President Bola Tinubu has thrown his weight behind a proposal by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria, declaring the move as critical to positioning the country as a regional aviation and aerospace hub.
The President also used the platform to renew the governmentโs push for the rapid delivery of military aircraft, stressing that Nigeria urgently requires more aviation assets to bolster the fight against terrorism and rising insecurity.
Speaking during a high-level meeting with an Airbus delegation on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, President Tinubu emphasised that his administration is ready to deepen cooperation with the aerospace giant across commercial aviation, defence operations, and aerospace development.
The Airbus delegation was led by Thierry Cloutet, the companyโs Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East.
According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, discussions centred on expanding Nigeriaโs partnership with Airbus, with a particular focus on military aviation and technical support.
President Tinubu did not mince words on the nationโs security challenges, calling for the accelerated delivery of three Apache helicopters already ordered by the country.
โNigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now,โ the President told the Airbus team.
The meeting also reviewed Nigeriaโs planned acquisition of the Airbus C-295 aircraft platform, alongside financing options for aircraft procurement and broader defence aviation collaboration. Both sides examined aircraft leasing models, export credit arrangements, long-term financing packages, and sale-and-lease-back structures aimed at easing financial pressure on local operators.
In a move to further strengthen the aviation value chain, President Tinubu raised the possibility of setting up an aviation leasing company in Nigeria to improve financing access for local airlines.
In response, Cloutet praised the Tinubu administrationโs economic reforms and efforts to stabilise the aviation sector. He reaffirmed Airbusโ commitment to supporting Nigeriaโs long-term ambitions, proposing what he described as a โ360-degree engagementโ framework covering commercial aviation, military aircraft partnerships, maintenance infrastructure, sustainability programmes, operational hubs, and skills development.
The proposal aligns with the Federal Governmentโs broader drive to modernise the aviation sector, build local technical capacity, and realise Nigeriaโs ambition of becoming a major aviation services centre in Africa.
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