President Bola Tinubu has welcomed a proposal by Airbus to establish maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria as part of a broader effort to position the country as a regional aerospace and aviation services hub, while pressing the aircraft manufacturer for accelerated delivery of three Apache attack helicopters already ordered by Nigeria to support ongoing counterterrorism operations.
Tinubu met with an Airbus delegation led by Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East, Thierry Cloutet, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, telling the delegation that confronting and overwhelming terrorists through modern air assets was among his most urgent national security priorities.
The discussions covered Nigeria’s acquisition of the Airbus C-295 platform, broader defence aviation cooperation, aircraft leasing and financing models including export credit arrangements and sale-and-lease-back structures, and the possibility of establishing an aviation leasing company to unlock value across Nigeria’s aviation value chain and improve financing access for domestic operators.Tinubu Welcomes Airbus Plans for Nigerian Hangar Facilities, Presses for Faster Apache Helicopter DeliveryThe discussions covered Nigeria’s acquisition of the Airbus C-295 platform, broader defence aviation cooperation, aircraft leasing and financing models including export credit arrangements and sale-and-lease-back structures, and the possibility of establishing an aviation leasing company to unlock value across Nigeria’s aviation value chain and improve financing access for domestic operators.
Cloutet proposed a 360-degree engagement model with Nigeria covering commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human capital development, sustainability initiatives, and operational and maintenance infrastructure. He commended Tinubu’s economic reforms and the efforts to stabilise the aviation sector, reaffirming Airbus’s interest in supporting Nigeria’s long-term aerospace development objectives.
