President Tinubu Pushes for Airbus Maintenance Hub in Nigeria, Demands Swift Delivery of Apache Attack Helicopters

President Tinubu Pushes for Airbus Maintenance Hub in Nigeria, Demands Swift Delivery of Apache Attack Helicopters

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has welcomed a major proposal by global aviation giant Airbus to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria, as part of a broader strategy to transform the country into a leading aerospace and aviation services hub in Africa.

The President made the remarks on Thursday during a high-level meeting with a delegation from Airbus, led by Thierry Cloutet, Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East. The discussions took place on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

According to a statement from the State House, President Tinubu stressed Nigeria’s urgent need for modern military aircraft, particularly attack helicopters, to bolster security operations and tackle persistent threats posed by terrorists and bandits across the country.

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

He specifically called for the accelerated delivery of the three Apache helicopters already ordered by Nigeria to strengthen ongoing counterterrorism and security efforts.

The meeting also covered Nigeria’s acquisition of the Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft, wider defence aviation cooperation, and innovative financing models including aircraft leasing, export credit arrangements, and sale-and-lease-back structures aimed at easing financing challenges for Nigerian airlines.

President Tinubu further explored the possibility of establishing an aviation leasing company in Nigeria to unlock value across the aviation value chain and improve access to aircraft for domestic operators.

In response, Thierry Cloutet commended President Tinubu’s economic reforms and initiatives to stabilise the nation’s aviation sector. He proposed a comprehensive “360-degree engagement” model with Nigeria that would span commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human capital development, sustainability, operational hubs, maintenance infrastructure, and even collaboration on satellite and Earth observation technologies.

The Airbus executive reaffirmed the company’s strong commitment to supporting Nigeria’s long-term aerospace ambitions.

This move signals a renewed push by the Tinubu administration to modernise Nigeria’s defence capabilities while simultaneously building local aviation infrastructure and attracting significant foreign investment into the sector.