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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed Airbus’s proposal to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria as part of efforts to position the country as a regional aviation hub.
This was confirmed in a press release issued on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
According to the statement, Tinubu commented 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 explained Nigeria’s urgent need for modern helicopters and aircraft to support security operations and national development.
“Nigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now,” Tinubu said.
He called for the speedy delivery of three Apache helicopters already ordered by Nigeria to strengthen counterterrorism operations across the country.
The statement also stated that both parties discussed Nigeria’s acquisition of Airbus C-295 aircraft, defence aviation cooperation, aircraft leasing and financing models focused on improving access to aircraft for local airlines.
Nigeria’s president discussed the possibility of establishing an aviation leasing company to expand financing options for domestic operators and strengthen Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Cloutet praised Tinubu’s economic reforms and efforts to stabilise the aviation industry, while reaffirming Airbus’ interest in supporting Nigeria’s long-term aerospace goals.
He also proposed a “360-degree engagement” with Nigeria, covering commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human capital development, sustainability initiatives, maintenance infrastructure and satellite collaboration.
Airbus is a major European aerospace corporation that designs, manufactures and delivers commercial aircraft, helicopters, satellites and defence equipment.
