FG signs deal for aircraft maintenance facility

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has entered into a Public Private Partnership arrangement with a private firm to establish a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul facility for aircraft.

A representative of the Ministry of Aviation, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, provided details of the agreement, explaining that the new facility would operate as an Approved Maintenance Organisation under the regulation of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

The representative said, “AMO approved by the NCAA is meant to perform specific aircraft maintenance activities, which activities may include the inspection, overhaul, maintenance, repair, and/or alteration and release to service of aircraft or aeronautical products”.

The ministry official added that this facility, the first of its kind in Nigeria, aims to meet growing maintenance needs for aircraft operating within the country, which currently often require expensive and time-consuming trips to foreign maintenance centres.

The ministry added that the timeline for the start of construction and eventual operations is not yet clear, noting that the actual “date of commercial operations will be the date on which the NCAA grants the concessionaire approvals and licenses as required by the concessionaire in the agreement.”

The source added that “all necessary activities are underway to make the contract effective.”

When asked about timelines, the official said, “I don’t have those timelines. There are some actions to make the contract effective, which we are working speedily to achieve before we talk about actual construction and operations of the facilities.”

Recall that in August, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed that he had concluded plans to initiate the bidding process for the establishment of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul facilities in the country.

According to the minister, the move was part of the government’s effort to enhance the country’s aviation infrastructure and reduce reliance on foreign MRO services.

He also announced plans to pursue a major venture through a Public-Private Partnership model, citing the capital-intensive nature of the project.