More than two decades after the liquidation of the nation’s former flagship carrier, ex-workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) have issued a desperate plea to the Federal Government for the immediate release of N36 billion in outstanding severance benefits.

Despite a presidential approval granted nearly a year ago, the retirees say the funds remain trapped in bureaucratic bottlenecks, leading to a surge in poverty-related deaths among their members.

The workers’ representative and spokesperson, Engr. Sheri Kyari, revealed in a statement that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the payment in June 2025. While the directive brought a brief sense of hope to over 6,000 aviation veterans—including pilots, engineers, and ground staff—the Ministry of Finance has yet to authorize the actual disbursement. Kyari lamented that what was once an administrative matter has now spiraled into a “humanitarian crisis of urgent national concern.”

The delay has had devastating consequences for the aging workforce. Many of the former employees are now in their 70s and 80s, battling chronic illnesses and extreme penury. Union leaders report that members are frequently dying because they cannot afford basic medications or food. “Across Nigeria, elderly former workers are dying in penury,” Kyari stated. “The continued withholding of these funds is no longer merely an issue of paperwork; it is costing lives.”

The saga of Nigeria Airways entitlements has spanned multiple administrations since the airline was formally liquidated in 2004. While the previous administration under Muhammadu Buhari released a partial payment of N22 billion in 2018, the N36 billion balance was left in limbo until the current administration’s intervention last year.

For the survivors, the wait has been a 22-year journey through the courts and government offices, during which hundreds of their colleagues have passed away without seeing their benefits.

The ex-workers are now calling directly on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to fast-track the release of the approved sum. They emphasized that these benefits are not a “favor” but a legal debt for decades of service to the nation. With every passing month of delay, the number of surviving claimants continues to dwindle, leaving families of the deceased to face further legal hurdles to claim the benefits of their loved ones.