The Federal Government has commenced the payment of ₦18 billion in outstanding severance benefits to 2,100 former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, more than two decades after the national carrier was liquidated.
The Federal Ministry of Finance disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying payments had been concluded for beneficiaries in Batches 1 to 7, while the processing of another 600 beneficiaries under Batches 8 and 9 was being finalised for payment in the coming days.
The payment follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the settlement of outstanding severance obligations owed to former Nigeria Airways workers.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said the exercise reflected the government’s commitment to addressing legitimate outstanding obligations to Nigerians.
“Behind these figures are people and families who have waited for years to receive what is legitimately due to them,” Oyedele said.
“Our responsibility is to confront outstanding obligations, complete the necessary processes and, once the resources are secured, ensure that the people affected feel the impact of government positively.”
Oyedele said the exercise demonstrated the results that could be achieved when government institutions worked together to resolve longstanding issues while maintaining safeguards in the management of public funds.
The ministry said beneficiaries underwent extensive verification, including biometric capture and validation of personal and banking information, to ensure payments were made only to legitimate beneficiaries.
Director of the Presidential Initiative and Continuous Audit (PICA) Department, Seldam Dangin, said the ministry was also preparing a second-phase mop-up exercise to capture eligible beneficiaries whose records could not be processed during the first phase.
He said the exercise would include updating inaccurate or outdated information, additional biometric verification where necessary and correction of banking details.
It would also cover deceased beneficiaries, with their next of kin or estates required to complete the necessary verification and legal processes before payments could be made.
The mop-up exercise is expected to begin by the end of September or early October, subject to final arrangements.
The ministry acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and the National Assembly Joint Committees on Aviation towards resolving the outstanding payments.
It also recognised the Senate Committee on Aviation, chaired by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and the House Committee on Aviation, chaired by Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, for their oversight and engagement on the matter.
The Federal Government said payments to the first seven batches, alongside preparations for Batches 8 and 9, marked a major step towards clearing the longstanding severance obligations owed to former Nigeria Airways workers.
It added that the planned mop-up exercise would provide an opportunity to resolve outstanding cases and bring more eligible beneficiaries into the payment process.
