The Federal Government has begun paying ₦18 billion in severance benefits to 2,100 former employees of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited.
According to officials, the payments follow President Bola Tinubu’s approval to settle the decades-old financial obligations owed to the workers.
“This administration is committed to addressing lingering issues of welfare and justice. The settlement of Nigeria Airways workers’ entitlements is a clear demonstration of that commitment,” a government spokesperson said.
So far, payments to beneficiaries in batches one through seven have been completed, while the entitlements of another 600 former workers in batches eight and nine are being finalised. The process has involved verification, biometric capture, and validation of beneficiaries’ personal and banking information.
A senior official explained, “We want to ensure transparency and accuracy. That is why every beneficiary goes through biometric capture and validation before payment.”
The government also announced a mop-up exercise for eligible beneficiaries whose records could not be processed during the initial exercise.
This includes cases involving deceased workers, where next of kin or estates will be paid.
For many former employees, the development brings long-awaited relief. One beneficiary remarked, “We have waited for years; some of us lost colleagues along the way. Finally, justice is being done.”
The exercise is expected to close a painful chapter for Nigeria Airways workers, who have endured years of uncertainty over their outstanding entitlements.
