In another episode of “guess what problem we have today?” aviation workers’ unions are gearing up for a nationwide protest on September 18, 2024.. Another protest in a country that practically thrives on conflict.
The announcement came from Ocheme Aba, General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and Frances Akinjole, Deputy General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN).
Why It Matters
A coalition of unions, including ANAP, NAAPE, and AUPCTRE, have rallied behind the cause, all sounding the same alarm: the Federal Government’s refusal to back down from its policy of skimming 50% off the top of internally generated revenues from key aviation agencies. That means these agencies—NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, NiMet, NCAT, and NSIB—are expected to operate on half of their income. Half, In a sector that isn’t exactly raking in profits.
The unions, in their statement, were understandably livid, accusing the government of treating cost-recovery agencies like profit-making businesses.
The protest, which is set to disrupt operations across airports nationwide, is not just about the money, it’s about survival. “They cannot survive on half of their incomes under any model of administration,” the unions lamented.
It’s almost as if the Federal Government has made it its mission to squeeze the life out of every functional institution. The current deduction policy didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It started as a 25% revenue grab in October 2022, escalated to 40%, and then jumped to a full 50% in January 2024. It’s as though someone up there decided, “If they haven’t collapsed yet, let’s see how far we can push them.”
What They Are saying
The unions have tried reasoning, lobbying, pleading, the whole shebang. But the Federal Government, ever so receptive, has been deaf to their cries. An ultimatum was issued to the Minister of Aviation, but it expired at the end of August 2024 without so much as a whisper of acknowledgment. Now, the aviation unions are done playing nice. They’re taking to the streets.
“All efforts on our part have failed to impress it upon the Federal Government that all the Agencies are cost recovery, and not profit making, organizations. As such they cannot survive on half of their incomes under any model of administration, or any other guise whatsoever. And the ultimatum given for the Minister of Aviation on same has expired since the end of August, 2024.”
Come September 18, all workers in these key aviation agencies will lay down their tools and stage peaceful protests at airports across the country. For an industry already struggling with inefficiency, delays, and endless bureaucracy, this is just another kick in the teeth.
Bottom Line
As we brace for yet another chapter in Nigeria’s never-ending saga of protests and government incompetence, one thing is very important, until the powers-that-be start treating the aviation sector with the seriousness it deserves, this won’t be the last time we hear about workers taking to the streets.
