President Bola Tinubu has expressed support for a proposal by Airbus to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria, a move aimed at positioning the country as a regional centre for aviation and aerospace services.

The President made this known during a meeting with an Airbus delegation on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda. The team was led by Thierry Cloutet, Airbus’ Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East.

Tinubu said Nigeria is keen to deepen cooperation with Airbus, particularly in areas of defence aviation, aerospace development, and technical expertise that can strengthen the country’s aviation capacity.

He emphasised the pressing need for modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to support ongoing security operations and logistics across the country. According to him, attack helicopters remain a top priority as Nigeria intensifies efforts to confront insecurity in several regions.

The President also urged Airbus to expedite the delivery of three Apache helicopters previously ordered by Nigeria to enhance counter-terrorism and internal security missions.

Beyond military aviation, discussions also touched on Nigeria’s interest in acquiring the Airbus C-295 aircraft and expanding collaboration in defence aviation platforms.

Financing models for the aviation sector formed a key part of the talks. Both parties examined options such as export credit arrangements, sale-and-lease-back agreements, and long-term aircraft financing structures that could make aircraft acquisition easier for Nigerian airlines.

Tinubu further explored the idea of setting up an aviation leasing company within Nigeria to improve access to aircraft financing for local operators and stimulate growth across the aviation value chain.

Cloutet, in his remarks, commended recent economic and aviation sector reforms in Nigeria and reiterated Airbus’ willingness to partner with the country in achieving its long-term aerospace ambitions.

He outlined what he described as a comprehensive engagement approach that would cover commercial aviation, military aircraft collaboration, maintenance infrastructure, skills development, sustainability initiatives, and operational hubs.

The proposed cooperation is also expected to extend into satellite and earth observation technologies, broadening the scope of aviation and aerospace partnership between Nigeria and Airbus.