FG Begins N18bn Severance Payment To Former Nigeria Airways Workers

The Federal Government has begun paying N18bn in outstanding severance benefits to former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways, more than 20 years after the national carrier was liquidated.

Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said 2,100 former workers in batches one to seven had already been paid, while 600 more beneficiaries in batches eight and nine had been cleared or were being finalised for payment.

The payment follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the settlement of outstanding obligations owed to the former airline workers. Channels Television reported that the Federal Ministry of Finance said the first 2,100 payments had been concluded and that the remaining 600 would follow in the coming days.

Oyedele said some affected workers had grown old while waiting for their benefits, while others had died and left their families to pursue the claims. Vanguard also reported that more claims were still being verified.

Nigeria Airways was liquidated more than two decades ago, leaving former staff and next of kin waiting through several rounds of verification. The latest payment covers batches one to seven, while batches eight and nine are next in line.

The minister said the government would continue the verification process and pay legitimate claims as resources and documentation are cleared.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard, Channels Television