President Bola Tinubu has welcomed a proposal by global aircraft manufacturer Airbus to establish aircraft maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria as part of efforts to position the country as a regional aerospace and aviation services hub.
The President also stressed Nigeria’s urgent need for modern helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to support security operations, logistics and other national development priorities amid ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity across parts of the country.
According to a statement on Saturday by the President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu spoke during a meeting with an Airbus delegation led by the company’s Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East, Thierry Cloutet, on the sidelines of the Africa CEO In his remarks, Cloutet commended Tinubu’s economic reforms and efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s aviation sector, reaffirming Airbus’ interest in supporting the country’s long-term aerospace development goals.
He proposed what he described as a “360-degree engagement” model with Nigeria, covering commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human capital development, sustainability initiatives, operational hubs and maintenance infrastructure.
The proposed partnership would also include collaboration in satellite and Earth observation technology.Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, on Thursday.
