Nigeria Airways Pensioners Cry Out Over 22-Year Wait as ₦36.06bn Tinubu Approval Remains Unpaid

Former employees of the defunct Nigeria Airways have expressed renewed frustration over the continued delay in the payment of their long-standing pension and gratuity entitlements, despite the approval of approximately ₦36.06 billion by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in July 2025.
The approval, granted on 23 July 2025, was meant to settle outstanding severance packages owed to thousands of former workers of the defunct national carrier, which was liquidated in 2003 following years of operational and financial difficulties. The intervention was widely welcomed at the time as a major step toward resolving a dispute that has spanned more than two decades.
The total sum—officially put at about ₦36,063,843,537.91—covers pension arrears, gratuities, and severance benefits accumulated since the airline’s collapse, affecting retirees drawn from across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
In a statement by an aggrieved pensioner, Mr. Sheri Kyari, the ex-employees, once drawn from across the country’s 774 local government areas, say life since the airline’s liquidation in 2004 has been marked by deprivation and uncertainty, despite years of dedicated service to the nation.
However, nearly a year after the presidential approval, the funds remain undisbursed, leaving beneficiaries increasingly anxious and distressed.
Kyari and other representatives of the affected retirees said the delay has turned what was once a promise of relief into another cycle of hardship for ageing former workers who have spent years in financial uncertainty.
Many of the beneficiaries, now elderly and above 65 years of age, include former pilots, engineers, cabin crew members, technicians, and administrative staff who once served Nigeria’s flag carrier. According to the group, several members are currently battling serious health conditions without access to adequate medical care, while others are struggling to afford basic necessities such as food and shelter.
The pensioners recalled that optimism surged in mid-2025 following the federal government’s approval, which was expected to finally close the long-running chapter of unpaid entitlements since the airline’s liquidation in 2003. However, as of February and March 2026, no disbursement has been made.
Sources familiar with the process indicated that the necessary documentation had been forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Finance for processing and release. However, the expected payment timeline, initially projected for early 2026, has reportedly been delayed, with no official explanation or revised schedule provided to beneficiaries.
The continued delay has triggered widespread concern among the retirees, many of whom say they are now dependent on family members or charity to survive. Reports from various states suggest that some pensioners have died while awaiting payment, while others remain bedridden and unable to access critical healthcare.
The Nigeria Airways Pensioners Association has therefore called on the Federal Ministry of Finance and relevant government authorities to urgently expedite the release of the approved funds, stressing that the payments represent earned entitlements and not discretionary relief.
While commending President Tinubu for approving the ₦36.06 billion intervention in July 2025, the retirees insist that the true value of the decision will only be realized when the funds are finally disbursed to beneficiaries.
They warned that further delays could deepen what they describe as a growing humanitarian crisis affecting elderly citizens who dedicated their working lives to national service.
Nigeria Airways pensioners have decried the continued delay in the disbursement of ₦36.06 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu in July 2025 to settle long-overdue pension and gratuity arrears, nearly a year after federal approval.
Stakeholders across the country are asking who is responsible for the disbursement of the ₦36.06 billion approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in July 2025 for Nigeria Airways pensioners, as the beneficiaries continue to lament the prolonged delay in payment.
According to pensioners who are lamenting delays in the disbursement of ₦36.06bn approved by President Tinubu in July 2025, citing worsening hardship and calling for urgent payment of long-overdue entitlements.