The Federal Government has disbursed ₦4.25 billion in outstanding pension and severance benefits to another 600 beneficiaries of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, bringing the total number of beneficiaries paid under the ongoing settlement exercise to 3,300.
The latest payment covers Batches 010 and 011 and represents another step in the government's effort to resolve financial obligations owed to former employees of the national carrier, which ceased operations more than two decades ago.
The Federal Ministry of Finance disclosed the latest payment in a statement issued through its Head of Media, Efe Ovuakporie.
According to the ministry, the latest batch involves ₦4,251,043,000.19 in gross benefits for the 600 beneficiaries. After deductions of ₦212,552,150.01, the net amount released for payment was ₦4,038,490,850.18.
The development comes after the government began a fresh settlement programme in September 2026 involving former Nigeria Airways workers who had waited for years for their outstanding entitlements.
Total beneficiaries now reach 3,300
The latest payment takes the total number of beneficiaries paid across the first 11 batches to 3,300.
The first nine batches covered approximately 2,700 beneficiaries, while the latest two batches added another 600 people to the payment exercise.
The government had previously announced the release of ₦18 billion for the first 2,700 beneficiaries.
Adding the latest gross payment of approximately ₦4.25 billion means that reported gross payments across the two stages amount to about ₦22.25 billion for the 3,300 beneficiaries.
However, the Ministry of Finance has not provided a comprehensive breakdown of the total amount still owed to all former Nigeria Airways workers and beneficiaries.
The government has also not announced a final completion date for the entire settlement exercise.
What the latest ₦4.25bn payment covers
The latest disbursement is specifically connected to pension and severance benefits owed to eligible former Nigeria Airways employees and beneficiaries.
The ministry said the payments are being made in batches based on verification of beneficiaries and their records.
This verification process is intended to ensure that approved entitlements are paid to the rightful recipients and that public funds are protected from fraudulent or duplicate claims.
For the 600 beneficiaries covered by Batches 010 and 011, the gross entitlement was ₦4.251 billion.
That works out to an average gross payment of roughly ₦7.09 million per beneficiary, although the actual amount received by each individual is not necessarily the same because entitlements depend on individual records and approved claims.
The deductions of about ₦212.55 million reduced the amount released for payment to approximately ₦4.038 billion.
The government has not publicly provided a detailed breakdown of the deductions in the latest announcement.
Former workers waited for years
The Nigeria Airways benefits have remained a longstanding government obligation.
Nigeria Airways was established in 1958 and served as the country's national carrier for decades before it ceased operations in 2003 and was subsequently liquidated.
The airline's closure left former employees with unresolved pension and severance claims.
Successive governments have faced pressure from former workers and their families to settle the outstanding obligations.
The issue has also repeatedly appeared before the National Assembly.
In January 2025, lawmakers said the government owed former Nigeria Airways workers about ₦36 billion and called for action to address the outstanding obligations. Lawmakers also raised concerns about former employees who had died while waiting for their entitlements.
The current payment exercise therefore represents an attempt to address a liability that has persisted for more than 20 years.
Government began fresh payments in 2026
The latest disbursement follows a significant payment announced in September 2026.
At that time, the Federal Government announced the release of ₦18 billion in severance benefits covering 2,700 former Nigeria Airways workers across the first nine batches.
The latest 600 beneficiaries were handled through Batches 010 and 011, taking the cumulative number covered to 3,300.
The government has described the process as a structured settlement of verified obligations rather than a new compensation scheme.
Payments are being made after beneficiary records have been checked and claims validated.
This is particularly important because some of the original employees are now deceased, meaning that payments in certain cases must go to legally recognised next of kin.
Verification of deceased workers' next of kin continues
The Ministry of Finance said its verification and validation exercise for the next of kin of deceased former Nigeria Airways workers is still ongoing.
The exercise is intended to establish who is legally entitled to receive outstanding benefits where the original beneficiary has died.
The ministry said claims submitted by next of kin will be checked against approved records before payments are authorised.
This means that not every outstanding Nigeria Airways claim has necessarily been settled by the latest payment.
Some families may still need to complete the verification process before their claims can be considered for payment.
The ministry said it would continue processing verified claims in line with established procedures.
Why the payments are being made in batches
The decision to make payments in batches appears to be connected to the government's verification process.
Rather than releasing all outstanding funds at once, the government has been processing beneficiaries whose employment records and claims have been verified.
The Ministry of Finance said this approach is designed to ensure that approved entitlements reach the appropriate beneficiaries while safeguarding public funds.
The latest payment therefore does not necessarily represent the final group of former Nigeria Airways employees entitled to benefits.
Instead, it forms part of an ongoing settlement process.
The ministry has indicated that additional verified claims will continue to be processed according to applicable procedures.
Financial relief for former workers and their families
For the beneficiaries receiving the latest payment, the disbursement represents more than a government accounting exercise.
Many former Nigeria Airways workers have spent years waiting for pension and severance entitlements connected to their employment.
The Ministry of Finance said the payment would provide financial relief to beneficiaries who had waited for settlement of their outstanding benefits.
For families of deceased former employees, the payments could also represent the resolution of long-running claims that have been passed from one generation to another.
The issue has been particularly sensitive because of the length of time involved.
Workers who were employed by Nigeria Airways before its closure have now spent more than two decades waiting for some of their outstanding entitlements.
The latest payments demonstrate that the government is continuing to address at least some of these historical obligations.
The government says verified claims will continue to be processed
The Federal Ministry of Finance has said the settlement process will continue.
According to the ministry, it remains committed to resolving legitimate outstanding claims through an orderly process while ensuring that payments are made only to eligible beneficiaries.
The ministry's position is that verification remains necessary because the government must establish the validity of claims before public funds can be released.
This is particularly relevant in cases involving deceased former workers, where the identity and legal status of the next of kin must be established.
The government has therefore encouraged the continuation of the verification process rather than treating the latest disbursement as the conclusion of the exercise.
How much has been paid so far?
Based on the amounts publicly disclosed for the two major stages of the current exercise, the figures are:
| Payment stage | Beneficiaries | Gross amount |
|---|---|---|
| First nine batches | 2,700 | ₦18 billion |
| Batches 010–011 | 600 | ₦4.251 billion |
| Total | 3,300 | About ₦22.251 billion |
The latest ₦4.251 billion is the gross amount. After deductions of ₦212.552 million, approximately ₦4.038 billion was released for payment to the latest 600 beneficiaries.
It is important to distinguish the amount already paid from the total historical liability.
The Ministry of Finance has not stated in its latest announcement exactly how much remains outstanding to all former Nigeria Airways employees and beneficiaries.
Consequently, the ₦22.25 billion figure should not be interpreted as the total amount owed by the government.
It represents the reported gross payments from the first 11 batches of the current settlement exercise.
Nigeria Airways' legacy continues decades after liquidation
The latest payment highlights the long financial consequences that can follow the collapse or liquidation of a major state-owned enterprise.
Nigeria Airways was once a central part of Nigeria's aviation industry, connecting the country to domestic and international destinations.
Its eventual collapse and liquidation left behind not only questions about the country's national-carrier strategy but also financial obligations to workers.
The unresolved employee claims became a recurring issue for successive governments.
The current administration has now begun addressing the outstanding benefits through a structured payment process.
While the latest ₦4.25 billion release does not resolve every outstanding issue, the increase in beneficiaries from 2,700 to 3,300 represents further movement in the settlement process.
What happens next?
The immediate focus is likely to remain on verification.
The Ministry of Finance says it will continue to process claims that have been properly verified and validated.
This includes claims involving next of kin of deceased Nigeria Airways workers.
The government has not yet provided a final date by which all outstanding claims will be settled, nor has it published a complete updated figure showing the remaining liability.
For former workers and their families still waiting, the verification process will therefore remain an important part of the settlement.
The latest payment nevertheless marks another significant step in addressing one of Nigeria's longest-running employee-benefit disputes.
More than two decades after Nigeria Airways ceased operations, the Federal Government has now paid benefits to 3,300 beneficiaries across 11 batches, with the latest 600 receiving gross benefits of more than ₦4.25 billion.
The government says it will continue processing verified claims until eligible beneficiaries receive their approved entitlements.
