The payments mark a significant step in resolving a dispute that has lasted for more than two decades since Nigeria Airways was liquidated. Recent reports from aviation stakeholders confirm that some former workers have already started receiving their outstanding benefits, while the payments are being made in batches.
The development has been welcomed by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), both of which have campaigned for the government to settle the entitlements of former Nigeria Airways employees.
ATSSSAN National President John Ogbe confirmed that some beneficiaries had begun receiving their payments. He commended President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, the Ministry of Finance and the Accountant-General of the Federation for their roles in moving the process forward.
The payments follow years of uncertainty for former Nigeria Airways workers. The national carrier was liquidated in the early 2000s, leaving thousands of former employees waiting for severance benefits and other outstanding entitlements. Aviation stakeholders have repeatedly described the prolonged delay as an injustice to workers who had spent much of their careers serving the national airline.
The scale of the outstanding obligation has changed over the years as successive payments were made. Earlier in 2026, former workers and their representatives were still pressing the government to release a final tranche reportedly valued at ₦36 billion. A fact-finding delegation that visited government offices in June said officials had identified difficulties surrounding the presidential approval required for the payment as a major obstacle at the time.
The latest disbursement therefore represents more than a routine government payment. For beneficiaries who have spent years waiting for money owed to them, receiving the funds could provide financial relief after a prolonged period of uncertainty, particularly as many former workers are now elderly.
However, the commencement of payments should not be confused with the complete settlement of every outstanding claim. ASRTI has urged the Federal Government to ensure that all eligible living beneficiaries receive their entitlements and that payments due to deceased workers are properly transferred to their families.
The government will also face the task of ensuring that the payment process remains transparent and reaches every verified beneficiary. Given the long history of the Nigeria Airways entitlement dispute, a clear record of beneficiaries paid, amounts disbursed and any remaining obligations would help reduce further uncertainty.
The payment is ultimately a matter of fulfilling obligations owed to people who worked for a national institution that no longer exists. Completing the process would close one of the more prolonged outstanding issues arising from the liquidation of Nigeria Airways and give former employees and their families greater certainty over benefits they have waited years to receive.
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