By Seun Ibiyemi
Labour unions under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have called on the Federal Government to commercialise or privatise the Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA), arguing that the move is critical to modernising the country’s air navigation infrastructure and strengthening aviation safety.
The appeal was contained in a joint statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos by the NCAA branches of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and National Association of Air Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE).
The statement was jointly signed by the branch secretaries of the unions: Obasi Ugwumba (ATSSSAN), Salami Adeniyi (ANAP), Omaga Joshua (NUATE), and Celestine Chukwu (NAAPE).
The unions said NAMA’s continued dependence on government budgetary allocations and statutory funding had constrained investments in critical technologies needed to keep pace with evolving global aviation standards.
According to them, commercialisation or privatisation would enable the agency to access private equity, international financing, capital markets and bond issuances to fund major infrastructure projects.
They noted that such financing would facilitate the deployment of satellite-based navigation systems, modern surveillance equipment and backup infrastructure necessary to improve the efficiency and safety of Nigeria’s airspace management.
“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.
They added that the delays associated with the current funding model had repeatedly slowed the implementation of critical safety upgrades required for efficient and reliable air navigation services.
The unions argued that a commercially driven NAMA would be able to make faster operational decisions and independently finance long-term infrastructure development.
Reviewing the agency’s revenue profile, they said NAMA generates income from en-route navigation charges, overflight fees, Ticket Sales Charge allocations, charter flight charges, air traffic services, telecommunications, calibration services and obstacle evaluation fees.
However, they expressed concern over what they described as inadequate transparency in certain aspects of the agency’s revenue reporting.
Specifically, the unions called for public disclosure of revenues generated from airspace violation penalties and Extension of Service Hours charges to enhance accountability and public confidence.
“Aviation safety depends on maintaining clear institutional responsibilities,” the statement noted.
READ ALSO:Arik Air owes NAMA ₦2.27bn as aviation unions warn of financial crisis
The unions further recommended that NAMA should concentrate solely on managing Nigeria’s airspace, while the NCAA should continue to function independently as the industry’s regulator responsible for oversight, certification, audits and enforcement.
According to them, separating commercial operations from regulatory oversight would eliminate potential conflicts of interest and ensure that commercial objectives do not compromise aviation safety.
They proposed either a full privatisation of NAMA or a carefully structured Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with clearly defined performance targets, accountability mechanisms and safeguards for national security.
The unions maintained that commercialisation or privatisation represents “a proven pathway to modern infrastructure, improved operational efficiency, stronger financial sustainability and enhanced aviation safety.”
They urged the Federal Government to harness private sector expertise and investment to position Nigeria’s aviation industry for sustainable growth and global competitiveness.
