The Federal Government has announced a planned review of the retirement age for Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) to combat a severe manpower shortage that threatens Nigeria’s airspace management.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, disclosed this strategic intervention during the opening of the 54th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) in Abuja.
The move is a direct response to urgent warnings from the association, which projects a 70% manpower gap by 2030 due to a wave of retirements, the emigration of skilled professionals, and inter-agency transfers.
Retaining Experience to Bridge the Gap
Minister Keyamo justified the proposed review, stating it is essential to retain experienced personnel who can mentor the next generation of controllers. He drew a parallel to the aviation industry’s standards for pilots to make his case.
“If pilots are permitted to fly until age 65, there is a strong case for ATCOs to have their retirement age similarly adjusted from the current 60 years,” Keyamo stated.
Addressing the controllers, he described NATCA as the “Apple of the eye of Aviation” and assured them he was convinced by their argument.
He pledged to work with the ministry’s Permanent Secretary to secure the necessary approval.
NATCA President Highlights Critical Deficit
The Minister’s pledge directly addresses concerns raised by the NATCA President, Mr. Amos Edino. In his welcome address, Edino had warned that the accelerating loss of controllers is already impacting the efficiency and safety of air navigation services.
He confirmed that a long-awaited salary adjustment for ATCOs was recently implemented, and that hundreds have benefited from new training programmes.
However, he stressed that without halting the brain drain, these gains would be insufficient.
The AGM, held under the theme ‘The Human Edge: Capacity Building in the Next Generation Air Traffic Management,’ highlighted the critical need to build and retain a skilled workforce to ensure the safety and efficiency of Nigeria’s airspace.
Reporting by Nosa Aituamen