President Bola Tinubu has welcomed aircraft manufacturer Airbus’ proposal to establish maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria to position the country as a regional aviation services hub.

The president also stressed Nigeria’s urgent need for modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to support security operations, logistics, and national development priorities across the country.

Mr Tinubu stated this during a meeting with an Airbus delegation led by head of Regional Business Growth Africa and the Middle East, Thierry Cloutet, on the sidelines of the just-concluded Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

This is contained in a statement issued by the presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday in Abuja.

Mr Tinubu told the delegation that his administration was determined to deepen relations with Airbus by leveraging the company’s comparative advantage in military aircraft and aerospace development.

The president also called for the accelerated delivery of three Apache helicopters already ordered by Nigeria to strengthen ongoing security and counterterrorism operations nationwide.

“Nigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now,” Mr Tinubu said.

Discussions at the meeting also focused on Nigeria’s acquisition of the Airbus C-295 platform and broader defence aviation cooperation between both parties.

The talks further covered aircraft leasing and financing models, including export credit arrangements, sale-and-lease-back structures, and long-term financing solutions to improve airlines’ access to aircraft.

Mr Tinubu also discussed the possibility of establishing an aviation leasing company to unlock value across Nigeria’s aviation value chain and improve financing access for domestic operators.

Mr Cloutet commended Mr Tinubu’s economic reforms and efforts aimed at stabilising Nigeria’s aviation sector and improving investor confidence in the economy.

He reaffirmed Airbus’ commitment to supporting Nigeria’s long-term aerospace development objectives and expanding cooperation across strategic areas within the aviation industry.

In support of the administration’s aviation modernisation agenda, Mr Cloutet proposed what he described as a “360-degree engagement” model with Nigeria.

According to him, the proposed engagement would cover commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human capital development, sustainability initiatives, operational hubs, and maintenance infrastructure.

The Airbus executive added that the partnership would also include collaboration on satellite technology and Earth observation systems to support Nigeria’s broader development and security objectives. 

(NAN)