Passengers stranded as protesting unions picket Abuja airport

Several passengers have missed their flights and are currently stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, following a protest organised by labour unions on Thursday morning.

The protesters, who blocked the entrance of the airport, are members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

Passengers who managed to get into the terminal late had discovered they had missed their flights and were asking that refunds be made.

Many vehicles transporting air travellers to the airport were trapped outside the airport with passengers left stranded.

BusinessDay reported on Wednesday that there are expected flight delays and cancellations at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, following the decision by aviation unions to withdraw all services from the airport as a result of the ongoing issue between workers and Hope Uzodimma, the Imo State Governor.

In a joint statement by the aviation unions, they stated that “Following the escalation of the imbroglio created by the mayhem unleashed on workers by the Imo State Government of Hope Uzodimma and continued insensitivity of the Government over the matter, and in compliance with the directive of the joint NEC session of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), the unions, being affiliates of NLC and TUC, hereby direct all aviation workers (both public and private) to withdraw all services to all Owerri flights (inwards and outwards) from any airport in Nigeria with effect from midnight on November 8, 2023.”

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.