President Bola Tinubu has welcomed a proposal by Airbus to establish maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria, saying the plan aligns with his administration’s push to position the country as a regional aviation and aerospace services hub.
Tinubu also called for the accelerated delivery of three Apache attack helicopters already ordered by Nigeria, stressing that the aircraft were urgently needed to strengthen security and counterterrorism operations.
The President spoke on Thursday 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.
According to a State House press release issued on May 16, 2026, by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said Nigeria required modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to support security operations, logistics and national development priorities.
“Nigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now,” the President said.
Tinubu said his administration was determined to deepen Nigeria’s relationship with Airbus, particularly in military aircraft, aerospace development and aviation support services.
The meeting also covered Nigeria’s acquisition of the Airbus C-295 platform, broader defence aviation cooperation, aircraft leasing and financing models. Discussions included export credit arrangements, sale-and-lease-back structures and long-term aircraft financing options to improve access to aircraft for Nigerian operators.
Tinubu also discussed the possibility of establishing an aviation leasing company in Nigeria to unlock value across the aviation value chain and improve financing access for domestic airlines.
Cloutet commended Tinubu’s economic reforms and efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s aviation sector. He reaffirmed Airbus’ interest in supporting the country’s long-term aerospace development objectives.
He proposed a “360-degree engagement” model with Nigeria, covering commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human capital development, sustainability initiatives, operational hubs and maintenance infrastructure.
The Airbus proposal also includes possible collaboration on satellite technology and Earth observation.
The State House said the engagement supports the administration’s broader policy to modernise Nigeria’s aviation sector and strengthen the country’s capacity in defence aviation, aircraft maintenance and aerospace services.
