24 Years Waiting, 13 Months After Approval: Nigeria Airways Pensioners Still Unpaid

By The Ameh News
Thirteen months after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly approved the release of ₦36.06 billion to settle the outstanding pensions of former Nigeria Airways employees, the long-awaited payment remains trapped in bureaucratic limbo, with officials reportedly unable to locate the presidential approval memo needed to complete the process.
The latest revelation has reignited frustration among hundreds of retired workers who have spent nearly a quarter of a century waiting for their retirement benefits, with many describing the delay as a painful extension of one of Nigeria’s longest-running pension disputes.
According to findings by a four-man fact-finding delegation representing the pensioners, multiple senior government officials confirmed that the inability to locate President Tinubu’s approval document has become the principal obstacle preventing the release of the funds.
The delegation, made up of Alhaji Ore Salako, Engr. Ayuba Kyari, Capt. Prex Porbeni and veteran aviation journalist Chris Aligbe, travelled to Abuja to establish why the presidential approval granted over a year ago had yet to translate into payments for beneficiaries.
A Presidential Approval Yet to Yield Results
President Tinubu reportedly approved the payment of ₦36,063,843,537.91 to clear the outstanding entitlements owed to former Nigeria Airways pensioners—many of whom have waited 24 years since the liquidation of the national carrier.
The approval was welcomed as a landmark intervention expected to finally bring relief to elderly retirees who dedicated decades of service to Nigeria’s aviation industry.
However, 13 months later, the approval has yet to produce the expected financial relief.
Pensioners say officials from the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development have not invited beneficiaries to commence the phased payment arrangement earlier discussed in August 2025.
Fact-Finding Mission Reveals Administrative Bottleneck
During meetings in Abuja, members of the delegation held discussions with several serving and retired government officials to determine the cause of the delay.
According to the report, retired Director Mr. John Waitono, FNCA, informed the delegation that the newly appointed Minister of Finance immediately initiated processes to implement the presidential approval after assuming office.
However, officials reportedly discovered during the review of relevant files that the presidential approval memo authorising the payment could not be located.
The delegation was told that despite the willingness to proceed with payment, officials require the original approval document before completing the transaction.
Further discussions with Mr. Akor Abbah, Technical Adviser to the Permanent Secretary, reportedly produced the same explanation.
According to the pensioners, Abbah explained that while the payment process remains active, the missing presidential approval memo has become the critical administrative requirement preventing the release of the funds.
Accountant-General’s Office Confirms Delay
Determined to establish whether the payment could proceed through alternative channels, members of the delegation contacted the Cash Office of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The Director of the Cash Office reportedly confirmed that the presidential approval memo remains an essential document required before payment can legally be processed.
Officials at the Directorate of PICA reportedly echoed the same position, identifying the missing approval as the major reason behind the prolonged delay.
Appeals to Finance and Aviation Ministers
Before leaving Abuja, the delegation submitted a formal letter dated June 18, 2026, to the Minister of Finance, outlining its findings and appealing for urgent intervention to resolve the administrative impasse.
A similar letter was delivered to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, requesting his intervention in facilitating the payment of the approved entitlement. The minister was reportedly outside the country when the correspondence was delivered.
The pensioners disclosed that they had begun following up on both letters in the hope that swift government action would unlock the stalled payment process.
Human Cost of a 24-Year Wait
Beyond the administrative explanations lies the human tragedy behind the figures.
Many of the former Nigeria Airways workers are now in their seventies and eighties. Several pensioners have reportedly died while waiting for their retirement benefits, while surviving beneficiaries continue to battle age-related illnesses, rising healthcare costs and worsening economic hardship.
For families of deceased pensioners, the prolonged delay has become a painful reminder of promises yet to be fulfilled.
Questions Over Government Record Management
The reported disappearance of a presidential approval memo involving more than ₦36 billion has also raised broader concerns about records management and accountability within public institutions.
Governance experts argue that if an approval issued by the President can allegedly become untraceable within the administrative system, it underscores the urgent need for stronger document management systems, institutional reforms and improved accountability across government agencies.
The development has also renewed calls for digital archiving of critical government approvals to prevent similar delays in implementing presidential directives.
Waiting for Closure
For the former Nigeria Airways pensioners, however, the issue extends beyond administrative procedures.
After waiting 24 years for benefits earned through decades of service, many say they simply want closure.
Until the missing approval memo is located—or an alternative lawful administrative process is adopted—the approved ₦36.06 billion remains undisbursed, leaving hundreds of elderly pensioners once again waiting for the relief they believed had finally arrived.
Former Nigeria Airways pensioners remain unpaid 13 months after President Bola Tinubu reportedly approved ₦36.06 billion for their entitlements. A fact-finding mission says a missing presidential memo has stalled payment, extending a 24-year pension dispute.