Union leaders at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority have called on lawmakers to commercialise or privatise the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. They believe this move offers the best chance to fund crucial aviation infrastructure without draining the NCAA's own resources.
The Joint Action Committee, representing all major NCAA unions, signed off on the proposal. The four branch secretaries backing the call are Obasi Ugwumba of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Salami Adeniyi of the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, Omaga Joshua of the National Union of Air Transport Employees, and Celestine N.
Chukwu of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers.
Their push directly challenges a bill currently under consideration in the National Assembly. The draft law would slash the NCAA's cut of ticket and cargo sales charges from 56 percent to 40 percent, while boosting NAMA's share from 22 percent to 40 percent.
According to the unions, redirecting regulatory money to plug NAMA's budget gaps is a risky strategy. The unions argue that NAMA's ongoing money troubles and reliance on government coffers leave Nigeria's airspace exposed to risk.
Delays in updating critical technology happen regularly due to bureaucratic obstacles, budget squabbles, and changing political winds, they noted. Full privatisation or a strong Public-Private Partnership model would let the agency tap into private investment, international bonds, and capital markets instead.
That financial muscle matters, the committee stressed. Nigeria needs satellite-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast systems and modern backup navigation equipment urgently.
The unions pointed lawmakers toward global examples of how this works. Nav Canada operates as a private, self-funding corporation with no state treasury support.
The UK's NATS Holdings runs successfully through a Public-Private Partnership structure.
Airways New Zealand functions as a commercialised state-owned enterprise that funds its own technology upgrades from operational profits, they added. All three models prove the approach works.
Looking at NAMA's own 2024 budget proposal, the unions noted that the agency already pulls in heavy revenue from en-route charges, overflight fees, and other navigation billings. Most of these income streams come in foreign currency.
The committee demanded greater financial accountability from NAMA. They're calling for public disclosure of all money collected from airspace violation fines and Extension of Service Hours Charges—the premium fees airlines pay when NAMA extends navigation services beyond standard operating hours.
Full transparency on these revenue streams would show the true financial picture, union leaders told reporters. That clarity, they believe, would strengthen the case for structural reform.
