Domestic airlines under the Airline Operators of Nigeria have threatened to shut down operations nationwide if unions again disrupt the operations of any member airline, following the picketing of Air Peace flights in Lagos and Abuja on August 11, 2026.

The warning was contained in a communiqué issued after the AON General Meeting in Abuja and made available to journalists on Monday, where airline operators condemned what they described as “violent disruptive action” by aviation unions and other groups.

The association said the August 11 action brought operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminals 1 and 2 in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, “to a screeching halt”, after union members allegedly blocked access to Air Peace departure terminals, check-in counters, offices and workstations.

The union and the airlines have been at loggerheads over the refusal of airlines to pay statutory funds to government agencies, a development the unions say is capable of threatening safety.

The union also accused the airlines of stopping workers from unionising, which the workers also described as unacceptable to them. According to the AON, the disruption was more than an industrial dispute because it affected passengers, airline workers and airport security.

The association further said there were “recorded cases” of violence against airline staff, with some workers allegedly sustaining bodily injuries while attempting to perform their duties.

For passengers, the consequences were immediate. Flights were cancelled or disrupted, travellers were stranded, and airlines were forced to rebook passengers, arrange accommodation and issue refunds.

The AON said Air Peace alone had more than 70 flights affected, with estimated losses exceeding N2bn. More than 30 United Nigeria Airlines flights were also affected, impacting about 13,000 passengers.

The association said airlines incurred additional costs from repositioning crew, rescheduling aircraft and incurring other recovery costs at a time when operators were already grappling with high aviation fuel prices and foreign-exchange-linked maintenance expenses.

However, the AON said its members had reached a collective position that any repeat of the incident would trigger an industry-wide shutdown.

“To this end, therefore, the AON would like to state in unequivocal terms that should the events of August 11, 2026, repeat themselves again against any domestic airline, the entire AON member airlines will immediately shut down operations,” the communiqué stated.

The association also described the incident as a serious security concern, arguing that the ease with which access to airline terminals was blocked exposed weaknesses in airport security arrangements.

It cited the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Annex 17 definition of unlawful interference and said the August incident had “serious immediate and future local and global implications for the aviation sector in Nigeria.”

Also speaking on reasons for disruptions and cancellations, the airlines said delays were “never in the interest of any airline; carriers suffer both financial and reputational consequences when passengers are kept waiting, or flights are cancelled.”

The operators blamed a combination of factors, including “bad weather, congested aircraft parking areas at Lagos and Abuja airports, limited operating hours at some secondary airports, VIP movements, bird strikes, foreign object damage, fuel shortages, inefficient air traffic flow and inadequate airport infrastructure.”

Jet A1 fuel, the association said, now costs above N2,500 per litre, while supply, according to them, remains unreliable at some secondary airports.

While welcoming the ongoing reconstruction of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the AON also urged authorities to involve airlines early in the design process, arguing that operators should help identify potential flaws affecting passenger and aircraft movement.

An industry expert, Samuel Caulcrick, backed the airlines in the ongoing dispute, expressing concern over what he described as the disruptive role of unionism in the aviation sector.

He cited the dispute involving Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, noting that the company had obtained a Federal High Court order restraining unions from disrupting operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, but the unions allegedly proceeded to block entrances and halt activities at the terminal despite the order.

He argued that while workers’ rights and freedom of association remain important in a democratic society, industrial actions should not be allowed to undermine business operations. The expert said the experience had raised difficult questions about balancing union activities with the protection of businesses and their operations.

He said, “Unionism is the bone stuck in democracy’s throat, too dangerous to swallow, too difficult to spit out. Take Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited. It secured a Federal High Court order restraining unions from disrupting Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, warning that any invasion would amount to trespass.

“The unions defied it anyway. They blocked entrances, shut down operations, and crippled the terminal, court order and all. China understood this dilemma and banned independent unionism outright; the state claims to represent workers. In a democracy, however, unions can disrupt businesses with reckless abandon and hide behind freedom of association.

“I once joked to their leaders, and they are my friends, that if I had a gun, I would shoot them all. Not because I oppose workers’ rights, but because I cannot support disruption as a business model

Flour Mills of Nigeria has invested more than N300m in 11 innovators and businesses through its FMN Prize for Innovation initiative, as the food and agro-allied group seeks to accelerate sustainable food systems in Nigeria and across Africa.

The company said the investment had provided financial, technical and strategic support to innovators developing solutions for food production and processing since the initiative began in 2021.

FMN said the initiative was established as part of its long-term strategy to strengthen food security through product and process innovation, local content development and investments across critical agricultural value chains.

The group operates across grains, sugar, cassava starch, feeds and protein, edible oil and fats, with more than 17 facilities across Nigeria.

According to the company, the FMN PFI was designed to support innovative businesses in the food and agro-allied sector and help build sustainable food systems.

“The brand’s commitment to the FMN Prize for Innovation is strategic and deliberately geared towards revolutionising and attaining food sustainability in Nigeria, and eventually across Africa,” the company said.

The first edition, launched in December 2021 under the theme, ‘Enabling Sustainable Food Systems,’ focused on reducing losses and waste in food production and improving agricultural value chains.

The inaugural winners included Urban Akwu Agro-allied Limited and Eupepsia Place Limited, which specialises in soilless farming through hydroponics.

The second edition shifted attention to local content development, challenging participants to develop solutions that could reduce reliance on imported raw materials and strengthen domestic production capacity.

Osomobegbe Global Ventures Limited, which developed solar dryers, won the top prize, while Palmark Syndicate Limited, a tomato powder producer, and Indigo Farms and BioResources, which developed cassava residue pellets for animal feeds, emerged as first and second runners-up, respectively.

FMN said innovations submitted across the first two editions included solar-powered storage systems, hydroponic farming, bio-recycling plants and technologies for generating electricity from food waste.

The third edition focused on precision agriculture and food self-sufficiency, with D-Olivette, a waste-to-biogas conversion company, emerging as the winner.

Green Eden Farms and Farmspace Action Lab, which focus on precision greenhouse farming and soil testing, respectively, emerged as first and second runners-up.

The fourth edition, which focused on innovative livestock farming practices, attracted about 2,000 entries.

Levitate Aquaria & Breeder Farms won the top prize. Vet Konect, a digital animal health company, and Bionet Innovations, which converts food waste and livestock droppings into high-protein animal nutrition, placed second and third, respectively.

The fifth edition focused on cassava production and processing and attracted more than 2,700 entries.

Kiyoko Foods Limited, founded by Victoria Ogwanighie, emerged as the winner with its innovation for converting cassava into nutrient-rich cheese balls.

PNeedles Limited, which converts cassava peels into plant-based leather, emerged as first runner-up, while Bach and Moen Limited, which developed cassava processing hubs for smallholder farmers, placed third.

FMN said the fifth edition also marked the emergence of the first female winner in the prize’s five-year history. The company said its chairman, John Coumantaros, and the special guest of honour doubled the prize money for the top three finalists to N10m, N6m and N4m, respectively.

The company said the beneficiaries had recorded significant business growth following the prize money, mentorship and other strategic support.

“From data and information garnered through the mentorship sessions and other strategic support provided to the winners, FMN discovered that all beneficiaries’ businesses have experienced remarkable growth, with their operations expanding by over 50 per cent since receiving the prize money and resources from FMN,” the company said.

FMN said it would continue to use innovation, local content development and strategic investment to support food self-sufficiency and sustainable food systems in Nigeria, with the long-term goal of extending the impact across Africa.

A consortium led by Ardova Plc and including Diadem Energy has agreed to acquire Powergas Global Investments Nigeria Limited and Powergas Ebedei Limited, collectively known as Powergas, in a transaction expected to close by the end of 2026.

The deal, announced on Friday by A.P. Moller Capital, will see the Danish investor exit its stake in one of Africa’s largest compressed natural gas producers and virtual pipeline distributors.

Powergas, founded in 2013 by the Clean Energy Group, pioneered the “virtual pipeline” model—compressing natural gas and transporting it by road to industrial, commercial and power customers beyond the reach of Nigeria’s fixed pipeline grid.

Its flagship Ebedei flare gas monetisation project in Delta State, developed with A.P. Moller Capital’s backing since 2019, converts otherwise flared gas into usable energy and has helped cut emissions while supplying firms that would otherwise rely on diesel generators.

The company now operates four mother stations—in Ikorodu (Lagos), Ogbele (Rivers), Ebedei (Delta) and Ore (Ondo)—and a fleet of more than 250 tube skids, having delivered over 600 million standard cubic metres of CNG as at December 2025.

For Ardova, the acquisition adds a strategic gas platform to its existing downstream portfolio of petroleum products, LPG, aviation fuel, lubricants, shipping and logistics.

The Lagos-based integrated energy company, which traces its roots to BP Nigeria in 1964, plans to deploy CNG infrastructure across its nationwide retail network, targeting 100 CNG refuelling sites within 24 months.

The expansion aligns with the federal government’s Decade of Gas initiative, launched in 2021 to transform Nigeria into a gas-powered economy by 2030, and President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles, which seeks to lower transport costs and emissions by promoting auto-gas adoption.

“Nigeria’s next era of energy development will be built on gas, and it will be built at scale. “Powergas has built the compression backbone required to take natural gas beyond the conventional pipeline grid. Ardova brings a national distribution network, deep customer relationships, and the ability to invest for the long term.

“Together, we intend to connect Nigeria’s abundant gas resources to industry, power and transportation, supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles and the federal government’s Decade of Gas programme.

“Our ambition is to deliver more affordable, lower-emission energy and lower transportation costs for Nigerians, while building a gas platform with relevance far beyond Nigeria,” explained the Executive Chairman of Ardova Plc, Dr AbdulWasiu Sowami.

The Managing Director of Ardova Plc, Dr Abiola Babatunde-Ojo, noted that the deal would enable the firm to harness the opportunities in the gas industry.

“This combination gives us the infrastructure, reach and capabilities to turn the opportunity in gas into something tangible for customers across Nigeria. Our focus now is execution: expanding compression capacity, bringing CNG into our retail network and connecting more industries and fleets to a reliable domestic energy source. We are building a platform that will serve customers at scale today and grow with Nigeria’s energy needs for decades to come,” he asserted.

“Powergas began in 2013 with the Clean Energy Group’s vision of taking gas beyond the pipeline, and A.P. Moller Capital’s partnership helped us scale it. We are deeply grateful to both. Ardova’s national reach and our compression backbone are a natural fit – together, we can expand into new markets and geographies and play a leading role in delivering Nigeria’s Auto-Gas vision. We are very excited about the next chapter,” Vice-Chairman of Powergas, Pulak Sen, added.

According to a Partner at A.P. Moller Capital, Sam Senbanjo, since 2019, PEL has progressed from concept to a fully operational compressed-natural-gas business.

“Working alongside our partners, management and employees, we supported the business through development, construction, commissioning and scale-up, helping customers access domestic gas beyond the reach of the pipeline network. We are proud of what has been achieved and believe Ardova and Diadem are well placed to support Powergas in its next phase of growth,” he stated.

“Having worked closely with Powergas as its virtual-pipeline logistics partner, we have seen first-hand the transformative potential of taking natural gas beyond the conventional pipeline network. For Diadem Group, this is the continuation of a journey that began on the ground with Powergas, and a real opportunity to contribute to Nigeria’s energy future,” Chairman of Diadem Group, the parent company of Diadem Energy, George Eluwa, highlighted.

The enlarged platform is expected to position Ardova as a leading domestic gas infrastructure and monetisation partner for upstream producers, with plans to expand compression capacity across viable gas-producing corridors and extend the business into wider West African markets over time.

The deal’s completion is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and third-party approvals.