Aviation Unions Push FG to Privatize NAMA Over Funding, Safety Concerns

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of aviation unions has urged the Federal Government to commercialise or privatise the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), arguing the move would boost air navigation infrastructure, improve safety, and bring Nigeria in line with global standards.

The unions — Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) — made the call in a joint statement signed by their branch secretaries: Obasi Ugwumba, Salami J. Adeniyi, Omaga Joshua, and Celestine N. Chukwu.

The committee said NAMA’s dependence on government budget allocations has stalled the rollout of critical air navigation technologies needed to meet international benchmarks. It said privatisation or commercialisation would let the agency tap private equity, international bonds, and capital markets to fund upgrades such as satellite-based ADS-B systems and modern backup infrastructure.

According to the unions, shifting political priorities and bureaucratic bottlenecks have repeatedly delayed safety upgrades. A commercially run NAMA, they argued, would be more financially sustainable and better positioned to make decisions based on safety and efficiency rather than budget cycles.

Citing Nav Canada, NATS Holdings (UK), and Airways New Zealand as models, the committee pointed to user-pays systems that support continuous technological investment.

The unions listed NAMA’s revenue streams — en-route and overflight charges, its share of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, non-navigational charges, charter services, calibration and aeronautical information sales, and Hajj operations — but faulted the agency for weak transparency around airspace violation fines and service-hour extension charges, calling for improved disclosure.

They also criticised NAMA’s proposal before the National Assembly to raise the Ticket Sales Charge by 23–40 per cent, saying the agency should focus on operational efficiency rather than new charges.

While backing reforms, the unions insisted any privatisation model must preserve the NCAA’s role as an independent safety regulator under the Civil Aviation Act and ICAO standards. They proposed either full privatisation or a structured Public-Private Partnership that would turn NAMA into an independent corporation with private participation, performance targets, and national security safeguards under continued government oversight.