Retired employees of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) are intensifying their demands for unpaid pension increments, which have remained unfulfilled since 2007. Despite multiple directives from regulatory bodies, including the Pension Commission (PENCOM), NAMA has failed to implement the required adjustments, leaving many retirees in severe financial distress.
The pensioners, who played critical roles in maintaining Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure, are now struggling to make ends meet. One retiree, who worked as a maintenance engineer for nearly three decades, highlighted the importance of their contributions to the aviation sector. “We are the ones responsible for ensuring planes can land safely day and night, even in bad weather,” he explained. “The government should intervene and ensure our rights are paid to us. Many of us are dying of hunger, and some have already passed away.”
Another retiree, Stephen, a former Director of Air Traffic Services, detailed how NAMA has disregarded government directives and failed to disclose pension calculations, making it impossible to determine or increase payments. “NAMA never disclosed accrued pensions,” he stated. “They didn’t increase any pension since 2007, despite several circulars from PENCOM directing them to do so.”
The situation is further complicated by allegations of past pension fund mismanagement. In 2020, pensioners accused NAMA of diverting about N1.5 billion from pension funds, although NAMA denied these allegations. The retirees have called for government intervention to address these grievances and ensure they receive their rightful pension increments.
As Nigeria grapples with broader pension challenges, including projected increases in personnel and pension costs due to minimum wage hikes, the plight of NAMA retirees underscores the need for effective pension management and timely payment of benefits to alleviate the financial hardships faced by retirees across the country.
