RismadarVoice Reporters
September 11, 2026
The Federal Government of Nigeria has commenced the payment of N18bn in outstanding severance benefits to 2,700 former employees of the defunct Nigeria Airways, more than two decades after the national carrier was liquidated.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja.
Oyedele said 2,100 former workers covered under batches one to seven had already received their payments, while another 600 beneficiaries in batches eight and nine had been approved for payment.
“Altogether, this represents N18bn in benefits for 2,700 former workers,” the minister said.
He acknowledged that many affected workers had waited for years, with some growing old and others passing away before receiving their entitlements, leaving their families to continue the process.
According to Oyedele, the payment followed a directive from President Bola Tinubu to resolve the long-standing obligation inherited by the government.
He said that while the payment could not fully compensate for the over two decades of waiting, it was important for the government to address outstanding commitments rather than allow them to remain unresolved.
The minister explained that the process involved extensive verification, including biometric capture and confirmation of personal and banking details, to prevent fraudulent claims.
He added that further verification would continue for cases involving outdated records, incorrect bank information and deceased beneficiaries whose next of kin or estates must complete the required legal procedures.
Responding to concerns over inflation and the reduced value of money over the years, Oyedele said the government was settling the claims based on the documented and verified amounts, noting that there was no provision for inflation adjustments.
The minister also revealed that the government had cleared outstanding obligations owed to more than 12,000 indigenous contractors as part of efforts to reduce inherited debts.
He said priority was initially given to smaller contractors with verified claims of N50m and below before extending payments to those owed up to N100m.
Oyedele warned contractors against paying commissions or inducements to government officials to facilitate payments, describing such actions as illegal.
He stressed that the payments to former Nigeria Airways workers were legitimate entitlements and not government favours, while assuring that measures were being introduced to prevent the accumulation of similar unpaid obligations in the future.
