President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed a proposal by global aircraft manufacturer Airbus to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria, in a move aimed at positioning the country as a regional aviation and aerospace hub.
The President made the remarks 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, Rwanda.
Tinubu said Nigeria was ready to deepen its partnership with Airbus, particularly in areas such as military aviation, aircraft leasing, and aerospace infrastructure development.
He also stressed the urgent need for modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to support national security operations and broader development goals.
“Nigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now,” the President said.
He called for the accelerated delivery of three Apache helicopters already ordered by Nigeria, noting that they are critical to ongoing counterterrorism and security operations across the country.
Discussions also covered broader defence aviation cooperation, including aircraft acquisition under platforms such as the Airbus C-295, alongside financing models designed to ease access to aircraft for Nigerian operators.
The President further proposed the establishment of an aviation leasing company to strengthen Nigeria’s aviation value chain and improve financing options for domestic airlines.
Airbus representatives reportedly discussed financing structures such as export credit arrangements, sale-and-lease-back models, and long-term funding solutions aimed at supporting sector growth.
The delegation also outlined a “360-degree engagement” framework that would include commercial aviation, military cooperation, sustainability initiatives, human capital development, maintenance infrastructure, and satellite and Earth observation collaboration.
Airbus commended ongoing economic reforms in Nigeria and expressed interest in supporting the country’s long-term aerospace and aviation development goals.
The proposed maintenance and hangar facilities are expected to reduce aircraft downtime, create technical jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s ambition to become a key aviation service centre in Africa.
