By Annette Ikponmwonba | November 10th, 2026
Key Points
· The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has threatened to withdraw its services over the deterioration of Nigeria’s communication and surveillance infrastructure
· NATCA National President Edino Amos made the warning on Tuesday at the association’s 55th Annual General Meeting
· He said 2026 has been a difficult year, with no significant improvement in controllers’ equipment despite announced approvals and procurement milestones
· The association says it has sought engagements with the Aviation Minister, the National Counter Terrorism Centre, the Office of the National Security Adviser and NAMA
· Amos listed five benefits of fixing the systems: safer airspace, less economic waste for airlines, more traffic and revenue, stronger national security and a better global rating
· He insisted the call is not a threat but a patriotic intervention
Main Story
Nigeria’s air traffic controllers have threatened to withdraw their services over the persistent deterioration of the country’s communication and surveillance infrastructure, warning that reliance on inadequate equipment is putting pressure on aviation safety. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it could be forced to consider withdrawing its services if the Federal Government fails to present a clear and comprehensive plan for overhauling these systems.
NATCA National President Edino Amos said 2026 had been particularly difficult for controllers across the country, with little or no meaningful improvement in the equipment they depend on to coordinate aircraft movements and keep flights safely separated. He spoke on Tuesday at the 55th Annual General Meeting, themed “Beyond Silos to Synergy: Shaping the Future of Nigerian Air Traffic Management.”
“On infrastructure, the year under review has been a difficult one for the Association. Despite the considerable challenges faced by ATCOs across the length and breadth of the country, there has been no significant improvement in our communication and surveillance infrastructure,” he said. He added: “We acknowledge the approvals and procurement milestones that have been announced. However, these have yet to translate into a material improvement in the equipment available to controllers at the console.”
The Issues
The core complaint is the gap between announcements and delivery. Approvals and procurement milestones have been publicised, but controllers say what matters is working equipment at the console. Amos argued that communication and surveillance infrastructure should not be exposed to funding uncertainty or prolonged procurement processes, given its role in safe airspace management.
Safety and security are both at stake. Reliable surveillance is essential not only to civil aviation but to broader national security, since effective monitoring of aircraft movements underpins both. Amos argued that investment would improve airspace safety, cut operational inefficiencies, help airlines avoid losses, raise traffic and government revenue, and improve Nigeria’s global rating.
A strike threat in air traffic control carries heavy consequences, since any withdrawal of services could disrupt flights nationwide. The association has so far framed it as a possibility rather than a firm decision, and no timeline or deadline was given.
What’s Being Said
Amos said repeated efforts to engage authorities, including the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the National Counter Terrorism Centre, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, had not produced the needed progress. “It is with a deep sense of responsibility that I state that this frustrating engagement is pushing the Association towards considering the withdrawal of our services, should there be no clear strategic plan for the total overhaul of communication and surveillance infrastructure in Nigeria,” he warned.
He appealed directly to the aviation minister and sought to soften the tone. “Honourable Minister, we make this call not as a threat, but as patriots who sit daily before screens and failing frequencies to keep this country safe,” he said, No response from the Ministry of Aviation, NAMA or other agencies was included in the report.
What’s Next
Attention will turn to whether the Aviation Minister or NAMA respond with a concrete overhaul plan and timelines for delivering equipment. Further engagements between the association and government are likely, If no clear commitment emerges, NATCA may move closer to the withdrawal of services it has warned about, which would put pressure on airlines, passengers and the government alike.
Bottom Line
Nigeria’s air traffic controllers are warning that approvals and procurement announcements are not enough, and unless government delivers a clear plan and working equipment, they may withdraw their services in the interest of aviation safety.
