Governance expert Joe Abah has confirmed he received a full refund of his flight ticket from United Nigeria Airlines after a six-hour flight delay.

Mr Abah disclosed that the airline refunded his ticket within 12 hours of his request and offered him a 50 per cent discount on a future flight for four months.

In a post on X on Thursday, Mr Abah said the airline has apologised, refunded his money, and offered compensation following the disruption to his Enugu-Abuja journey.

“I can confirm that I have now received a full refund from @flyunitedng and that the refund came within 12 hours of my making the request,” he wrote.

“They also offered compensation of 50 per cent off a future flight for the next four months. They have thus apologised, offered compensation, and speedily refunded my money. These are good remedial steps,” he added.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on Wednesday that United Nigeria Airlines apologised to Mr Abah over the delay, acknowledging that its communication and follow-up with affected passengers fell below expectations after he called out the airline on X and questioned its handling of the disruption.

Mr Abah had said his flight, scheduled to depart Enugu for Abuja at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, was delayed until 3 p.m., prompting him to demand an immediate refund and question the airline’s explanation.

United Nigeria Airlines, in its response, said its aircraft encountered worsening weather conditions while approaching Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, forcing it to divert to Anambra in line with safety procedures.

The airline said weather conditions can vary across routes and airports and change quickly, explaining why other aircraft might land while its own could not.

It also acknowledged that keeping passengers adequately informed remains its responsibility, even though weather-related disruptions are sometimes beyond its control.

Following the airline’s response, Mr Abah demanded an immediate refund after purchasing another airline ticket to complete his journey.

The airline subsequently asked him to submit a refund request through its official website, promising immediate processing rather than the usual seven working days.

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Mr Abah’s latest confirmation indicates the refund was completed within 12 hours of his request.

The development resolves the refund dispute and highlights how public complaints draw attention to passenger concerns over flight delays, communication, and refund procedures among domestic airlines.

Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Regulations contain consumer protection provisions covering flight delays, cancellations, passenger assistance and compensation in qualifying circumstances.

The NCAA advises passengers to first lodge complaints with airlines and escalate unresolved cases to its Consumer Protection Department.

Nigeria recorded a decline in antiretroviral treatment coverage among pregnant women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 2026.

The proportion of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV who achieved viral suppression fell from 95 per cent in 2025 to 79 per cent in 2026, according to the 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR) Statistical Book.

Produced by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the report reviews the third year of implementation of the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint and was presented at the third Nigeria Health Sector JAR in Abuja on 10 November 2026.

The report also shows that antiretroviral treatment coverage among HIV-positive pregnant women recorded in the programme data fell from 98 per cent in 2025 to 83 per cent in 2026.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the use of medicines to control HIV infection. Viral suppression occurs when treatment reduces the amount of the virus in the blood to a very low level.

Preventing mother-to-child transmission

HIV can be transmitted from a mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

However, appropriate treatment during pregnancy and continued care after delivery can substantially reduce the risk of transmission.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the risk of mother-to-child transmission ranges from 15 to 45 per cent, without interventions.

It recommends that women diagnosed with HIV be linked promptly to lifelong treatment and supported to remain in care and achieve viral suppression.

Speaking at the National HIV Health Sector Symposium in Abuja in July 2025, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said Nigeria continued to record more than 9,000 new paediatric HIV infections annually.

Mr Salako called for improved access to treatment for pregnant women living with HIV, early diagnosis of HIV-exposed infants and stronger community engagement to address stigma.

He also said the government’s state of emergency on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission remained in effect as part of efforts to ensure that no Nigerian child is born with HIV.

Other HIV indicators

The report also recorded a decline in newly detected HIV cases, from 108,230 in 2025 to 70,356 in 2026.

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It further showed an improvement in overall ART coverage among people living with HIV, which increased from 78 per cent in 2025 to 82 per cent in 2026. Viral suppression among those receiving treatment also rose from 94 to 95 per cent.

However, the number of people newly diagnosed with advanced HIV disease increased from 19,747 in 2025 to 20,162 in 2026.

The figures show improvements in some national HIV indicators alongside declines in treatment coverage and viral suppression among pregnant and breastfeeding women.

The JAR Book cites the National Data Repository and National Data Reporting System as sources of its HIV indicators.