NIMET workers have announced a strike over unpaid entitlements and poor working conditions, threatening to halt critical weather forecasting services that airlines depend on for safe operations. This action could create a ripple effect across Nigeria's already strained aviation sector.
KEY POINTS:
- Weather forecasting essential for flight safety will be unavailable if NIMET staff proceed with strike
- Workers are protesting unpaid wages and deteriorating working conditions
- Airlines warn of potential flight delays, cancellations, and rerouting across major Nigerian airports
- Aviation authorities have not announced contingency plans for weather forecasting services
- The strike adds another challenge to Nigeria's aviation sector already struggling with fuel costs and infrastructure issues
Without reliable weather forecasts, pilots are essentially flying with one eye closed," explains Captain Ibrahim Musa, a commercial airline pilot with 15 years' experience. "Weather conditions in Nigeria can change rapidly, especially during rainy season. This isn't just about convenience—it's about passenger safety."
As aviation stakeholders scramble for solutions, the strike highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to labor disputes. Will government intervene to prevent disruptions, address the underlying issues of worker compensation, or find alternative weather forecasting arrangements to keep Nigeria's airspace safe?
