The federal government says it 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 yesterday, saying payments had been concluded for 2,100 beneficiaries across Batches 1 to 7, while another 600 beneficiaries under Batches 8 and 9 are being finalised for payment in the coming days.
The development 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 payment was part of the government’s commitment to addressing legitimate outstanding obligations owed to Nigerians, reports Channels TV.
“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.”
The minister said the exercise demonstrated what could be achieved when government institutions worked together to resolve longstanding issues, while ensuring that appropriate safeguards were maintained in the management of public funds.
The ministry said the payment process involved extensive verification of beneficiary records, including biometric capture and validation of personal and banking information, to ensure that the funds were paid to legitimate beneficiaries.
The Director in charge 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.
According to him, the exercise will involve updating inaccurate or outdated information, additional biometric verification where necessary and correction of banking details.
It will also cover cases involving deceased beneficiaries, with their next of kin or estates required to complete the necessary verification and legal processes before payment can be made.
The mop-up exercise is expected to commence by the end of September or early October, subject to final arrangements.
The ministry acknowledged the collaboration of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, as well as the National Assembly Joint Committees on Aviation, in advancing efforts to resolve the outstanding payments.
The Senate Committee on Aviation, chaired by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, and the House Committee on Aviation, chaired by Hon. Abdullahi Idris Garba, were also acknowledged for their oversight and engagement on the matter.
The federal government said the commencement of payments to the first seven batches, alongside the readiness of Batches 8 and 9, represents a major step towards resolving the longstanding severance obligations to former Nigeria Airways workers.
The planned mop-up exercise, it added, is expected to provide an opportunity to address outstanding cases and bring more eligible beneficiaries into the payment process.
