Nigeria Puts Three Presidential Jets Up for Sale
The Nigerian federal government is selling three aging presidential aircraft to cut down on high maintenance costs, as reported by TheCable.
This move follows advice from the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence, which suggested acquiring two new planes for the president and vice president. Shehu Buba Umar, head of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, also backs this suggestion.
Selling these three aircraft will reduce the presidential fleet, which currently consists of six planes and four helicopters, by half. The fleet, managed by the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), includes a Boeing 737 Business Jet (BBJ), a Gulfstream G550, a Gulfstream GV, two Falcon 7x, and a Challenger CL605.
Insiders say that at least half of the fleet is either unusable or in poor condition, necessitating the sale of the more troublesome jets. The planes to be sold are the president’s Boeing 737 BBJ, one Gulfstream, and one Falcon 7x.
The government has hired US-based JetHQ to handle the sale. JetHQ will value and market the aircraft, with proceeds going towards purchasing a new jet, while seeking a cost-effective option.
“We noted the lawmakers’ recommendations. However, we can’t afford to buy two aircraft at once, even with the sale proceeds. The current approval is to find one affordable jet, supplemented by the sales,” a senior fleet management official stated.
JetHQ has submitted three bids from buyers for the NSA’s consideration. “We received two offers for the BBJ and one for the Falcon 7x. However, the NSA insists on negotiating a better deal rather than rushing into a bad one,” a PAF official said anonymously.
Zakari Mijinyawa, a spokesperson for the NSA, confirmed the ongoing sale process but did not provide further details.
The condition of the presidential air fleet has been a recent concern, with safety issues noted about the aircraft transporting Nigerian leaders. The president’s BBJ has been under maintenance since March, necessitating the use of other fleet planes.
In April, President Bola Tinubu had to use a commercial aircraft to attend the World Economic Forum in Riyadh after the plane he traveled with to the Netherlands developed a fault.
Around the same time, Vice-President Kashim Shettima was seen arriving in Ogun State in a chartered plane. In early May, Shettima aborted his trip to the United States mid-flight due to an engine problem.
For his recent trip to South Africa, Tinubu had to use a private plane, a situation some diplomatic experts believe could harm Nigeria’s image internationally.
While federal lawmakers and some Nigerians support acquiring new aircraft to address these issues, others argue that it would be insensitive given the current economic challenges. However, lawmakers stress that the safety of all citizens, including the president and other officials, should be a top priority.