FG pays N4.25bn to 600 more ex-Nigeria Airways workers, total now 3,300
- The Federal Government has paid N4.25bn in pension and severance benefits to 600 more former Nigeria Airways workers.
- The Ministry of Finance said the payment covers batches 10 and 11, bringing total beneficiaries paid to 3,300.
- Verification of claims from next of kin of deceased former workers is still ongoing, the ministry said.
The Federal Government has paid N4.25bn in outstanding pension and severance benefits to another 600 former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways, the Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday.
The payment covers the 10th and 11th batches of beneficiaries. With it, the number of former workers paid across 11 batches now stands at 3,300, according to a statement by the ministry's head of media, Efe Ovuakporie.
The first nine batches covered 2,700 beneficiaries. The latest disbursement adds 600 more.
Based on the figures released, the N4.25bn works out to an average of about ₦7.09m per beneficiary. The ministry did not give a breakdown, and actual payments may differ depending on what each person is owed.
Why it matters
Nigeria Airways was the country's national carrier for decades before it was liquidated in 2003. Its former staff have spent years, and in some cases more than two decades, chasing pensions and severance pay from successive governments.
The ministry did not say how much has been paid in total before now, or how much is still owed. But earlier reporting put the first nine batches at about N18bn for 2,700 workers, which would bring reported gross payments so far to roughly N22.25bn.
The ministry said the money would bring relief to people who had waited a long time for what they were owed.
It also said it is still checking and confirming claims submitted by the next of kin of former workers who have died. That exercise is meant to establish who is eligible and to match claims against approved records before any payment is approved.
"The Ministry will continue to process verified claims in line with applicable procedures, ensuring that payments are made to eligible beneficiaries," the statement said.
The Whistler reported that the ministry linked the payment to President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, saying it advances the clearing of old obligations and brings relief to affected families.
What happens next
Families of deceased former workers will have to wait for the verification exercise to finish before their claims can be paid. The ministry has not said when that will be, or how many claims are still pending.
