Pays additional N1.1bn exit benefits to 175 civil service retirees Earmarks N32.9bn for 2026
Ndubuisi Francis and James Emejo in Abuja
The federal government yesterday announced the commencement of payment of N18 billion, being outstanding severance benefits to 2,700 ex-workers of the defunct national air carrier, Nigeria Airways.This comes as the National Pension Commission (PenCom) yesterday also disclosed that payment of additional exit benefits to retiring civil servants had commenced with N1.1 billion already disbursed to 175 retirees who exited the Federal Public Service between January 1 and August 31, 2026.
The airline was liquidated in 2004 by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo contrary to the recommendation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group for a privatisation option.The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele who briefed journalists in Abuja, disclosed that 2,100 former employees had been paid.
Another 600 beneficiaries in batches eight and nine had been cleared for payment, he said, adding that “altogether, this represents N18 billion in benefits for 2,700 former workers.”The minister explained that payments were being made in batches to avoid already verified beneficiaries to continue waiting while outstanding claims were being validated.The benefits, he added, covered different categories of former Nigeria Airways employees, devoid of distinction between junior and senior workers.
