Over the course of 11 months, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration spent a total of N14.77 billion on repairs and maintenance for the presidential aviation fleet.
Eleven installments were paid between July 16, 2023, and May 25, 2024. The funds were transferred via the ‘Presidential Air Fleet Transit Funds’ transit account at the State House headquarters.
This comes after it was found that the President’s 19-year-old Boeing 737 and other fleet aircraft were malfunctioning, and the National Assembly is now preparing to authorize the acquisition of two new planes.,
The aircraft acquisition was mentioned in the technical subcommittee report of the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence. The estimated cost of the purchase was N918.7 billion, or approximately $623.4 million.
“The committee firmly and intelligently believes that it is in the best interests of the nation to acquire two additional aircraft as advised, given the precarious state of the Nigerian federation and the grave ramifications of any anticipated or unanticipated mishap brought on by the technical/operational shortcomings of the Presidential Air Fleet. In addition to provide a suitable, comfortable, and safe carrier appropriate for the status and duties of the offices of the President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, this would also prove to be the most economical option in the long term, the research states.
