Nigerian aviation unions advocate for NAMA privatization to modernize air navigation infrastructure

This appeal was made in a joint statement by NCAA branch unions, including the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals, National Union of Air Transport Employees, and National Association of Air Pilots and Engineers. The unions believe that commercializing or privatizing NAMA is crucial for modernizing Nigeria’s air navigation infrastructure and enhancing aviation safety. They stated that NAMA's reliance on government allocations has limited investments in critical technologies needed to meet global aviation standards.

Commercialization, they argue, would allow NAMA to access private equity, international financing, capital markets, and bond issuance for infrastructure development, supporting the deployment of satellite-based navigation systems and modern backup infrastructure. The unions highlighted that the current funding model, tied to annual government budgets, often faces delays due to prolonged budget processes, political priorities, and bureaucratic bottlenecks, which slow critical safety upgrades. They also expressed concern over insufficient transparency in NAMA’s revenue reporting, calling for public disclosure of revenues from airspace violation penalties and Extension of Service Hours charges.

The unions pro