The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) says the failure to pay over 4,000 former Nigeria Airways workers is doing more than hurting retirees. It is eroding public trust in government.
In a statement on August 24, 2026, ASRTI said the 23-year delay since the airline was liquidated in April 2003 has left former staff in endless bureaucratic “ping-pong” with no resolution.
The group argues that the treatment of these workers sets a dangerous example.
“The human cost of this delay is a national tragedy and a bad omen to citizens currently serving Nigeria dedicatedly,” ASRTI stated.
The aviation body warned that when service ends in neglect, it discourages those still in government jobs.
The group noted that Nigeria Airways was more than an airline. It was “a symbol of Nigeria’s sovereignty” and the workers served with dedication expecting dignity in retirement.
Instead, many have faced hardship, illness and death while waiting. ASRTI is now calling for immediate payment of all entitlements.
“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,” said President Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju (rtd).
The group said settling the debt will show Nigeria honors citizens who dedicate their lives to national service.
