President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed global aircraft manufacturer Airbus’s proposal to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria, as his administration moves to position the country as a regional hub for aerospace and aviation services.
In a statement issued by the presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga and made available to The News Chronicle, the President also stressed Nigeria’s urgent need for modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to strengthen security operations, logistics, and critical national development efforts amid renewed offensives against terrorism and insecurity across parts of the country.
Tinubu spoke on Thursday during 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.
The President said his administration was committed to deepening ties with Airbus by leveraging the company’s expertise in military aircraft and aerospace development to modernise Nigeria’s aviation and defence capabilities.
Tinubu also pushed for the speedy delivery of the three Apache helicopters already ordered by Nigeria, describing them as critical assets in the country’s ongoing counterterrorism operations.
“Nigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now,” the President declared.
Discussions at the meeting also covered Nigeria’s acquisition of the Airbus C-295 aircraft platform, expanded defence aviation cooperation, and new aircraft leasing and financing models aimed at easing access to aircraft for local operators.
The talks explored export credit arrangements, sale-and-lease-back structures, and long-term financing solutions designed to tackle funding constraints in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
In a further push to strengthen the partnership, Tinubu floated the idea of establishing an aviation leasing company to unlock opportunities across Nigeria’s aviation value chain and improve financing access for domestic airlines.
Cloutet, in response, lauded Tinubu’s economic reforms and efforts to stabilise the aviation industry, reaffirming Airbus’ commitment to supporting Nigeria’s long-term aerospace ambitions.
He also 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 extend to satellite technology and Earth observation collaboration.
