Nigeria’s aviation labour unions have issued a firm concession rejection following the signing of the Enugu Airport concession agreement, citing exclusion, labour neglect, and procedural opacity. The position was jointly communicated by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, the National Union of Air Transport Employees, and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals in a letter dated 26 January 2026 and addressed to the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
In the opening of the joint statement, the unions explained that their concession rejection stemmed from the manner in which the agreement was executed late last week. According to the unions, workers’ representatives on the concession committee were effectively sidelined, despite earlier assurances that labour concerns would be addressed before any final execution. Consequently, they argued that the process lacked the minimum procedural completeness required for a concession of such scale.
The unions further stated that no binding agreement was ever signed with them to resolve labour-related issues expected to be embedded in the concession framework. This omission, they noted, rendered the signing premature and fundamentally flawed. Meanwhile, the concession rejection has gained traction among Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria staff nationwide, where anxiety and agitation are reportedly increasing due to the perceived lack of transparency surrounding the process.
The labour backlash follows public assurances by the Federal Government that the Enugu Airport concession would not result in job losses. At the execution stage, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had maintained that workers’ rights and employment security were protected before the agreement was signed. The unions, however, insist that such assurances were not supported by any signed labour framework involving their representatives, reinforcing their concession rejection.
Keyamo had stressed that fears of job losses were addressed before any commercial terms were finalised, maintaining that no aviation worker would lose employment as a result of the concession. He said workers remained employees of the Federal Government and FAAN, with their conditions of service unchanged. Despite these assurances, the unions argue that the absence of signed labour protections justifies their concession rejection.
While confirming that the concession framework has been executed, the Minister disclosed that operational issues relating to airport security charges and the financial model remain under review. Observers note that the unfolding concession rejection could shape how future airport concessions are structured, particularly regarding labour inclusion and trust.
However, according to the joint letter, the unions believe the concession rejection is justified because the process ignored the interests of workers who would be directly affected by the handover of Enugu Airport operations. They warned that concessioning without labour buy-in threatens industrial harmony within the aviation sector, particularly at a time when stability remains critical to airport operations and passenger confidence. In addition, they described the development as a clear display of insensitivity to workers’ welfare.
The unions therefore called on the Honourable Minister to urgently reverse the concession agreement and reopen the process to properly address labour issues. They stressed that their concession rejection is not an attempt to undermine reform, but rather a demand for fairness, inclusion, and adherence to due process. However, they cautioned that failure to heed their appeal could trigger coordinated industrial responses across airports.
While reaffirming their commitment to peace, the unions placed their members on red alert nationwide, insisting that unresolved labour concerns could escalate tensions. They invoked the principle of collective solidarity, warning that an injury to one worker remains an injury to all. The concession rejection, they concluded, will stand until transparency is restored and workers’ rights are formally secured.
The concession rejection was formally endorsed by senior labour leaders across the three unions. The statement was signed by General Secretary, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Comrade Frances Akinjole; Secretary General, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, Comrade Abdul Rasaq Saidu; and General Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees, Comrade Sikiru Waheed. The unions said the unified sign-off reflected a collective position of aviation workers nationwide on the Enugu Airport concession process.
