Tinubu travelling to France on first trip aboard new presidential jet

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Monday for a trip to Paris, France, his spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, said in a statement on Sunday night. It would be the president’s first time aboard a new presidential jet.

Mr Ngelale did not disclose how long Mr Tinubu would stay in France or what his engagements would be during that period. He only said the President would return to Nigeria “after his brief work stay” in that European country.

PREMIUM TIMES, however, learnt that Mr Tinubu’s Monday trip to Paris would be his first aboard Nigeria’s new presidential jet, which sources said landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, at 8:30 p.m on Sunday.

The aircraft was received by officials of Nigeria’s Presidential Air Fleet, led by their commander, Olayinka Olusola, an air vice marshal.

The Airbus 330 aircraft is a repossessed one recovered from an indebted oil sheikh who used the aeroplane as collateral for a loan he obtained from an unidentified German bank to buy it.

L & L International LLC, an American aviation firm based in Miami, Florida, brokered the deal, which saw Nigeria buy the aircraft for over $100 million. A presidency official described the acquisition as an excellent deal for Nigeria, putting the aircraft’s real market value in the region of $600 million.

The multi-engine prestige jet, which has an elaborate VIP configuration, is now Nigeria’s Airforce One, with registration number 5N-NGA.

The recommendation to replace the 19-year-old B737-700 (BBJ) previously in use by the president emerged from an investigative hearing by a committee of the House of Representatives that questioned the plane’s safety record and cost efficiency.

The House National Security and Intelligence Committee then recommended replacing at least two of the presidential air fleet’s ageing and unserviceable aircraft to reduce downtime and operational expenses.

In a June 4 report forwarded to the presidency after its investigative hearing, the House Committee asked the federal government to immediately procure two aeroplanes for Messrs Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to secure the transportation of the country’s top officials.

The House Committee’s call immediately triggered widespread criticism from some Nigerians, who questioned the wisdom of buying new aeroplanes when Nigeria faces severe economic hardship. However, a few days later, the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence supported the recommendations made by its House of Representatives counterpart.

The government then faced the dilemma of finding money to purchase the aircraft. To raise part of the funds, it immediately put three of the aircraft in the Presidential Air Fleet up for sale.

However, in late June, the government sourced funding from the N180 billion contingency fund provided for a service-wide vote in the 2023 supplementary budget. That was after the National Assembly approved President Tinubu’s request to extend the lifespan of the 2023 supplementary budget to December 31.

Debates remain in Nigeria over whether it is prudent for the country to purchase an aircraft during this time of economic difficulty. The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, is among those who have condemned the purchase.

But a presidency official told PREMIUM TIMES Sunday night that “the acquisition of the Airbus A330 is a prudent investment for Nigeria, offering enhanced safety, comfort, efficiency, and national pride. This upgrade will serve the nation’s interests and project a positive image of Nigeria on the global stage.”

He asked not to be named because he has not yet been cleared to comment on the arrival of the aircraft in Nigeria.