The Federal Government has paid N4.25bn in outstanding pension and severance benefits to an additional 600 former employees of Nigeria Airways Limited, the Federal Ministry of Finance said. The payment, covering the 10th and 11th batches of beneficiaries, brings the total number of workers who have received settlement to 3,300 across 11 batches since the government began addressing longstanding financial obligations to staff of the defunct national carrier.
The latest disbursement averages approximately N7.09m per beneficiary, though actual payments vary depending on individual entitlements, according to analysis of the figures released. The Federal Ministry of Finance disclosed that the first nine batches covered 2,700 beneficiaries, while this latest payment extended the settlement to another 600 eligible individuals. When combined with the N18bn allocated to the initial 2,700 former workers, the total reported gross payments now stand at approximately N22.25bn for 3,300 beneficiaries.
Nigeria Airways served as the country's national carrier for decades before its liquidation in 2003, leaving behind unresolved pension and severance obligations to former employees. Successive administrations have faced demands from affected workers and their families for the settlement of benefits arising from their years of service. The ministry said the latest payment would provide financial relief to beneficiaries who had waited years for their outstanding entitlements.
The Federal Ministry of Finance also disclosed that verification and validation of claims submitted by the next of kin of deceased former Nigeria Airways employees were ongoing. The exercise is intended to establish eligibility and reconcile claims with approved records before payments are authorised. The ministry said it would continue to process verified claims in line with applicable procedures, ensuring that payments are made to eligible beneficiaries and their families as part of efforts to resolve verified legacy claims.
For former workers and their families, the payments represent a long-awaited resolution of financial entitlements that have remained outstanding for more than two decades since the airline's closure.