By our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed a proposal by global aircraft manufacturer Airbus to establish maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria as part of efforts to position the country as a regional hub for aerospace and aviation services.
The President also stressed Nigeria’s urgent need for modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to strengthen security operations, logistics and national development efforts.
Tinubu spoke on Thursday during a meeting with a delegation from Airbus led by the Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East, Thierry Cloutet, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said his administration was committed to deepening collaboration with Airbus, especially in the areas of military aircraft and aerospace development.
Tinubu specifically called for the accelerated delivery of three Apache helicopters already ordered by Nigeria to support ongoing counterterrorism and security operations across the country.
“Nigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now,” the President said.
The meeting also focused on Nigeria’s acquisition of the Airbus C-295 platform, defence aviation cooperation, and aircraft leasing and financing arrangements.
Both parties discussed export credit arrangements, sale-and-lease-back models, and long-term aircraft financing solutions aimed at improving access to aircraft for domestic airlines and reducing financing challenges in the aviation sector.
President Tinubu also explored the possibility of establishing an aviation leasing company in Nigeria to unlock opportunities within the aviation value chain and improve financing access for local operators.
In his remarks, Cloutet commended the President’s economic reforms and ongoing efforts to stabilise the aviation sector.
He reaffirmed Airbus’ commitment to supporting Nigeria’s long-term aerospace development agenda.
The Airbus executive proposed what he described as a “360-degree engagement” model with Nigeria, covering commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human capital development, sustainability initiatives, operational hubs and maintenance infrastructure.
The proposed partnership would also include collaboration in satellite technology and Earth observation systems.
