NCAA stops planned strike by aviation security

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has intervened in the planned strike of AvSec and the logistics sub-sector, which was supposed to commence today, Wednesday.

The NCAA asked for a week’s extension to address the issue the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) raised.

Ocheme Aba, General Secretary, NUATE, confirmed the development, saying Musa Nuhu, the director general of NCAA, intervened by asking for a week’s extension.

The union has asked members to stay in action on the strike, which was expected to commence on Wednesday afternoon.

She recalled that NUATE on Tuesday directed Aviation Security (AVSEC) and logistics sub-sector to commence immediate strike across Nigerian airports from Wednesday following poor wages.

The circular, which Ocheme Aba signed, lamented that AVSEC, primarily graduates, are paid a paltry sum of N30,000 monthly.

The union in a circular sent to the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Commissioner of Police, the Airports Command, the Airport Commandant, the Director of the Department of State Security (DSS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos Command stated that the withdrawal of service was inevitable.

Aba explained that all efforts to negotiate improved wages for their members in the past had failed and wondered why N30,000 could be sufficient for the personnel in today’s Nigeria.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.