FG Starts N18bn Severance Payments to Ex-Nigeria Airways Staff

The Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated the payment of N18 billion in severance benefits to 2,700 ex-workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways, which was liquidated in 2005 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, announced that 2,100 former employees have already received their payments, while another 600 beneficiaries are cleared for payment in batches eight and nine.

The payments are designed to cover various categories of former employees without distinction between junior and senior staff. The minister noted that some beneficiaries had died waiting for their entitlements, and payments would be made to their next of kin after legal processes.

This initiative follows a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address long-standing obligations, with the minister acknowledging the delay in payments and emphasizing that these are entitlements, not favors. The settlement is part of broader efforts to clear inherited obligations, including payments to pensioners and contractors.