The Domestic Airports Cargo Agents Association (DACAA) has estimated that Nigeria lost approximately N7 billion during a two-day nationwide workers’ strike.
Initiated by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, the strike took place on Monday and Tuesday, affecting various sectors, including domestic airport cargo operations.
Ikpe Nkanang, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of DACAA, disclosed this information during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
Nkanang highlighted that around 30 tonnes of cargo are transported daily across Nigeria’s domestic airports. He noted the substantial volume of cargo left unprocessed due to the strike.
“For those two days, the airlines were not operating, and without the airlines, cargo movement is halted, causing significant losses for all involved,” Nkanang explained.
He further elaborated, “The amount of cargo left unprocessed during those two days was enormous. We had accumulated cargo over the weekend, expecting to dispatch it on Monday and Tuesday. It was a significant loss for the cargo industry, affecting both our income and the national economy. In just those few hours of the strike, the country lost about N7 billion across all local airports.”
Transporting a kilogram of cargo costs N300, according to Nkanang. He urged the Federal Government to reach an agreement with organized labor promptly to prevent the strike from resuming.
NAN reports that labor unions suspended the strike on Tuesday afternoon to allow for continued negotiations on a new minimum wage. Airport operations were disrupted during the strike as aviation unions blocked all access points to domestic terminals.
