The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission have signed an agreement to protect travellers and travel trade operators from unfair operational practices.

FCCPC boss Tunji Bello said this in a statement on Friday. He said the agreement was signed in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Bello said the pact would be for two years but with an open window for renewal, subject to certain satisfactory metrics. He said NANTA had always been proactive in the affairs of the Nigerian travel industry, as he described the initiative as bold and innovative.

He noted that he had always followed with keen interest the activities of NANTA, particularly its consistent advocacy to protect the Nigerian travelling public and the discomfort with unfair play and lack of equity in travel trade practices in the country.

Speaking on the unhealthy situation in the national trade economy, Bello bemoaned the unbridled spate of high prices of goods and services in the country, wondering if Nigerians truly love each other.

He noted that price hikes of consumer goods in various markets do not tally with empirical findings by FCCPC of cost of goods and negated the laws on fair and equitable trade practices.

Yinka Folami, NANTA’s president, said the association, as a trade body, can not stand by and watch the entire Nigerian travel trade sector eroded by obnoxious trade practices.

He commended FCCPC for being consistent in the pursuance of the protection of the rights of consumers and in diffusing the negative climate of trade exploitation that hurt the Nigerian economy and the people.

(NAN)