Relief came for air travelers yesterday as workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) called off their indefinite strike following intervention by the federal government.
The strike, which began on Tuesday over unmet labor demands, had severely impacted flight operations nationwide, forcing Air Peace—the largest domestic carrier—to ground its flights across the country. Other airlines such as United Nigeria Airlines, Arik Air, Ibom Air, Rano Air, ValueJet, and UMZA Airlines managed to maintain operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by relying on alternative weather forecasting methods.
Spokesperson for Arik Air, Mr. Ola Banji, confirmed that their flights were unaffected as the airline leveraged other means for obtaining weather reports. Similarly, United Nigeria Airlines stated that while NiMet plays a critical role in aviation, their services continued through the use of real-time satellite monitoring, global aviation meteorology systems, pilot weather reports, and collaboration with air traffic control services.
During the strike, NiMet workers staged protests at airports, chanting slogans like “No weather, no flights” and “Fly at your own risk.” The industrial action followed the collapse of negotiations between the agency’s management and labor unions, who accused NiMet of failing to implement agreed financial allowances, including wage awards, peculiar allowances, and outstanding 2019 minimum wage payments. Unions also criticized the agency for withholding vital documents, neglecting to include omitted staff in previous payments, and prioritizing executive retreats over key employee training.
In a joint letter, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical, and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) warned that their services would be withdrawn indefinitely until their grievances were addressed.
However, after a crucial meeting with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in Abuja on Thursday, the strike was officially called off, restoring normal operations across the country’s airports.