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African Airlines’ Passenger Demand Rose By 6.7%, Says IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says passenger demand in Africa increased by 6.7 percent in February 2025.
In its latest report, the IATA said the continent’s air travel capacity also rose by 4 percent from February 2024.
“African airlines saw a 6.7% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity was up 4.0% year-on-year. The load factor rose to 75.3% (+2.0 ppt compared to February 2024),” the association said.
The group said globally, total demand — measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) — went up by 2.6 percent compared to the same period last year.
“Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), was up 2.0% year-on-year. The February load factor was 81.1% (+0.4 ppt compared to February 2024),” IATA added.
“International demand rose 5.6% compared to February 2024. Capacity was up 4.5% year-on-year, and the load factor was 80.2% (+0.9 ppt compared to February 2024).
“Domestic demand fell 1.9% compared to February 2024. Capacity was down 1.7% year-on-year. The load factor was 82.6% (-0.2 ppt compared to February 2024).”
Willie Walsh, IATA’s director-general, said the traffic growth decrease in February can be explained by factors including the leap year, and lunar new year falling in January compared to February last year.
He said February traffic hit an all-time high, adding that the number of scheduled flights will continue to rise in March and April.
“But we need to keep a close eye on developments in North America, which saw falls in both domestic and international traffic,” Walsh said.
“The recent shut-down of Heathrow reminded us once again that the current passenger rights regime in place in Europe and the UK is not fit for purpose. The annual costs of compensation, care and assistance run into the billions.
“Thankfully, the Polish Presidency of the EU has recognized that this is a drag on European competitiveness and is progressing much-needed and long-anticipated reforms to EU261.”
Walsh said while many of the proposed reforms are sensible, the package falls short of a real solution.
“Even with the reforms, EU261 will still target the airlines with penalties even if the root cause of delays is an infrastructure incident out of their control—like we saw at Heathrow,” the director-general said.
“Over two decades of EU261 have not seen a reduction in delays because infrastructure providers have no incentive to improve their game. Sadly for European travelers, we are likely to see this play out again in this summer’s peak travel season.”
He said genuine reform of European Union regulation (EU261) must ensure that all parties responsible for delays share in the consequences.
According to the report, international RPK growth moderated to 5.6 percent in February year-on-year, down from 12.3 percent in January.
However, the IATA said the growth meant that all regions — except North America — established record February levels of demand.
Says ‘POLICE MUST PAY N100 MILLION AS COMPENSATION’
The magistrate court in Apapa, Lagos, has freed Alabi Quadri, the teenager who went viral in the buildup to the 2023 presidential election.
The photograph of Quadri making an appearance before Peter Obi’s campaign motorcade had gained traction online at the time.
On Thursday, Adetola Olorunfemi, the magistrate, ordered the release of Quadri following legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The DPP had averred that there is no evidence to substantiate the armed robbery allegation against the minor.
In a recent social media post, an activist had shared that Quadri has been in Kirikiri prison since January 2025 “for an offence he did not commit”.
The teenager was said to have been returning home from work when he was forcefully taken to the police station by some young men over claims that he was among a group of robbers in the community.
The teenager’s mother attributed Quadri’s ordeal to the entitlement of some street urchins to the largesse he reportedly received after making the headlines in 2023.
The post had caught the attention of many Nigerians, including Obi and Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer.
Commenting on the court judgment, Effiong, the teenager’s lawyer, said the police must pay N100 million to Quadri as compensation and tender a public apology.
The human rights lawyer demanded that the Lagos police command must remove the divisional police officers of Amukoko for participating in the alleged framing of the teenager for armed robbery.
“We commend the DPP for standing by the truth in this matter,” Effiong said.
“We demand that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, and the Inspector General of Police, should as a matter of urgency, remove the DPO of Amukoko Divisional Headquarters and subject him to orderly room trial along with the IPO, one Inspector Odigbe Samuel, and other officers who participated in this evil, sinister, oppressive, and corrupt scheme of framing-up a teenager for armed robbery at the behest of rogue ‘Area Boys’.
“We demand that the Nigeria Police Force should pay the sum of One Hundred Million Naira (N100,000,000.00) to our client as compensation.
“Also, we also demand a public apology from the police. If the above three remedial demands are not fully complied with immediately, we shall initiate legal actions to seek redress.
“Quadri’s case is a painful example of the putrefying corruption, monstrous impunity, and pervasive injustice in the Nigeria Police Force.”
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on the Federal Government to immediately remove the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, citing a breach of constitutional procedure and defiance of President Bola Tinubu’s directives.
In a statement provided to Elanza News on Thursday, Falana referenced the official Federal Government Gazette, which outlined the terms governing the Sole Administrator’s operations.
According to the document, “the Sole Administrator shall operate on the basis of such Regulations that may, from time to time, be issued by me,” President Bola Tinubu stated.
However, Falana noted that “it is common knowledge that President Bola Tinubu has not issued any Regulation for the operation of the Sole Administrator.”
Despite this, the appointed Sole Administrator has proceeded to make appointments and remove officials who were earlier appointed by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Describing the development as unlawful, Falana said: “By treating the orders of President Bola Tinubu with contempt, the Sole Administrator has compounded the illegality of his appointment.
The Sole Administrator ought to be removed without any further delay.”
The legal luminary’s position comes amid a broader political crisis in Rivers State, where the legitimacy of key appointments and the balance of powers between the state and federal government continue to generate intense debate.
By Abubakar Yunusa
Dr Yusuf John Suberu, founder of the Dr Yusuf John Suberu Foundation, has congratulated Nigeria on being honoured with the prestigious Kofi Annan Road Safety Award at a ceremony in Eswatini.
The award recognises the country’s significant progress in reducing road crashes and improving safety..
The accolade, celebrated by stakeholders across the continent, highlights Nigeria’s dedication to improving road safety standards.
Dr. Yusuf John Suberu, founder of the Dr. Yusuf John Suberu Foundation, attended the event and engaged with prominent figures, including the Ministers of Transportation from Cameroon and Eswatini, as well as Mr. John Todd, the United Nations Envoy on Road Safety.
The foundation, which focuses on poverty alleviation, education, and health, praised the Federal Government’s achievement as a milestone in fostering safer communities.
“This award reflects Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to road safety, a cause that resonates deeply with our mission to empower and uplift communities,” Dr. Suberu said in a statement.
“We commend the government and reaffirm our support for initiatives promoting sustainable development and safety.”
The Dr. Yusuf John Suberu Foundation has impacted over 5,000 individuals in the past year through its programmes and aims to train 500 youths in the Federal Capital Territory with skills for financial independence and self-employment.
The organisation views the award as a testament to the power of collective action in driving meaningful change.
The foundation expressed its eagerness to deepen collaboration with government bodies, international organisations, and local stakeholders to advance road safety and community development across Nigeria.