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Aviation workers threaten nationwide protest over unpaid ticket sales charges
Nigeria’s aviation workers have issued a fresh seven-day ultimatum to airline operators and other organisations that have failed to remit the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), warning that they will embark on nationwide picketing if the outstanding debts are not settled.
The notice, jointly issued by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), follows the expiration of an earlier 14-day ultimatum served on 8 July, which lapsed on 23 July without compliance from the affected operators.
The five per cent Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy imposed on every airline ticket sold in Nigeria. The proceeds are remitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and shared among aviation agencies to fund regulatory oversight, safety, security and other statutory responsibilities.
The latest warning comes months after airline operators announced they would no longer collect and remit the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge on behalf of the NCAA, arguing that the arrangement had become unsustainable. PREMIUM TIMES reported at the time that the decision raised concerns over the funding of aviation agencies and the future administration of the statutory levy.
In a statement jointly signed by ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, and NUATE Deputy General Secretary, Odinaka Igbokwe, the unions accused defaulting operators of failing to remit the charges despite repeated warnings.
“Our earlier 14-day ultimatum has expired, and regrettably, willful non-compliance has been recorded,” the unions said.
According to them, the continued failure to remit the statutory deductions is depriving aviation agencies of funds required to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
“The aviation agencies remain starved of the required funds to keep our skies safe, while the conditions of service of our members in the various agencies continue to be jeopardised because of the non-remittance of the Ticket Sales Charge,” the statement added.
The unions argued that the prolonged withholding of the funds has weakened the financial capacity of the agencies and adversely affected workers’ welfare.
They warned that the situation could ultimately pose risks to aviation safety and security.
“This unnecessary demotivation factor to the air transport worker is a security and safety risk,” they said.
Declaring that they could no longer remain passive, the unions issued what they described as a final seven-day notice to all defaulting airline operators and other indebted organisations.
READ ALSO: NCAA threatens sanctions as Royal Air Maroc allegedly defies regulatory authority
“We can no longer helplessly fold our hands and allow the safety of our airspace to remain compromised,” the statement said.
It added: “We hereby issue a seven-day notice to every TSC defaulter to remit the total debt owed to the agencies. Failure to do so will result in our unions taking concrete actions at their various premises.”
If the dispute remains unresolved after the expiration of the ultimatum, the planned picketing could disrupt airline operations and other aviation activities nationwide, adding to recent operational challenges in the sector.
Neither the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) nor the NCAA had publicly responded to the unions’ latest ultimatum as of the time of filing this report.
Farmers across the Niger Delta are set to gain greater access to certified seeds and quality planting materials following a two-year partnership between the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) and the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND).
The organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at NASC’s corporate headquarters in Abuja to expand community-based seed production, strengthen certification and inspection, develop local seed enterprises and mobilise investment in Nigeria’s domestic seed industry.
The partnership combines NASC’s regulatory and quality-assurance mandate with PIND’s market systems expertise and networks of Community Seed Entrepreneurs, Farm Service Providers, Business Service Providers, research institutions and private-sector partners.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, NASC Director-General, Fatuhu Muhammed, said the agreement would help bring quality-assurance services closer to farmers and seed producers.
“A productive agricultural sector begins with quality seeds. By working with PIND and its networks across the Niger Delta, NASC can extend certification and inspection services to more communities, protect farmers from poor-quality planting materials and create stronger pathways for investment in Nigeria’s seed industry,” Mr Muhammed said.
PIND’s Executive Director, Sam Daibo, said the partnership would help move proven community-level interventions to institutional adoption and scale.
“Many farmers understand the value of quality seeds but cannot access certified planting materials when and where they need them. By combining NASC’s regulatory leadership with PIND’s market systems experience, we can close that gap, strengthen local seed enterprises and help farmers build more productive and commercially viable livelihoods,” Mr Daibo said.
From cassava to other crops
The MoU formalises a collaboration dating back to 2016 through the Building an Economically Sustainable Seed System for Cassava programme, implemented in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI).
The collaboration later expanded into community-based cassava seed multiplication, with NASC certifying seed plots across the Niger Delta.
Under the new framework, NASC and PIND will expand NASC-certified community seed multiplication across the region.
NASC will lead certification and quality assurance, while PIND will support enterprise development, technical assistance and market linkages.
According to the statement, the partners will also extend NASC’s Licensed Seed Inspectors Scheme into the Niger Delta, drawing potential candidates from PIND’s Farm Service Provider and Business Service Provider networks.
The partnership will further promote domestic seed production for high-demand vegetables, including tomato, pepper and cucumber, while expanding access to cassava, banana and yam planting materials produced through NASC’s PROSSIVA programme, the statement said.
It said the agreement will also support the Mastercard Foundation-funded WISE programme by enabling NASC to certify Community Seed Entrepreneurs trained to supply quality cassava planting materials to women producers across the Niger Delta.
ALSO READ: NBMA disposes of 950kg of unapproved GM cotton seeds
The partnership’s first major joint deliverable will be the Nigeria Seed Systems Forum 2026 in Abuja.
The forum is expected to bring together policymakers, regulators, researchers, investors, seed companies, development partners and farmers to advance policy, investment and market action in Nigeria’s seed sector.
A Joint Technical Working Group comprising representatives of NASC and PIND will coordinate implementation and track progress under the agreement.
Through the partnership, the organisations aim to strengthen the connection between regulation, research, enterprise development and markets, bringing certified seeds closer to farmers while supporting a stronger and more commercially sustainable seed industry in Nigeria.
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