The Federal Government has paid the outstanding benefits of 2,100 former Nigeria Airways workers after more than two decades of waiting.
The government has also commenced the finalisation of payments to another 600 beneficiaries, bringing the total number of former workers covered by the intervention to 2,700.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja.
Oyedele said the payments, estimated at N18 billion, followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to settle the long-standing claims owed to the former workers.
According to him, beneficiaries in categories one to seven have been paid, while payments for those in categories eight and nine are being finalised.
The minister described the settlement as more than the clearance of a financial obligation, saying it was also aimed at restoring the dignity of Nigerians who devoted their productive years to public service but had waited for decades to receive their entitlements.
Oyedele said the government conducted an extensive verification exercise to identify genuine beneficiaries and ensure that public funds were paid only to eligible claimants.
He added that a mop-up exercise would be conducted to address outstanding cases, particularly those involving eligible former workers whose records were not captured during the initial process or whose documentation requires further verification.
The minister commended President Tinubu for directing the settlement and acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, as well as other officials and stakeholders involved in the process.
He said the settlement formed part of the Federal Government’s broader fiscal reform agenda, which seeks to balance prudent management of public resources with the responsibility to meet legitimate obligations to citizens.
Oyedele also highlighted government efforts to support small and medium-sized enterprises, stressing the need to strengthen businesses, protect livelihoods and create an environment for sustainable economic activity.
