The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) has expressed outrage over the continued delay in the payment of entitlements to more than 4,000 former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, describing the situation as a “grave injustice” against Nigerians who dedicated their productive years to serving the country.
The aviation advocacy group said the prolonged delay had subjected former employees of the once national carrier to decades of uncertainty, hardship and bureaucratic frustration, with many beneficiaries reportedly dying before receiving what is due to them.
In a statement dated August 24, 2026, and signed by its President, Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju (rtd), ASRTI called on the Federal Government and relevant authorities to immediately conclude the process and ensure payment to the affected former workers.
According to the organisation, the plight of the ex-Nigeria Airways employees has become increasingly disturbing, particularly as many of the beneficiaries are now elderly and facing age-related illnesses and financial difficulties.
ASRTI noted that Nigeria Airways was not a private enterprise but the country’s national carrier and a symbol of Nigeria’s sovereignty, stressing that the workers served the nation with dedication and deserved to be treated with dignity in retirement.
The group said the former employees had trusted that the country they served would cater for them after their years of service, but had instead endured more than two decades of neglect since the liquidation of the airline in April 2003.
“The human cost of this delay is a national tragedy and a bad omen to citizens currently serving Nigeria dedicatedly,” the organisation said.
ASRTI lamented that hundreds of the elderly beneficiaries had reportedly died over the years from age-related illnesses and preventable health complications while waiting for their entitlements.
It said many of the former workers had struggled with conditions including hypertension and diabetes, in addition to severe financial hardship, arguing that some could have enjoyed better and more dignified lives if their benefits had been paid promptly.
The aviation advocacy group said it was painful that people who devoted the better part of their youthful years to serving Nigeria had allegedly been subjected to what it described as a dehumanising cycle of promises and disappointments.
ASRTI recalled that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, SAN, had announced in December 2025 that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the payment of the entitlements of former Nigeria Airways workers.
The minister made the announcement during activities marking the centenary celebration of 100 years of civil aviation in Nigeria, explaining that the presidential approval had been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for implementation.
However, ASRTI expressed concern that the payment process had yet to be concluded months after the announcement, alleging that bureaucratic bottlenecks had continued to frustrate the implementation of the approval.
The group described what it termed administrative negligence and possible mishandling of the presidential approval process as unacceptable, insisting that the delay was undermining the government’s stated commitment to addressing the longstanding grievances of the former workers.
ASRTI, however, welcomed reports that the presidential approval document, which was said to have been missing, had been traced.
The organisation urged the relevant authorities to act immediately on the document and commence the process of paying the outstanding entitlements without further delay.
It also called for officials found responsible for any systemic stalling, sabotage or misplacement of relevant documents to be held accountable in accordance with applicable public service regulations.
While commending Keyamo for his efforts in bringing attention to the plight of the former Nigeria Airways workers, ASRTI appealed to the aviation minister to urgently engage his counterpart in the Ministry of Finance and other relevant government authorities to ensure the prompt release of the funds.
According to the organisation, the continued suffering of the former workers sends a discouraging message to Nigerians currently serving the country, particularly those who expect that years of patriotic service would be recognised and rewarded.
“These veterans served Nigeria and gave it the better part of their youthful years,” ASRTI said. To reward their decades of patriotic service with avoidable suffering and administrative ping-pong is a stain on our national conscience that must be corrected immediately.”
The group therefore urged the Federal Government to treat the payment of the entitlements as a matter of urgency, warning that further delays could mean that more beneficiaries would die without receiving the benefits they had waited for over the past two decades.
ASRTI maintained that bringing the long-running matter to a conclusion would not only provide relief to the surviving former Nigeria Airways workers and their families but would also demonstrate the government’s commitment to honouring Nigerians who had faithfully served the nation.
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