Nigeria Airways ex-workers and pensioners are facing continued hardship due to delays in the release of long-approved severance benefits, raising urgent humanitarian concerns.
The defunct Nigeria Airways Limited employed staff from across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, serving the nation faithfully until its liquidation in 2004. For nearly two decades, these former employees, many now aged 65 and above, have endured neglect, deprivation, and uncertainty.
Hope was renewed in June 2025 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the payment of N36 billion in outstanding severance benefits for the ex-workers and pensioners. However, months after the approval, the funds have yet to be released.
The Office of the Minister of Finance, under Prince Wale Edun, has reportedly not authorized the release of the funds, prolonging the suffering of the elderly former staff. Many of them are now living in penury, struggling to afford basic necessities such as food, shelter, and medical care. Some are bedridden or battling chronic illnesses, while others have died without receiving their rightful entitlements.
These former employees include pilots, engineers, cabin crew, technicians, accountants, administrators, and support staff who once represented Nigeria across Africa and the world. Their continued neglect is being described as both morally troubling and deeply unjust.
The appeal calls on the Minister of Finance and all relevant authorities to immediately release the approved funds, emphasizing that these benefits are lawful entitlements, not discretionary favors.
“Justice delayed, especially for pensioners and elderly ex-workers, is justice denied,” the statement reads. “Nigeria must not be remembered as a nation that neglects those who served her with dedication and honour. Before more lives are lost needlessly, we urge the authorities to allow compassion, responsibility, and justice to prevail.”
President Tinubu’s approval of the payments is acknowledged, but ex-workers and pensioners now await implementation to relieve decades of hardship.
