Nigeria is set to deploy RFID technology at its airports to tackle baggage losses, misrouting and delays that contribute to passenger complaints and flight disruptions. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) brought airlines, ground handlers and other stakeholders together for a technology modernisation briefing on the proposed system.
The Radio Frequency Identification system will provide automated baggage tracking from check-in through loading and arrival. Aviation 360 Solutions, the contractor behind the technology, explained how its platform would integrate with existing airline systems while addressing concerns raised by operators.
Speaking at the stakeholder event involving Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, airlines, ground handlers and Aviation Director Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr. Michael Achimugu said baggage problems remain among the industry’s most persistent passenger complaints. He said the issue has attracted attention from the Presidency, the Ombudsman and other stakeholders because passengers frequently deal with bags that are short landed
, missing, delayed or damaged.
“For many years now, one of the biggest complaints in the industry has been that of baggage,” Achimugu said. He explained that technology must now play a stronger role in improving baggage handling and passenger confidence.
According to the NCAA, RFID would allow passengers to monitor their bags through a dedicated application. Travellers could see whether their baggage has left check-in, reached sorting, arrived at the boarding area or been loaded onto the correct aircraft.
The system could also reduce misrouted baggage by identifying bags being processed for the wrong destination. A Lagos-to-Kano bag, for example, could be flagged before it is loaded onto another flight, giving operators an opportunity to correct the error.
RFID Could Improve Baggage Complaints and Reduce Flight Disruptions
Achimugu said RFID could also transform the way airlines investigate baggage complaints. Under existing arrangements, domestic airlines can have up to seven days to locate and reconcile missing baggage with passengers.
With real-time tracking, however, airlines could identify the last recorded location of a bag much faster. “If you have landed in Lagos, but your bag is in Enugu, for instance, you can tell the airline specifically where your bag is,” he explained.
The system would therefore create a digital trail across the baggage chain. That could reduce investigation time while improving accountability among airlines, ground handlers and airport operators.
The NCAA stressed that the system is not yet operational. Discussions with airlines are already underway, particularly around integration with different Passenger Service Systems and Departure Control Systems.
Achimugu said regulatory changes were also being considered to potentially make baggage automation mandatory. He stressed that implementation would require cooperation because the NCAA does not own airport infrastructure.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) owns and manages the relevant airport infrastructure, while airlines, ground handlers and other service providers control different parts of the baggage process. Therefore, the NCAA wants all stakeholders involved before implementation begins.
The authority expects the project to commence within 2026.
Airlines Question RFID Integration, Infrastructure and Costs
While stakeholders broadly welcomed RFID, airlines raised concerns about integration, human error, equipment, infrastructure and costs.
One major question focused on how the platform would communicate with different airline systems. Aviation 360 Solutions said its technology would integrate with existing systems and capture baggage information from check-in through subsequent processing points.
Stakeholders also questioned whether technology could completely eliminate human error. They noted that a wrongly identified bag could still be physically placed on the wrong aircraft.
In response, Slimautos and Medds Global Limited, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer, Mathias Itua, said multiple scanning points would create a detailed movement record. Bags would be scanned during sorting and again around the loading process, making it easier to establish where a process failed.
The contractor also addressed possible RFID tag failures. It said a fallback mechanism would remain available where RFID tags could not be read, with existing barcode processes continuing to provide backup.
Airlines also questioned whether adopting RFID would require major investment in new tags, printers and other equipment. Aviation 360 Solutions said RFID tags would form part of the new baggage handling process.
However, airline representatives stressed that integration must cover printers, baggage systems and other equipment. They also sought clarity on who would bear the cost and what financial obligations would fall on carriers.
One airline representative described the technology as necessary for improving service quality but warned that Nigeria’s infrastructure could determine its success. He also raised concerns about supply chains, replacement materials and procurement lead times.
Slimautos and Medds Global Limited Explains RFID Infrastructure Plan
According to Aviation 360 Solutions, CEO, Itua, the project would provide the scanning equipment and supporting infrastructure required for implementation.
Itua explained that fixed and handheld RFID readers would be deployed at strategic points. These would include check-in, sorting, transfer areas, aircraft loading and unloading points, and baggage reclaim.
The platform would combine RFID tags, readers, middleware and system integration with a passenger-facing mobile application. The application would provide flight information, luggage and cargo tracking, milestone notifications and a channel for escalating unresolved complaints to the NCAA after engagement with the airline.
The company said the system could be deployed progressively without replacing every existing baggage facility. RFID readers can be introduced at critical points while existing infrastructure remains operational, allowing airports to expand coverage over time.
The approach also aligns with international baggage-tracking practices. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says baggage tracking at key points improves traceability and helps reduce mishandling.
For Nigerian passengers, the biggest change could be visibility. Instead of waiting at an airline desk to discover where a missing bag went, travellers could receive information directly through the application.
That could mean faster problem detection, quicker resolution, greater transparency, time savings, stronger passenger-rights enforcement, improved accessibility, better cargo visibility and wider aviation modernisation.
Those eight benefits make RFID more than a baggage technology. If implementation is properly coordinated, it could become an important step towards smarter Nigerian airports and fewer baggage-related flight disruptions.
