Covid-19

Covid-19: Confirmed cases spiralling upward in Nigeria, Lagos cases spike

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6 years ago

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April 14, 2020

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No fewer than 19 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Nigeria on Tuesday.

Fourteen of them were recorded in Lagos, two in the Federal Capital Territory, one each in Kano, Akwa Ibom, and Edo states.

The total number of cases in the country now stands at 362, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known via its Twitter handle on Tuesday.

The centre also confirmed that one new death has been recorded, making the number of fatalities from the infection rise to 11.

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Rising Tensions Between Regulators and Airlines The financial strain has coincided with renewed friction between the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), following disputes over the remittance of statutory charges and the delivery of regulatory services. Operators say the situation reflects deeper systemic liquidity stress across the sector, where airlines are increasingly unable to meet overlapping obligations imposed by aviation agencies while maintaining operational stability. A Layered and Fragmented Tax System At the centre of industry complaints is what operators describe as a “multi-layered and excessive” taxation structure involving the NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). Airlines such as Air Peace, Ibom Air, and United Nigeria Airlines are subject to a range of compulsory charges, including the 5% ticket levy, passenger service charges, value-added tax on tickets and aviation inputs, and other operational deductions collected at different stages of the value chain. Industry players argue that the system creates cash flow distortions because several charges are collected upfront or deducted at source, leaving airlines with reduced working capital for day-to-day operations. Beyond ticket-based deductions, carriers also face landing fees, parking charges, overflight fees, navigation levies, and ground handling costs. Combined with jet fuel, which accounts for a significant share of total operating expenses, analysts say profitability on many domestic routes has been severely constrained. 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