RismadarVoice Reporters
October 20, 2026
The Federal Government of Nigeria has released an additional ₦4.04 billion in severance benefits for 600 former employees of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, bringing the total number of beneficiaries covered by the settlement programme to 3,300.
The latest disbursement, announced by the Federal Ministry of Finance, covers the 10th and 11th batches of eligible former workers who have waited more than two decades for the settlement of their outstanding entitlements.
According to the ministry, the gross value of the latest benefits stands at ₦4,251,043,000.19, while deductions amounting to ₦212,552,150.01 reduced the net payment to ₦4,038,490,850.18.
The development follows the Federal Government’s earlier announcement of ₦18 billion in severance benefits for 2,700 former workers under the first nine batches in September 2026.
With the latest allocation, the combined gross value of benefits announced under the programme has reached approximately ₦22.25 billion.
The Ministry of Finance explained that the payments were being processed in phases to ensure that only eligible beneficiaries received their approved entitlements.
It said verification of employment records and individual claims remained an important part of the exercise, aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing improper payments.
Nigeria Airways, which operated as the country’s national carrier for several decades, ceased operations in 2003 and was subsequently liquidated, leaving thousands of former workers with unresolved pension and severance claims.
Successive administrations have faced sustained demands from affected employees and their families for payment of the outstanding benefits.
The latest release follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of measures to address the longstanding financial obligations.
The government said the disbursement would provide financial relief to beneficiaries who had endured years of uncertainty over their entitlements.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Finance disclosed that verification of claims submitted by relatives and next of kin of deceased former Nigeria Airways employees was continuing.
The process is intended to confirm eligibility, authenticate supporting documents and reconcile applications with approved records before further payments are authorised.
The ministry maintained that verified claims would continue to be processed in accordance with established financial procedures.
The settlement exercise represents another stage in efforts to resolve liabilities inherited from the liquidation of the former national airline.
However, the government has not disclosed a definitive date for completing all outstanding claims, including those involving deceased employees.
The latest disbursement brings the reported number of beneficiaries covered by the first 11 payment batches to 3,300.
