Nigerian Airspace Management Agency workers demand 40% share of Ticket Service Charge and reject privatization

They argue that this funding is crucial for safeguarding Nigeria’s airspace and ensuring the safety of air travelers. The agency’s in-house unions, including the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, also rejected calls for NAMA's privatization or commercialization. They insist that Nigeria’s airspace is a sovereign national asset that must remain under government control due to its strategic security and safety implications.

This demand comes amidst a bill in the National Assembly to review the TSC sharing formula. The unions stated that increasing NAMA’s allocation to 40% is an investment in aviation safety, modern technology, and infrastructure. They dismissed a recent recommendation by the Joint Action Committee of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority to privatize NAMA, arguing that the focus should be on strengthening the air navigation system through improved funding.

The workers emphasized that NAMA was created as a strategic national institution, not a profit-making enterprise, responsible for managing Nigeria’s sovereign airspace through critical systems. They warned that inadequate funding or policy decisions could expose