The federal government has paid the outstanding severance benefits of 2,100 former workers of Nigeria Airways Limited, more than two decades after the national carrier was liquidated.
The Federal Ministry of Finance disclosed this in a statement, saying the payments covered beneficiaries in Batches One to Seven.
According to the ministry, another 600 former workers in Batches Eight and Nine are being finalised and are expected to receive their payments within days.
The payments will bring the total number of former Nigeria Airways workers covered by the exercise to 2,700, with a combined severance benefit of ₦18 billion across the nine batches.
The development is expected to bring relief to former employees and their families who have waited for years for the government to settle the outstanding obligations.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier approved the settlement of the severance benefits owed to the former workers and directed that the longstanding matter be resolved.
The ministry said the presidential approval provided the impetus for the commencement of the payment process.
It added that under the direction of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, government agencies undertook the identification of eligible beneficiaries, validation of records and determination of the outstanding financial obligations.
Oyedele said the payment demonstrated the government’s commitment to settling legitimate outstanding obligations and prioritising the welfare of Nigerians.
“Behind these figures are people and families who have waited for years to receive what is legitimately due to them,” the minister 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 also showed what could be achieved when government institutions worked together to resolve longstanding issues.
He added that safeguards had been put in place to ensure that only legitimate beneficiaries received the approved entitlements.
The ministry also acknowledged the role played by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in sustaining efforts to resolve the matter.
It said the National Assembly Joint Committees on Aviation also contributed through their oversight and engagement on the outstanding benefits.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and his House counterpart, Rep. Abdullahi Idris Garba, were said to have been actively involved in efforts to settle the workers’ claims.
The ministry said the payment process involved extensive verification of beneficiary records, including biometric capture and validation of personal and banking information.
It said the measures were designed to ensure that the funds reached the rightful beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the Director in charge of the Presidential Initiative and Continuous Audit Department, Seldam Dangin, disclosed that the ministry was preparing a second phase of the exercise to capture beneficiaries whose records could not be processed during the first phase.
Dangin said the planned mop-up exercise would address inaccurate or outdated information, conduct additional biometric verification where necessary and correct banking details.
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The exercise would also cover cases involving deceased beneficiaries.
The ministry said next of kin or representatives of estates of deceased beneficiaries would be 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 government said the payment to the first seven batches, alongside the readiness of Batches Eight and Nine, marked a major step towards resolving the severance obligations owed to former Nigeria Airways workers.
