Keyamo to Atiku: Tinubu Paying Nigeria Airways Pension Debt Dating Back to Your Government

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has hit back at former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his criticism of the Bola Tinubu administration, saying the Federal Government is settling pension and gratuity arrears owed to former Nigeria Airways workers following the airline’s liquidation in September 2004.

Keyamo made the remarks in a post on his official X account on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, accusing Atiku of overlooking the plight of the defunct national carrier’s former employees while criticising the current government over Nigeria’s economic difficulties.

The minister’s response followed comments by Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who blamed the Tinubu administration for the rising cost of living and the economic pressures confronting Nigerian households and businesses.

Atiku had expressed concern over the increasing difficulty many Nigerians face in meeting their basic needs, including food, transportation and other essential expenses. He also raised concerns about insecurity and urged registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

Responding, Keyamo drew attention to the history of Nigeria Airways, recalling that the national carrier was liquidated in September 2004 under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when Atiku served as vice-president. He argued that the airline’s collapse left thousands of Nigerian workers jobless and their pensions and gratuities unsettled for years.

The minister alleged that the former employees were left to contend with prolonged uncertainty over their entitlements, with many waiting for decades for the government to fulfil its obligations. He accused Atiku of criticising the current administration without adequately acknowledging the unresolved consequences of decisions taken under the government in which he served.

Keyamo said President Tinubu had approved and released ₦36 billion to settle the outstanding benefits owed to the former Nigeria Airways workers. According to him, the approval and release occurred more than a month before his statement, while some beneficiaries had already begun receiving payment alerts.

The claim comes against the background of a long-running federal government effort to settle the entitlements of former Nigeria Airways employees. In July 2026, The Guardian reported that the government had approved the release of ₦36 billion for the final settlement of severance benefits owed to approximately 6,000 former workers, with a committee established to oversee the payment process.

Keyamo also said the workers’ union had recognised Tinubu with an award in appreciation of the intervention. He presented the reported disbursement as a significant step towards resolving a longstanding dispute that has affected former employees and their families since the airline’s liquidation more than two decades ago.

The aviation minister further accused Atiku of inconsistency in his account of the Obasanjo administration, alleging that the former vice-president took credit for the administration’s achievements when convenient but distanced himself from responsibility for controversial decisions. Atiku’s criticism, however, focused on the current administration’s handling of the economy rather than the Nigeria Airways pension dispute.