In a pivotal turn of events, the strike by workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) has officially been suspended following a decisive intervention by the Federal Government. The industrial action, which had brought air travel to a near standstill, was called off after a high-stakes meeting with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, held in Abuja.
For two tense days, the nation’s airports were scenes of mounting frustration as grounded flights left passengers stranded and airlines in limbo.
The strike disrupted operations at major hubs including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
NiMET staff downed tools in protest against deteriorating working conditions, citing the failure to implement the newly approved national minimum wage, exclusion of certain staff from past financial entitlements, and the neglect of critical capacity-building programs.
Their grievances reverberated across the aviation sector, culminating in a complete shutdown of meteorological services essential to flight safety.
In response, Minister Keyamo convened an emergency meeting attended by key stakeholders, including the Director General of NiMET, officials from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and representatives from major aviation unions such as the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
Their swift negotiations bore fruit, leading to an agreement that paved the way for the strike’s suspension and immediate restoration of full operations.
Airlines Heed the Warning: Safety Over Schedule
Amid the chaos, Air Peace took a bold and principled stance. In a decisive directive, the airline’s CEO, Allen Onyema, grounded all domestic flights in the interest of safety, highlighting the critical importance of real-time weather data that NiMET typically provides.
“If NiMET is not operational, we are not flying. Period,” Onyema declared. “No compromise when it comes to human lives, the safety of our aircraft, and our crew. Thunderstorms are raging. It’s madness to proceed without meteorological updates.”
He continued, “I don’t care what other carriers are doing. Air Peace will not risk lives or equipment just to maintain a schedule. Suspend all flights immediately and wait until this strike is fully resolved. Safety is not negotiable.”
With the strike now over, flights are resuming, and airports across the country are returning to normalcy. For passengers and aviation professionals alike, the past 48 hours have served as a sobering reminder: weather intelligence isn’t just a service—it’s a safeguard.
As the skies reopen, the hope is that the resolution of this crisis will mark the beginning of more sustained investment in the welfare of the essential workers who keep Nigeria’s aviation sector safe, steady, and soaring.
