The Federal Government has taken a new step toward making domestic air travel more accessible to ordinary Nigerians, launching a consumer credit scheme that allows eligible travellers to book local flights immediately and spread repayment over time.
The Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, known as CREDICORP, announced the initiative — branded “Fly Now, Pay Later” — on its official X handle on Tuesday. The scheme is positioned as a structured financing solution designed to eliminate the upfront cost burden that has increasingly priced many Nigerians out of domestic air travel.
We are proud to introduce Fly Now, Pay Later, a new consumer credit solution designed to make local air travel more accessible for Nigerians. pic.twitter.com/y9aIziTaeg
— Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (@CrediCorpNG) March 17, 2026
EDITOR’S PICKS
To access the product, interested individuals are directed to visit visaro.ng and complete a booking to any domestic destination. CREDICORP is delivering the initiative in partnership with MyVisaro and Alert Microfinance Bank.
What the Scheme Offers
At its core, “Fly Now, Pay Later” is a consumer credit product layered onto the domestic aviation market. Rather than requiring passengers to pay the full ticket cost before travel, the initiative provides financing that allows qualified users to fly first and repay through a structured plan.
CREDICORP framed the scheme in terms of its broader institutional mandate. “At CREDICORP, we remain committed to expanding responsible consumer credit and enabling Nigerians live better now, including flying locally,” the corporation stated. “Opportunity shouldn’t wait.”
The corporation described the initiative as consistent with its goal of promoting financial inclusion and improving access to essential services through innovative credit products. The involvement of Alert Microfinance Bank and MyVisaro suggests the scheme is intended to reach Nigerians who may not have immediate access to conventional banking credit facilities.
The Problem It Is Trying to Solve
The launch arrives against a backdrop of sustained affordability concerns in Nigeria’s domestic aviation sector. Ticket prices have surged significantly in recent years, driven by a combination of rising aviation fuel costs, foreign exchange constraints, and broader operational pressures on carriers.
The strain was most visible during the 2025 Yuletide period, when one-way fares on some domestic routes climbed by approximately 150 per cent, with some tickets exceeding N300,000. Airlines have consistently attributed the increases to factors largely outside their direct control — the weakened naira, the dollar-denominated cost of spare parts and maintenance, and the high price of Jet-A1 fuel in the local market.
For many middle-income Nigerians, these price levels have effectively made domestic air travel inaccessible for routine or time-sensitive journeys. The “Fly Now, Pay Later” model attempts to bridge that gap not by reducing ticket prices, but by restructuring how those prices are paid.
Questions Around Eligibility and Reach
While the announcement signals intent, several practical questions remain unanswered in CREDICORP’s public communication. The corporation has not outlined the specific eligibility criteria that will determine who qualifies for the credit product, what interest rates or repayment terms will apply, or what protections exist for borrowers who default or whose travel plans change after booking.
The phrase “eligible customers” appears in the official statement without elaboration, leaving the scope of access unclear. Consumer credit schemes of this nature typically require credit assessments, and the extent to which CREDICORP’s framework can accommodate Nigeria’s large informal workforce — many of whom lack formal credit histories — will likely determine how meaningful the initiative proves in practice.
FURTHER READING
What is clear is the direction of thinking within the corporation: that affordability barriers to domestic travel are a credit access problem as much as a pricing one. Whether “Fly Now, Pay Later” proves a scalable answer to that problem will depend heavily on its implementation details, which are yet to be made fully public.
Philip Ibitoye is a Special Correspondent with EKO HOT BLOG. Click here to find daily analysis and critical insight on trending issues in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
Click to watch the video of the week below:
