The Federal Government has released ₦4.25 billion in outstanding severance benefits for another 600 former employees of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, bringing the total number of beneficiaries under the payment exercise to 3,300.
The latest disbursement represents another step in efforts to settle longstanding financial obligations to former workers of the national carrier, which ceased operations more than two decades ago.
The payment covers two additional batches of eligible beneficiaries, following earlier disbursements to former employees whose claims had undergone verification.
According to details released by the Federal Ministry of Finance, the latest tranche covers gross severance benefits of approximately ₦4.25 billion, with deductions reducing the net amount released for payment to about ₦4.04 billion.
The development follows an earlier payment exercise that covered 2,700 former workers across nine batches, bringing the cumulative number of beneficiaries paid to 3,300.
The long-running dispute over unpaid entitlements has remained a source of concern for former employees and their families, many of whom have spent years demanding the settlement of outstanding benefits.
The airline, established in 1958, ceased operations in 2003 and was liquidated in 2004. Its closure left unresolved pension and severance obligations that continued through successive administrations.
The government has said the payment process is being conducted in batches based on the verification of eligible beneficiaries and their records.
The ministry has also indicated that claims submitted by the next of kin of deceased former employees are undergoing verification to establish eligibility before payments are authorised.
While the latest disbursement will provide financial relief to the beneficiaries, questions remain about the full extent of outstanding liabilities and when all eligible former workers or their families will receive their entitlements.