Aviation unions plan nationwide protest over IGR deductions on Sept. 18
Aviation workers’ unions have announced plans to stage a peaceful protest on September 18 in response to the Federal Government’s refusal to reverse its 50 percent deduction policy on internally generated revenues (IGR) from aviation agencies.
The protest was disclosed in a statement signed on Thursday by the General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Ocheme Aba, and the Deputy General Secretary of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Frances Akinjole.
Other signatories included the Secretary General of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Abdul Rasaq, the General Secretary of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Olayinka Abioye, and the General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Sikiru Waheed.
The unions are protesting the deductions from key aviation agencies including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
These deductions, initially set at 25 percent in October 2022, were increased to 40 percent before President Bola Tinubu further raised them to 50 percent in January 2024.
The unions argue that the deductions have placed immense financial strain on these agencies, which are essential for maintaining aviation safety and infrastructure. They warned that the policy could lead to critical safety activities grinding to a halt due to inadequate funding.
In their statement, the unions emphasized that the affected agencies are cost-recovery, not profit-making organizations, and cannot function effectively under the current deduction policy. They stressed that efforts to negotiate with the government had failed, noting that their ultimatum to the Minister of Aviation expired at the end of August 2024.
“All State Councils, Women Commissions, Youth Councils, and Branches of our unions nationwide are to fully mobilize and ensure full participation in the peaceful protest,” the statement added.
The unions also cautioned that they would not be held responsible if the aviation industry becomes dysfunctional due to financial incapacities caused by the deductions.
