Managing Director Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Farouk Umar Ahmed, has warned that aviation faces mounting risks from climate change.
He stressed that the sector is already feeling the impact in safety, infrastructure, and operations, and stronger coordinated responses are urgently needed.
Ahmed, represented by Director of Air Traffic Services, Mr. John Tayo, spoke at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s (NiMet) Stakeholders’ Forum in Lagos.
The event was themed “Early Warnings: Raising Awareness on Climate Risk and Promoting Early Action.”
The NAMA boss described the gathering as both timely and essential, given the increasing intensity of climate change and its effects on aviation.
“This Stakeholders’ Forum could not have come at a better time. Climate change has presented significant environmental, human, and economic effects on our ecosystem,” Ahmed said.
He explained that rising sea levels, intense heat waves, and heavy rainfall now disrupt aviation operations while posing severe risks to infrastructure nationwide.
According to him, climate impacts on aviation can be grouped into three main areas: operational, safety, and infrastructure.
On operations, shifting weather patterns now cause “more frequent and severe turbulence,” while extreme conditions lead to costly delays, diversions, and cancellations.
From the safety perspective, storms and high temperatures are impairing aircraft performance. Ahmed warned that pilots and controllers face heavier workloads, which increases fatigue and accident risk.
Infrastructure remains another serious concern. Ahmed cautioned that “airport infrastructure damage from rising water levels and thunderstorms will drive up maintenance costs at airports nationwide.”
He stressed that these problems are not future projections but ongoing realities that demand urgent and unified industry responses.
Ahmed called on stakeholders to seek solutions tailored to Nigeria’s realities, insisting that collaboration between NAMA, NiMet, and allied agencies is critical.
“This forum is the right gathering to discuss and offer domesticated and tropicalized solutions to some of the challenges observed in the climate,” he said.
“As professionals, we owe our community a responsibility to proffer workable solutions to prevent disasters on the ground or in the air.”
He further urged participants to make constructive contributions and adopt strategies that will safeguard the industry’s sustainability.
“I humbly request that we contribute constructively and objectively to this forum, with a view to having well-tailored resolutions that would move our nation forward,” Ahmed added.
The NiMet Stakeholders’ Forum brought together aviation operators, regulators, environmental experts, and development partners.
Participants reviewed risks linked to climate change and proposed ways to strengthen Nigeria’s resilience.
Experts agreed that coordinated planning, stronger investments in climate change monitoring, and community preparedness are vital to protect aviation and national development from future disruptions.
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