher taxes, averaging $180 per foreign departure compared to the African average of $68.
Countries such as Gabon, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria have the highest aviation taxes, while others like Libya and Malawi have the lowest.
High operational costs make flights within Africa from Nigeria more expensive than some flights to Europe.
According to the survey titled AFRAA Taxes and Charges Study Review 2024, Nigerians pay an average of $180 each per foreign departure, which is almost three times the continental average of $68.
Gabon is the most expensive country in terms of net taxes, levies, and fees, followed by Sierra Leone and Nigeria, the report revealed.
The list also includes Niger, Benin, and Ghana. Libya, Malawi, Lesotho, and Algeria are the least expensive countries for international departure taxes.
Flying from Nigeria to other African nations is more expensive than flying to some European locations due to high operating costs, according to Dr. Kingsley Nwokoma, President of the Association of Foreign Airlines' Representatives in Nigeria, as seen in the Punch newspaper.
Nigeria's aviation problems
The Nigerian government has admitted to some of the problems and is still working to find a long-term fix.
The most recent of these was the clearing of a backlog of about $900 million in foreign airline receipts that had been held up by a lack of foreign exchange.
In the past, this problem led to airlines raising prices for flights to Nigeria.
Airlines have since been advised by authorities to modify their ticket pricing to reflect the improved circumstances.
The cracks in Nigeria's aviation industry go beyond just expensive flight deposits. Currently, Nigeria ranks among the African countries without a national airline.
Despite boasting Africa's largest population, a sizable market, and enormous potential, the West African country does not operate has failed to properly operate its own national airline.
Nigeria Airways proudly flew the flag from 1958 to 2003. It featured everything from Airbus A310s to Boeing 737s and 747s. However, the airline was permanently grounded following decades of financial difficulties.
Nigeria has made numerous attempts to establish a new national carrier since then, but for some reason or the other, has always come up short.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Tesla shares drop 7% after Musk unveils new U.S. political party
July 7 (UPI) -- Stock shares in Elon Musk's car company Tesla fell about 7% Monday after the billionaire ex-Trump administration official announced plans to form his new "America Party." Tesla shares sold at $293 per share in morning trading but was on track to see its worst day of trading since June 5 when it tumbled 14% as the feud between Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump erupted into public view. On Saturday, the world's richest man said the so-called America Party may focus on "just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts," going so far to suggest it could be "enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people." Tesla saw a Wall Street rebound in May after Musk left his Department of Government Efficiency role amid a decline in company sales. However, Musk could lose federal subsidies that support SpaceX and his Starlink global satellite Internet services provider, Trump recently warned, as Tesla stock saw a drop on July 1. In April, Tesla shares saw a 5% jump at one point during daily trading as Musk teased about exiting the White House, which later called the reports "garbage." But Musk's heavy involvement in U.S. political affairs has made investors nervous. "Very simply, Musk diving deeper into politics and now trying to take on the Beltway establishment is exactly the opposite direction that Tesla investors/shareholders want him to take during this crucial period for the Tesla story," Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, said Sunday in a note. Musk and Trump have clashed over the Republican's recently-passed tax spending bill for which no Democrat voted for approval. "While the core Musk supporters will back Musk at every turn no matter what, there is broader sense of exhaustion from many Tesla investors that Musk keeps heading down the political track," Ives added. On Sunday, the president called the creation of Musk's new America Party "ridiculous" and stated the Tesla chief had gone "completely off the rails" as Musk sided with Democrats saying Trump's new tax bill will add trillions to the U.S. national debt. Sales of Tesla's EVs fell over 13% from April to June versus the same time last year. In addition, European sales dropped by nearly 50% in April. Meanwhile, Tesla reported a staggering 14% year-on-year-decline in its second-quarter car deliveries, missing its own expectations as nationwide "Tesla Takedown" protests gripped the EV maker and Tesla dealerships dealt with acts of arson fueled in anger over Musk's meddling in U.S. government policies and operations. Also, Tesla faces rising competition in the Chinese market as other global companies, such as Apple, seek to end reliance on China's hefty manufacturing capabilities. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
4 hours ago
- UPI
Tesla shares drop 7% after Musk unveils new U.S. political party
1 of 2 | Tesla shares sold at $293 per share in morning trading but was on track to see its worst day of trading since June 5 when it tumbled 14% as the feud between Tesla CEO Elon Musk (pictured May 30 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.) and U.S. President Donald Trump erupted into public view. File Photo by Francis Chung/UPI | License Photo July 7 (UPI) -- Stock shares in Elon Musk's car company Tesla fell about 7% Monday after the billionaire ex-Trump administration official announced plans to form his new "America Party." Tesla shares sold at $293 per share in morning trading but was on track to see its worst day of trading since June 5 when it tumbled 14% as the feud between Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump erupted into public view. On Saturday, the world's richest man said the so-called America Party may focus on "just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts," going so far to suggest it could be "enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people." Tesla saw a Wall Street rebound in May after Musk left his Department of Government Efficiency role amid a decline in company sales. However, Musk could lose federal subsidies that support SpaceX and his Starlink global satellite Internet services provider, Trump recently warned, as Tesla stock saw a drop on July 1. In April, Tesla shares saw a 5% jump at one point during daily trading as Musk teased about exiting the White House, which later called the reports "garbage." But Musk's heavy involvement in U.S. political affairs has made investors nervous. "Very simply, Musk diving deeper into politics and now trying to take on the Beltway establishment is exactly the opposite direction that Tesla investors/shareholders want him to take during this crucial period for the Tesla story," Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, said Sunday in a note. Musk and Trump have clashed over the Republican's recently-passed tax spending bill for which no Democrat voted for approval. "While the core Musk supporters will back Musk at every turn no matter what, there is broader sense of exhaustion from many Tesla investors that Musk keeps heading down the political track," Ives added. On Sunday, the president called the creation of Musk's new America Party "ridiculous" and stated the Tesla chief had gone "completely off the rails" as Musk sided with Democrats saying Trump's new tax bill will add trillions to the U.S. national debt. Sales of Tesla's EVs fell over 13% from April to June versus the same time last year. In addition, European sales dropped by nearly 50% in April. Meanwhile, Tesla reported a staggering 14% year-on-year-decline in its second-quarter car deliveries, missing its own expectations as nationwide "Tesla Takedown" protests gripped the EV maker and Tesla dealerships dealt with acts of arson fueled in anger over Musk's meddling in U.S. government policies and operations. Also, Tesla faces rising competition in the Chinese market as other global companies, such as Apple, seek to end reliance on China's hefty manufacturing capabilities.
Politico
4 hours ago
- Politico
Big Tech looks for some global wins
With help from Aaron Mak Big Tech might have lost its bid to freeze state AI rules, but on the global front, it's finding new opportunities to push back on regulation it doesn't like. Nearly six months after President Donald Trump took office promising to go after 'unfair' overseas digital regulation, the American tech industry has already notched one victory and is pushing for more. Canada folded first: Last week, after Trump threatened to stop trade with Ottawa, Canada agreed to shelve a digital services tax that would have collected billions of dollars from U.S. tech companies. Now, looking to press its case in Europe, half a dozen U.S. tech trade groups signed onto a letter last week urging the White House to take a stand against 'the EU's discriminatory digital regulatory policy.' Europe's Digital Services Act, which aims to curb harmful content online, has already come up as a topic of conversation between American and European negotiators, POLITICO's Ari Hawkins reported. European officials pushed back on reports that the Digital Markets Act, which regulates competition, is on the table, too. No trade deal is set yet, and Trump on Monday announced the tariffs that had been set to snap back this week will once again be postponed as he negotiates deals with U.S. trading partners including Europe. But the environment is giving American tech advocates the sense that the wind is at their backs. 'It's hard for me to see the Europeans just giving it up entirely, but they're going to have to make changes' to their digital rules, said Ed Brzytwa, vice president of international trade at the Consumer Technology Association, which counts Amazon, Meta and Apple as members. His group signed last week's letter to the White House, which named the DSA, DMA, digital services taxes, EU AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation among 'discriminatory, unreasonable and burdensome regulations and taxes in the EU.' American companies say they're unfairly targeted by European policies. In the latest example, Apple, which faces fines of €500 million, and Meta, which was fined €200 million, are challenging their penalties for breaching the EU's Digital Markets Act. The trade war that Trump opened seems to have created new avenues to push their case, and now the tech industry has other digital measures in its sights. 'Canada walking back the DST was an example of how everything is on the table in these trade negotiations,' said Daniel Castro, vice president at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a nonprofit whose supporters include the CTA, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Meta. To some extent, European tech groups are joining the push to defang the digital rules coming out of Brussels. More than 40 leaders of Europe's biggest corporations, including French AI powerhouse Mistral and the Dutch chipmaking equipment manufacturer ASML, urged Brussels in a letter last week to pause the EU AI Act for two years. They pointed to the challenges pointed out by Mario Draghi, the former European Central Bank chief, whose seminal report last September found Europe lagging in productivity. He blamed Europe's financial markets, costly energy, fragmented R&D and polarized politics. The push against the AI Act, from both sides of the Atlantic, seemed to land with a receptive audience. European Commission tech chief Henna Virkkunen told Politico last month she would not rule out postponing some of the AI Act. Nick Moës, executive director of The Future Society that favors tech regulation, said the push was 'emblematic of significant lobbying going on to try to water down or delete obligations and requirements imposed upon industry players developing AI.' But other tech regulations may be harder to crack. In late June, The Wall Street Journal reported the U.S. Trade Representative's office had compiled a draft trade agreement with the EU that included a list of tentative deals with Brussels, including a dialogue on the Digital Markets Act. According to the report, American companies would be exempt from DMA enforcement while talks went on. A senior member of the European Parliament told POLITICO's Jacob Parry the WSJ report 'is bullshit' and that 'DMA is not up for discussion.' Brzytwa, of the CTA, said he could see policymakers in Brussels struggling to outright repeal tech regulation that had been carefully crafted over years – but the enforcement might be lightened. 'What we're hopeful for is it becomes less burdensome on companies with respect to fines,' he said. Brzytwa said he saw the White House taking an expansive view of what might be possible on the global front. In Trump's first term, he ordered investigations into individual policies that burdened American companies. Now, however, Trump was targeting a wide range of digital policies. 'His aperture in terms of the issue set has broadened,' Brzytwa said. 'We haven't seen anything in writing but all the tea leaves seem to indicate…the issues we're citing are on the table.' Communications systems blamed for flood disaster As deadly floods devastate Texas, alleged failures in emergency communications infrastructure may have been a driving force of the destruction. Over the weekend, flash floods coursed through central Texas, resulting in the deaths of at least 80 people. Dozens of people are also missing. Some local officials have accused the National Weather Service (NWS) of making faulty forecasts, which the agency has disputed. Yet, emergency preparedness experts say that gaps in the technical measures to disseminate warnings are really to blame. 'The crux of this disaster is a failure of the last mile of communication,' Tom Fahy, legislative director for the NWS employee union, told POLITICO. Such alerts were transmitted wirelessly to handheld devices, and to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Radio. However, the messages can't reach people who don't have access to a cellphone or reliable service, or who've disabled such notifications on their devices. A summer camp where 11 people are missing notably had a policy against touchscreen devices that could've received weather alerts. In addition, people may miss radio communications if they don't happen to be listening at the right moment. Other counties in Central Texas have tried to solve this problem by installing outdoor weather sirens. post of the day THE FUTURE IN 5 LINKS Stay in touch with the whole team: Aaron Mak (amak@ Mohar Chatterjee (mchatterjee@ Steve Heuser (sheuser@ Nate Robson (nrobson@ and Daniella Cheslow (dcheslow@
