• Popular matted woven bags due to issues with it damaging airport baggage equipment.
• Ethiopian Airlines has banned matted woven bags from its network due to their incompatibility with baggage systems and damage to airport equipment.
• Dubai International Airport and Air France-KLM previously implemented similar bans due to concerns about the bags causing damage and disruption.
• Nigeria’s Federal Airports Authority has clarified that the ban only applies to Ethiopian Airlines, and the Nigerian government has no plans to ban the use of matted woven bags at its airports.

Also known as the “Ghana Must Go,” the bags gained notoriety in Nigeria in the 1980s following their usage by expelled Ghanaian immigrants. The bags have since become popular with the traveling public in West Africa due to their affordability and versatility, with different countries having different names for it.

System issues

Although a popular and cost-effective choice for many travelers, some airlines and airports have reported issues with processing the bags due to their incompatibility with some modern baggage systems.

In a statement shared by Ethiopian Airlines with the BBC on Friday, the airline noted that it had implemented the ban due to frequent incidents with it damaging the conveyor belts at airports. Passengers can still travel with the bag, provided it is “adequately packed in a carton or hardcover rectangular container.”

Ethiopian Airlines operates several direct routes into Nigeria from its Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) base. Major destinations include Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) in Lagos, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (KAN).

“Please be informed that effective November 25, 2023, the usage of Ghana Must Go to travel on our flight is hereby prohibited. The use of Ghana Must Go as a means of packing baggage has cost the airlines huge loss and also damaged the conveyor belt system, not only on our flight but also on other foreign airlines, hence the prohibition.”

Despite initial confusion over the policy, Nigeria’s Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) has noted that it would not be banning the bag, with the notice circled on social media applicable to only Ethiopian Airlines. Nigerian carriers were advised to inform their passengers and airline partners of the policy change; however, the Nigerian government has no plans to ban the use of the bag at its airports.