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About 400 former Nigeria Airways workers are still waiting for their outstanding entitlements, despite the recovery of the presidential approval authorising the final ₦36bn payment.
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The approval document was reportedly traced after its absence became a major administrative obstacle to releasing the funds.
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The former workers have waited more than two decades since Nigeria Airways was liquidated, with advocacy groups now demanding immediate payment and accountability for the delay.
August 26, (THEWILL) — About 400 former employees of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited are still awaiting payment of their outstanding entitlements, despite the recovery of the presidential approval authorising the release of the final ₦36 billion tranche.
The development was disclosed by the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), which urged the Federal Government to immediately act on the recovered document and conclude the payment process.
ASRTI President, Air Commodore (rtd.) Ademola Onitiju, described the prolonged delay as a “grave injustice” to former workers who spent their productive years serving the national carrier.
Missing Approval Stalled Payment
The latest development followed a fact-finding visit to Abuja by a four-member delegation of Concerned Elders between June 16 and 18.
The delegation, comprising Alhaji Ore Salako, Engineer Ayuba Kyari, Capt. Prex Porbeni and Mr Chris Aligbe, met officials of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Federal Ministry of Finance to determine why the approved payment had not been released.
According to its report, officials disclosed that the presidential approval authorising the N36 billion payment could not initially be located.
An official handling the matter at the Ministry of Finance, John Waitono, reportedly confirmed that the document was not found in the ministry’s files.
The ministry’s Technical Adviser to the Permanent Secretary, Akor Abbah, also reportedly said the process remained active but could not be completed without the approval.
Officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit were subsequently contacted and also confirmed the importance of the document.
Because the amount exceeded the approval threshold of the Minister of Finance, officials said a fresh submission to the President could become necessary if the original document could not be recovered.
Document Traced After Months Of Uncertainty
ASRTI said on Monday that the missing approval had now been traced, potentially removing the administrative obstacle that had stalled the payment.
“It is heartwarming to hear that the reportedly ‘missing’ presidential approval document has been tracked and should be acted upon forthwith”, the organisation said.
It called on the government to immediately process the funds while demanding accountability over how a document central to an approved payment became unavailable.
“Officials responsible for this systemic stalling, sabotage or misplacement should be held accountable in accordance with the appropriate public service regulations”, ASRTI stated.
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Workers Have Waited More Than 20 Years
The payment dispute dates back to the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in April 2003, leaving former employees waiting for severance benefits and other entitlements.
The Federal Government approved the final N36 billion tranche in June 2025, raising hopes that the long-running payment process would finally be concluded.
In December 2025, Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo also said President Bola Tinubu had approved payment of the outstanding entitlements and that the approval had been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for implementation.
Payment, however, remained outstanding. ASRTI said the delay had taken a significant human toll, with some former workers reportedly dying while waiting for their entitlements.
The organisation urged Keyamo to work with the Minister of Finance and other relevant authorities to ensure the recovered approval translates into actual payment.
For the remaining beneficiaries, the issue is now less about securing approval and more about turning an approval recovered after years of delay into the payment they have been waiting for since Nigeria Airways was liquidated.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze is a writer specializing in business and economic journalism. At THEWILL News Media, she translates market trends, financial developments, and policy shifts into clear and engaging stories.
