The federal government has endorsed a proposal by Airbus to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s aviation sector.
According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu approved the proposal following a meeting with an Airbus delegation led by Thierry Cloutet, Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
The discussions also explored the establishment of an aviation leasing company in Nigeria to improve aircraft financing options for domestic operators and strengthen the sector’s value chain.
“The engagement will cover commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human capital development, sustainability initiatives, operational hubs and maintenance infrastructure. It will also include collaboration on satellite and Earth observation,” the statement said.
Cloutet reportedly commended Tinubu’s economic reforms and efforts to stabilise the aviation sector, reaffirming Airbus’ interest in supporting Nigeria’s long-term aerospace development goals.
The company also proposed a “360-degree engagement” framework covering commercial aviation, defence cooperation, sustainability initiatives, satellite technology, Earth observation, and broader aerospace support services.
During the meeting, Tinubu renewed calls for the swift delivery of three Apache attack helicopters already ordered by Nigeria, stressing the need to strengthen military airpower to combat terrorism and insecurity.
The statement added that discussions also covered Nigeria’s acquisition of Airbus C-295 aircraft, defence aviation cooperation, and financing models aimed at improving airline access to aircraft through export credit arrangements, leasing structures, and long-term funding solutions.
The development comes months after the federal government announced plans to establish a Nigerian aircraft leasing company to ease aircraft acquisition challenges facing domestic airlines.
