Nigeria signs MoU with US plane maker, Boeing—Keyamo

Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, says Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an American aerospace company, Boeing, to enhance sustainable development in the country’s aviation sector.

The minister, who disclosed this on Thursday in a statement posted on his official X page, noted that the MoU among several other packages, will provide leadership-development training to help airlines in the country enhance their leadership pipeline.

“Yesterday, in Seattle, State of Washington in the USA, I led a delegation of the Executives of major airlines in Nigeria under the auspices of Airline Operators of Nigeria and other important stakeholders in the civil aviation ecosystem in Nigeria to sign an important Memorandum of Understanding with THE BOEING Company, one of the major aircraft manufacturers in the world,” the minister said.

The development comes more than a month after Boeing agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud conspiracy charges stemming from two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max planes that killed 346 passengers and crew members in 2018 and 2019.

This is after the US Department of Justice (DoJ) ruled that the company violated a deal meant to reform amidst safety concerns.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the plane maker had also agreed to pay a criminal fine of $243.6m (£190m), the DoJ said on Monday. According to a BBC report, the settlement must now be approved by a US judge.

However, some families of the victims of the ill-fated aircraft five years ago have criticised the decision, describing it as a “sweetheart deal” that would allow Boeing to avoid full responsibility for the fatalities recorded during the crashes.

Highlights of MOU

On Thursday, Mr Keyamo noted that part of the MoU deal would help Nigeria leverage Boeing’s network of financiers and lessors to better position Nigerian Airlines to acquire newer generation Boeing aircraft.

He said it would also provide enhanced technical support to help airlines introduce new or used Boeing Aircraft, and also provide training in airline operations and business models to enhance airline business practices.

The minister noted that the deal will provide technical support via providing access to Boeing data such as maintenance documents, engineering drawings, parts purchasing, and flight operations documents to streamline maintenance practices in the country.

Part of the MoU will also provide Boeing Field Services Representation in Nigeria or close by as on-site support, Mr Keyamo stated, adding that it will provide leadership-development training to help airlines enhance their leadership pipeline.

Other highlights of the MoU according to the minister include: collaborate with airlines’ in-flight operations, maintenance, and engineering to enhance safety and operational efficiency; collaborate with NCAA and NSIB in close partnership with ICAO and regional regulators to enhance safety oversight in the region and to provide consultation via Boeing’s Airports Engineering team to open and/or expand airport capabilities and advisory on MRO development.