President Bola Tinubu is reportedly concerned about the cost of maintaining Nigeria’s Presidential Air Fleet (PAF). To address these financial challenges in the West African nation, the government has decided to sell three jets from the fleet, as reported by local media on Monday. President Tinubu has directed the reduction of the fleet, which currently consists of six jets and four helicopters, due to rising expenditure concerns, according to The Nation newspaper, citing an anonymous government source. Concerns have been raised within the PAF regarding the frequency and costs of maintenance, prompting the decision to offload the aircraft that pose the highest financial burden.
Reports indicate that the Abuja government had allocated a minimum of 80 billion naira (about $60 million) for the PAF’s maintenance expenses between 2016 and 2023. Nigeria had previously attempted to sell two planes in 2016 during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration but was unsuccessful in finding buyers. The initial bidders offered $11 million for the Dassault Falcon 7x executive aircraft and a Beechcraft Hawker 4000 business jet, falling short of the $24 million asking price, leading to the rejection of the offer.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has been facing a challenging cost-of-living crisis since President Tinubu assumed office in May and removed a fuel subsidy as part of deficit-reduction measures, triggering protests and strikes nationwide. In response to the financial challenges, the Nigerian leader, committed to reshaping the country’s finances and reducing self-serving interests, has implemented a temporary suspension of all publicly funded international travel for government officials to cut down on administrative expenses. This measure, effective since April 1 and anticipated to last three months, follows extensive criticism regarding the overseas trips taken by Tinubu and government officials, with over 400 personnel attending the COP28 climate conference in Dubai last November.
