The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced plans to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to track passengers’ checked-in luggage at airports across Nigeria.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this in a statement posted on his official X account on Tuesday.
Achimugu said the NCAA had met with domestic airlines, aviation service providers and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Lagos to finalise plans for migrating to RFID baggage tagging.
According to him, the technology will allow passengers to track their luggage in real time from the point of check-in until it arrives at their destination.
He said the system would help reduce cases of misrouted and short-landed baggage while improving baggage handling, complaints resolution and overall passenger satisfaction.
“This automation technology means that air passengers can track the location of their bags from check-in to arrival at destination, real time,” Achimugu said.
He noted that although RFID baggage tracking is already used in other parts of the world, its introduction would mark the first time the technology is deployed for this purpose in Nigeria.
“Although not novel globally, this is coming to Nigeria for the first time, and its proper implementation would guarantee greater efficiency in baggage handling, complaints resolution, and passenger satisfaction,” he said.
Achimugu explained that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had approved a review of the technology by relevant aviation agencies.
He said the approval was followed by consultations with key stakeholders, during which possible challenges to the implementation of the system were examined.
According to him, stakeholders reached a consensus that the initiative should proceed, describing it as an important step towards improving the passenger experience and modernising baggage management in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
“Due to a listening minister, a proactive DGCA, and a vibrant MD FAAN, we are about to witness a new era in civil aviation in Nigeria,” Achimugu said.
He added that the NCAA would provide further details on the implementation and rollout of the RFID baggage tracking system at a later date.
