President Bola Tinubu has welcomed a proposal by global aircraft manufacturer Airbus to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria as part of plans to position the country as a major aerospace and aviation services hub in Africa.
The President also emphasised the urgent need for modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to support military operations, logistics, and other national development objectives amid ongoing efforts to combat insecurity across the country.
Tinubu made the remarks during a meeting with an Airbus delegation led by the Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East, Thierry Cloutet, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to a statement released on Saturday by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with Airbus by taking advantage of the company’s expertise in military aviation and aerospace technology.
During the meeting, Tinubu specifically requested the speedy delivery of three Apache helicopters earlier ordered by Nigeria, noting that the aircraft were urgently needed to intensify ongoing counter-terrorism and security operations.
“Nigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now,” the President stated.
The discussions also centred on Nigeria’s planned acquisition of the Airbus C-295 aircraft platform, as well as wider defence aviation cooperation between both parties.
Participants at the meeting further examined financing arrangements aimed at improving access to aircraft for Nigerian operators and strengthening the local aviation industry.
Among the options discussed were aircraft leasing systems, export credit facilities, sale-and-lease-back arrangements, and long-term financing models designed to reduce operational and financial constraints within the aviation sector.
As part of broader efforts to deepen the partnership, Tinubu also floated the idea of establishing an aviation leasing company in Nigeria to boost investment opportunities across the aviation value chain and improve financing access for domestic airlines and operators.
Cloutet praised the Tinubu administration for its ongoing economic reforms and initiatives aimed at stabilising the aviation industry, while reaffirming Airbus’ commitment to supporting Nigeria’s long-term aerospace ambitions.
He proposed what he described as a “360-degree engagement” framework with Nigeria, covering areas such as commercial aviation, military aircraft collaboration, maintenance infrastructure, operational hubs, sustainability programmes, and human capital development.
The proposed partnership is expected to form part of wider federal government efforts to modernise Nigeria’s aviation industry, strengthen local technical capacity, and position the country as a leading aviation hub on the African continent.
