Staff unions at Nigeria's Meteorological Agency plan to paralyze aviation operations on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. They're protesting over unpaid dues from the country's airspace management body.
The Nimet Unions Joint Action Committee sent a notice on June 26, 2026. Three union secretaries—Hishaq Ibrahim, Okerafor Romeo, and Ogidi John—signed the letter.
At issue is a 10 percent remittance of en-route and over-flying charges. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has refused to pay this to Nimet.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo had already ordered NAMA to settle the debt. He gave the agency 48 hours to comply with his directive.
NAMA ignored the minister's instruction, the unions say. This failure has crippled airport operations and left Nimet workers without proper welfare support.
Union leaders met on June 15, 2026, to plot their response. They decided to escalate if NAMA didn't pay within seven days.
Nimet staff will now demonstrate at all meteorological offices nationwide. The action comes after NAMA's continued defiance of the ministerial order.
The unions copied both the aviation minister and Nimet's director-general on their notification. Their message was clear: compliance is non-negotiable.
Aviation could grind to a halt if the strike proceeds as planned. Weather services are essential for safe flight operations across Nigeria.
NAMA's management hasn't publicly responded to the unions' ultimatum. Industry observers expect pressure to mount as July 1 approaches.
Stakeholders worry about the impact on domestic and international flights. A shutdown would disrupt schedules and strangle economic activity at airports nationwide.
