The Federal Government has disbursed N18 billion in long-overdue severance benefits to 2,700 former employees of Nigeria Airways, more than two decades after the national carrier was liquidated.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, announced this during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday.
He confirmed that payments have been completed for 2,100 beneficiaries in batches one to seven, while processing for 600 others in batches eight and nine is ongoing.
Oyedele said the payment followed a direct directive from President Bola Tinubu to honor legitimate obligations to citizens.
“Today is about much more than the payment of money; it is about people, dignity, trust, and the responsibility of government to honour legitimate obligations,” he said.
“For more than two decades, following the liquidation of Nigeria Airways, many former employees have waited for the outstanding severance benefits. Today, I am pleased to inform you that the Federal Government has now paid 2,100 former Nigeria Airways workers.”
The Minister explained that payments were structured in batches to prioritize workers whose records were fully validated through an extensive verification exercise involving biometric capture, personnel cross-checking, and bank detail verification.
Addressing outstanding challenges, Oyedele noted that the government is resolving cases involving incorrect banking information and outdated details.
He added that benefits belonging to deceased staff will be released to their legal next of kin, beneficiaries, or estates, with the government providing administrative support to help affected families navigate the required legal procedures.
“We are determined to deal with these obligations in a fair, transparent, and orderly manner,” Oyedele remarked.
“As we are able to secure resources subject to proper verification, we must protect public funds from fraudulent claims while ensuring that genuine beneficiaries are not denied what is legitimately theirs.”
While acknowledging the impact of inflation on the long-overdue payments, the Minister clarified that any financial adjustments beyond documented obligations would require separate consideration.
Oyedele emphasized that the clearance of the Nigeria Airways arrears forms part of broader fiscal reforms.
Under these initiatives, the Federal Government is also systematically settling outstanding claims owed to pensioners and indigenous contractors, starting with small-scale contractors owed N100 million or less
