Aviation activities in Nigeria have been severely disrupted as aviation unions began a two‑day warning strike, leaving many passengers stranded at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Union members blocked the entrance to the airport’s domestic terminal, preventing travelers from accessing flights.
The strike follows a meeting convened by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, which ended in a stalemate. The Director‑General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Musa Nuhu, had called the meeting to persuade the unions to cancel the planned strike. Representatives from the unions attended, as did Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation.
The unions involved are the National Union of Air Transport Employees, the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals. Their demands include halting the planned demolition of aviation agencies’ headquarters in Lagos and implementing the conditions of service previously signed with agency staff.
In a brief interview after the meeting, ATSSSAN Deputy General Secretary Comrade Frances Akinjole said, “As I am talking to you, nothing has changed. If you don’t hear anything from the General Secretary, the strike continues.” He later confirmed via text message that “the strike goes as planned.” Security operatives, including police and military personnel, are on the ground as the unions sing solidarity songs.
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