I recently read the comments made by Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, claiming that Nigerians enjoy the “cheapest domestic airfares in the world.” He cited examples like the Atlanta, Charleston route in the US costing $399 (about ₦600,000) for a 50-minute flight, comparing it to Nigerian tickets priced at ₦125,000. While his mathematical conversion of dollars to naira is accurate, his economic logic is fundamentally flawed.
My primary concern with people who compare our purchasing power with that of developed countries is their glaring inability to put our minimum wage side by side with those of other nations. To claim a service is “cheap” by simply converting currencies, without taking into cognisance the earning capacity of the citizens, is not just misleading, it is an insult to the economic reality of the average Nigerian.
The Earning Gap: Hours vs. Months
Let us look at the facts. In the United States, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. In many states like California or New York, it is as high as $15 to $16 per hour. Even at the lower federal rate, an American working a standard 8-hour day earns $58 per day. In just seven days of work, that American has earned enough to afford that $400 flight Onyema mentioned.
Now, let’s look at my country, Nigeria. As of late 2025, our national minimum wage stands at ₦70,000 per month. If you break that down, a Nigerian worker earns roughly ₦2,333 per day. If a domestic flight costs ₦125,000 (which is even the “cheap” off-peak rate), that worker would need to save their entire salary for nearly two full months without eating, paying rent, or spending a kobo, just to buy a one-way ticket.
Onyema argues that “aviation is the same worldwide” because spares and fuel are bought in dollars. While that is a challenge for airlines, it is not a justification to tell a population with a devalued currency that they are enjoying a “cheap” life.
Checks have shown that a single domestic flight in Nigeria costs nearly 200% of a minimum wage earner’s monthly income. In the US, it is a fraction of it. Calling our fares the “cheapest” is technically true in dollar terms but intellectually dishonest in terms of economic reality.
We must take into cognisance other factors, not just the price tag. Our inflation is hovering near 30%, our currency has lost massive value, and our infrastructure makes air travel a necessity rather than a luxury for many. Comparing ₦125,000 to $399 without mentioning that the average American earns in an hour what some Nigerians earn in two days is misleading.
I believe Nigerian airlines are struggling, but the solution isn’t to tell the Nigerian traveler they have it “good.” We don’t. We are paying for tickets with a currency that has no wings, while our neighbors in the West are flying on the strength of a robust economy.
Godwin Anyebe is a Journalist and a Rights Activist.
