Four aviation unions seek NAMA privatisation

n n

Unions under the Joint Action Committee of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority have urged the Federal Government to commercialise or privatise the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority.

n

They made the appeal in a statement jointly signed by NCAA branch unions on Wednesday in Lagos.

n

The unions include the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria , and Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals.

n

Others are National Union of Air Transport Employees and National Association of Air Pilots and Engineers .

n

The signatories are Obasi Ugwumba, ATSSSAN Branch Secretary; Salami Adeniyi, ANAP Branch Secretary; Omaga Joshua, NUATE Branch Secretary and Celestine Chukwu, NAAPE Branch Secretary.

n

The unions said commercialising or privatising NAMA was essential to modernise Nigeria’s air navigation infrastructure and strengthen aviation safety.

n

They said NAMA’s dependence on government allocations and statutory funding had limited investments in critical technologies required to meet evolving global aviation standards.

n

According to them, commercialisation would enable NAMA to access private equity, international financing, capital markets and bond issuance for infrastructure development.

n

They said the funds would support deployment of satellite-based navigation systems and modern backup infrastructure to improve airspace management.

n

“The current funding model is tied largely to annual government budgets, often delayed by prolonged budget processes, shifting political priorities and bureaucratic bottlenecks,” the unions said.

n

They added that such delays frequently slowed implementation of critical safety upgrades needed to maintain efficient and reliable air navigation services.

n

The unions said a commercially driven NAMA would make faster operational decisions and independently finance long-term infrastructure projects.

n

They reviewed NAMA’s revenue profile, saying internally generated income came mainly from en-route charges, overflight charges, Ticket Sales Charge allocations and other aviation services.

n

The unions added that revenue also came from charter flight charges, air traffic services, telecommunications, calibration services and obstacle evaluation fees.

n

However, they expressed concern over what they described as insufficient transparency in certain aspects of NAMA’s revenue reporting.

n

They called for public disclosure of revenues from airspace violation penalties and Extension of Service Hours charges to strengthen public confidence.

n

“Aviation safety depends on maintaining clear institutional responsibilities,” the unions stated.

n

They proposed that NAMA should focus exclusively on managing Nigeria’s airspace, while the NCAA remains the independent regulator responsible for oversight, audits and enforcement.

n

The unions noted that separating commercial operations from regulatory oversight would eliminate conflicts of interest and ensure financial goals never compromise passenger safety.

n

They proposed either full privatisation or a carefully structured Public-Private Partnership with measurable performance targets and safeguards for national security.

n

They said commercialisation or privatisation offered “a proven pathway to modern infrastructure, improved operational efficiency, stronger financial sustainability and enhanced aviation safety.”

n

The unions urged the Federal Government to leverage private sector expertise to secure the future of Nigeria’s aviation industry. (NAN)

n n