As aviation unions prepare to hold a nationwide peaceful protest next Wednesday, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has stepped in to address the situation. The protest is set to demand an end to the 50% deduction from the internally generated revenue (IGR) of various industry agencies.
The secretaries general of the five aviation unions announced that the protest will occur at airports across the country. It is being organized in response to the federal government’s refusal to exempt aviation agencies from these revenue cuts. The affected agencies include the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The call for exemption from the deductions, which was previously set at 25%, has been ongoing. The unions argue that aviation agencies, which are meant to recover costs rather than generate profits, cannot sustain operations with only half of their revenues. They have also noted that essential safety activities are being compromised due to these financial constraints.
The unions have urged all state councils, women’s and youth commissions, and branches nationwide to mobilize for the protest and have indicated that additional actions will be planned if their demands are not met.
In response, Keyamo has scheduled a meeting with the union leaders to discuss their concerns and provide President Bola Tinubu with an opportunity to address the issues comprehensively. Keyamo said, “We understand the strain this has placed on the sector’s ability to manage critical safety and operational needs, and we are taking these concerns very seriously.”
He further appealed to the unions to reconsider their planned protest on September 18, 2024, and to allow for dialogue, with a meeting set for September 17, 2024.
