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

President Bola Tinubu has welcomed a proposal by global aircraft manufacturer Airbus to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria as part of efforts to position the country as a regional aerospace and aviation services hub.

The President also stressed Nigeria’s urgent need for modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to support security operations, logistics and other national development priorities amid ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity across parts of the country.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by the President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu spoke during a meeting with an Airbus delegation led by the company’s Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East, Thierry Cloutet, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, on Thursday.

Tinubu told the delegation that his administration was committed to strengthening Nigeria’s relationship with Airbus by leveraging the company’s expertise in military aircraft and aerospace development.

He also called for the speedy delivery of the three Apache helicopters already ordered by Nigeria to support ongoing security and counterterrorism operations.

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

The meeting also featured discussions on Nigeria’s acquisition of the Airbus C-295 platform, broader defence aviation cooperation, and aircraft leasing and financing arrangements.

According to Onanuga, the discussions covered export credit arrangements, sale-and-lease-back structures, and long-term aircraft financing models aimed at improving access to aircraft for domestic airlines and easing financing constraints in the aviation sector.

Tinubu also explored the possibility of establishing an aviation leasing company in Nigeria to unlock opportunities within the country’s aviation value chain and improve financing access for local operators.

In his remarks, Cloutet commended Tinubu’s economic reforms and efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s aviation sector, reaffirming Airbus’ interest in supporting the country’s long-term aerospace development goals.

He 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 include collaboration in satellite and Earth observation technology.

helinues:
Creating conducive environment for business will definitely attract investors

800km high way, imagine the extent of development in that axis with new businesses, new companies springing up

Instead of relying on global institutions to rate us, we instead make our institutions stronger. Banking and Finance sectors have actually made reasonable progress with the reforms on there

RichDad1:
Where is that illiterate man questioning PBAT foreign travelling?

Goo0dHardDick:
The useless roads they built in Nigeria, the traffic lights on the road, where are the maintenance agency in charge of those?

The street lights nko?

Imagine china rejoicing over flight maintenance company coming to their country. How intelligent does that sound to you? My apologies to china, the greatest and most developed country on earth.

Dude, take this useless comment down

RichDad1:
Where is that illiterate man questioning PBAT foreign travelling?

Antoeni:
Dear Trump Please Come And Carryout The Venezuela Pattern On This Man,

Goo0dHardDick:
Can Tinubu do and f.cking resign?

Man irritates me alot. Zero achievement! No productivity. Nothing nothing. Nigeria is in complete darkness. Insecurity everywhere

AnonPoet:
https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/16/tinubu-welcomes-airbus-plan-for-aircraft-maintenance-hub-in-nigeria/

tutuonye:
In a struggling economy, Tinubu's presidential jet is more expensive than that of Trump's Air force 1 and his amored SUV more expensive than Trump's beast.
Dude derives joy seeing poor Nigerians suffer hunger and penury in the mist of plenty money saved from subsidy removal.
Tinubu's supporters will always clap for his misplaced priority.

Helinuse:
The nonsense we celebrate.

🤣🤣🤣

Maintenance hub?
For what?
How?

How much Air traffic do we have?
All Airlines have their own “maintenance” crew isn’t it?
Then what is a “maintenance hub” for a manufacturer?

This, my brethren, is a scam!

Goo0dHardDick:
The useless roads they built in Nigeria, the traffic lights on the road, where are the maintenance agency in charge of those?

The street lights nko?

Imagine china rejoicing over flight maintenance company coming to their country. How intelligent does that sound to you? My apologies to china, the greatest and most developed country on earth.

Dude, take this useless comment down

Precious201010:
See dem rejoicing up there, how many people have jets in Nigeria?. Are we saving the airlines have not been maintaining their various airlines?..

He should bring Toyota or Honda assembling plants... That'll even create more jobs and reduce the price of new cars.

Goo0dHardDick:
Can Tinubu do and f.cking resign?

Man irritates me alot. Zero achievement! No productivity. Nothing nothing. Nigeria is in complete darkness. Insecurity everywhere

AnonPoet:
https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/16/tinubu-welcomes-airbus-plan-for-aircraft-maintenance-hub-in-nigeria/