Federal Government has approved the payment of pensions to retired aviation workers after almost 22 years of waiting.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Ministry of Aviation, according to a statement shared by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), has confirmed that disbursements will begin soon, with a pledge to ensure transparency and fairness throughout the process.
The payment approval also factored in former staff of the defunct Nigeria Airways, which operated from 1958 until it ceased operations in 2003 due to mismanagement, corruption, and mounting debts.
Upon its closure, over 6,000 former workers were left without their full pensions and gratuities, prompting nearly two decades of demands for justice.
The decision follows years of sustained advocacy by unions demanding justice for retired workers, particularly those from defunct national carriers.
“The Federal Government has approved the long-awaited pensions for retired aviation workers, bringing long-overdue relief to thousands who served in the sector,” the statement read in part.
Stakeholders have welcomed the development, with many seeing it as a long-overdue step toward restoring dignity and trust in the aviation industry.
The approval comes after the National Assembly Joint Committee on Aviation threatened to block the Ministry of Aviation’s budget unless adequate provisions were made for the payment of outstanding entitlements to former Nigeria Airways workers in January 2025.
