NCCA embraces RFID baggage tracking
Lagos, Aug. 2026 (TBL Africa) The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is set to deploy Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology across airports to tackle baggage loss, delays, misrouting and poor visibility in handling processes.
This was revealed on Tuesday in Lagos when NCAA held a technology modernisation briefing with airlines, ground handlers and other industry stakeholders.
NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the meeting examined integration of the technology into existing airport operations.
Achimugu described baggage handling as one of the aviation industry’s most persistent passenger complaints, attracting attention from the Presidency, Ombudsman and other stakeholders.
Passengers, he noted, routinely contend with baggage that is short-landed, delayed, misplaced, lost or damaged during travel.
“For many years now, one of the biggest complaints in the industry has been that of baggage,” Achimugu said.
He explained that RFID technology would allow passengers to monitor baggage movements through an application from the point of check-in.
He said passengers would know whether baggage had left check-in, reached boarding areas, arrived at aircraft stands or been loaded correctly.
Achimugu said the system could significantly reduce misrouted baggage by automatically identifying bags assigned to incorrect destinations.
He explained that a bag travelling from Lagos to Kano could be flagged if prepared for another flight before loading.
The NCAA director said the technology could also transform how airlines respond to baggage complaints and reconciliation processes.
Under current regulations, domestic airlines have up to seven days to locate and reconcile missing baggage with passengers.
“With RFID, however, the last recorded location of a bag could be established almost immediately.
“If you have landed in Lagos, but your bag is in Enugu, you can tell the airline specifically where your bag is,” he explained.
Achimugu said the system would reduce investigation time and improve accountability across different stages of baggage handling operations.
He clarified that RFID technology was not yet operational, as discussions remained focused on integration with stakeholders’ existing systems.
According to him, Aviation 360 Solutions, the project contractor, has already been introduced to airlines for consultations.
Achimugu disclosed that the NCAA was examining possible regulatory amendments that could eventually make baggage automation mandatory.
He stressed that implementation would require collaboration because the NCAA does not own airport infrastructure.
According to him, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) owns airport facilities, while airlines and handlers manage other baggage-chain functions.
“We have to involve everybody in the baggage chain,” Achimugu said.
He added that the project is expected to commence within 2026 following stakeholder engagement and regulatory preparations.
Stakeholders welcomed the proposal but raised concerns over integration challenges, infrastructure readiness, human error, tag failures and implementation costs.
Airline representatives specifically queried how RFID would interact with Passenger Service Systems and Departure Control Systems already in use.
They sought assurances that the platform would communicate effectively with systems operated by different Nigerian carriers.
Mr Matthias Itua, Chief Executive Officer, Aviation 360 Solutions, said the platform would be designed to integrate seamlessly with existing airline systems.
He explained that baggage information would be captured during check-in and transmitted through subsequent handling stages.
Itua acknowledged that human intervention could still result in wrongly routed baggage in spite of technological safeguards.
To minimise such risks, the system would employ multiple scanning points at sorting facilities and aircraft loading areas.
He said these scans would create a digital trail, enabling operators to identify the last recorded location of baggage.
“This would make it possible to determine where a breakdown occurred in the process,” Itua said.
