Workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have commenced an indefinite strike, effectively halting meteorological services across the country.
The strike officially began at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, with NiMet staff and union members staging peaceful demonstrations around airport premises, carrying placards. Reports indicate that some workers even spent the night at the agency’s offices to ensure a complete shutdown of operations.
One of the employees expressed frustration over the poor working conditions and disparity in pay between NiMet and a sister agency.
“The situation is dire at NiMet. Our salary structure and overall welfare are significantly lower than that of our counterparts. For instance, a management staff member here earns about ₦470,000, whereas someone in the sister agency takes home around ₦1.2 million,” the staff member said.
“Despite delivering crucial services—such as agro-meteorology, marine, and transportation forecasts—our welfare package doesn’t even cover basic needs like transportation, rent, or school fees. We’re not asking for luxury, just decent conditions that allow us to focus on our work.”
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The Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, Paul Ogohi, criticized some domestic airlines for disregarding aviation regulations, and also raised concerns about the toll the working environment is taking on NiMet staff.
“International airlines like British Airways and Qatar Airways have complied with ICAO regulations and suspended operations. Unfortunately, local airlines and pilots continue to violate these standards. It’s unacceptable,” Ogohi stated.
“Our staff are severely overworked and under-resourced. Nearly 70% of our forecasters suffer from high blood pressure, and 90% are battling vision issues due to continuous observation work. Some are taking loans just to afford basic expenses like school fees, rent, and transportation.”
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Ogohi appealed to the Minister of Aviation to urgently intervene, noting that although there are signs of reform, NiMet workers are yet to benefit.
In response, Michael Achimugu, Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), emphasized that safety remains a top priority and that a meeting with the unions is being arranged.
“NCAA is engaging the unions and working toward a resolution. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is providing auxiliary services to ensure safety, which remains our foremost concern. If operations are deemed unsafe, no flights will be allowed,” he assured.