The Joint In-house Unions of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency have disclosed that the agency is owed over ₦34.69 billion in domestic receivables and approximately $49.48 million in foreign receivables as of 30 April 2026 — a debt profile that union leaders described as a direct threat to NAMA's operational and financial stability.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria accounts for the largest single domestic debt at ₦23.94 billion. Arik Air owes ₦2.27 billion, NAPIMS at Osubi Airport owes ₦2.05 billion, and Aero Contractors owes ₦1.07 billion. State government debts include Bauchi State at ₦902.87 million, Ogun State at ₦465.15 million, and Taraba State — for Jalingo Airport — at ₦309.35 million. On the foreign side, international airlines and operators owe more than $21.84 million, contributing to the total foreign debt profile exceeding $49 million.
NCAA Accused of Withholding TSC Remittances
The unions also accused the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority of failing to remit NAMA's statutory share of the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge for four consecutive months — describing the TSC as one of NAMA's primary revenue sources and characterising the non-remittance as a serious compounding factor in the agency's financial distress. The accusation echoes the broader structural tensions in Nigeria's aviation revenue distribution system that came into sharp focus during the NCAA's own enforcement dispute with airlines in May 2026.
The disclosure was made in a letter addressed to Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, signed by the Branch Chairmen of ATSSSAN, ANAP, NUATE, and AUPCTRE — the four joint unions representing NAMA's workforce. The unions warned that the mounting debt burden has weakened NAMA's liquidity to the point where it struggles to meet operational obligations, including its own statutory payments to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
NiMet Suspends Strike After Government Intervention
The disclosure coincided with the suspension of a planned nationwide industrial action by NiMet's own joint unions — an action that had been scheduled to commence on the same day the NAMA letter was made public. NiMet's Joint Action Committee confirmed the suspension followed an emergency meeting with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, at which the ministry gave assurances that concrete steps were being taken to address the revenue-sharing disputes affecting the agency.
Stakeholders agreed to develop a permanent framework to clear accumulated revenue backlogs and prevent future inter-agency payment disputes. A monthly revenue-sharing mechanism among aviation agencies will also be introduced. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry directed NAMA to submit a statement of account to verify claims relating to outstanding remittances to NiMet, with the union committing to hold a nationwide congress after the verification process to brief members on the outcome.
The Structural Problem Behind the Headlines
The NAMA debt disclosure and the NiMet strike threat are symptoms of the same structural problem that drove the NCAA's No Pay No Service enforcement action against airlines in May 2026: Nigeria's aviation revenue distribution system was built on a chain of remittances — from passengers to airlines to NCAA to service agencies — that works smoothly when all parties are financially stable and breaks down when any link in the chain faces liquidity pressure. With fuel at ₦2,000 per litre and the naira under sustained pressure, every link in that chain is under stress simultaneously.
