The Tinubu-led government reportedly spent about N19.43 billion on maintaining and operating the Presidential Air Fleet from July 2023 to September 2024.
According to data from GovSpend, a civic technology platform that tracks government spending reviewed by The Newspaper Pledge, the cost of the vehicles will reach N13.55 billion in 2024, about 66% of the allocated budget.
Most of these payments, called “Foreign Exchange Pass Funds”, were used to cover overseas expenses such as fuel and maintenance costs when the aircraft are based overseas.
Government officials explained that payments in foreign currency are essential to ensure uninterrupted operation of the fleet outside Nigeria.
“When aircraft are overseas, payments are often made in US dollars or another foreign currency to ensure uninterrupted operation,” the official explained. Records show that the first payment, in two installments of ₦1.52 billion, ₦846 million and ₦675 million, was made in July 2023 to cover the fleet’s foreign exchange needs.
In August, this amount increased to ₦3.1 billion in three installments. More withdrawals were made the following month, including notable payments such as ₦5.6 billion in six transactions in August 2024.
During President Bola Tinubu’s foreign trips in April, which included visits to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, the fleet’s transit account received ₦5.08 billion.
Tinubu was initially travelling on a state-run Gulfstream Aerospace G550 jet, but technical issues meant it could not be used for the journey to Saudi Arabia, and a private plane had to be chartered instead. Meanwhile, the President’s business jet, a Boeing 737, was undergoing maintenance.
In August, a new $100 million Airbus A330, purchased by an airline-wide vote to replace the ageist Boeing 737, was added to the fleet.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the Airbus A330, with its modern avionics and customized interiors, would ultimately save on maintenance and fuel costs.
Currently, the presidential fleet consists of about 11 aircraft, one of the largest in Africa, including older models such as a 19-year-old B737-700 and a 13-year-old Gulfstream G550.
The B737s were acquired during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and had become expensive to maintain over the years. Onanuga defended the acquisition of the Airbus A330 aircraft, stressing that it was a matter of national interest and not personal luxury.
“This is not President Tinubu’s plane. It belongs to the Nigerian people, it is our property… The president did not buy a new plane. He has a refurbished plane. It was used by others before he got it, but it is a much newer model than the one used by President Buhari.
“The aircraft used by President Buhari was purchased by President Obasanjo about 20 years ago. There was a time when the plane encountered some problems when the president was visiting Saudi Arabia. The president had to leave the Netherlands on a chartered plane.
“Nigerians should put the safety of the president first. No one wants their president to crash in the air. We want to ensure his safety so that we can hand it over to whoever we want to succeed him,” Onanuga said.
He also noted that the recent accidents highlighted the importance of the president’s safety, and called on Nigerians to understand the need to replace ageing and unreliable aircraft.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu also supported the decision, stressing that the excessive maintenance costs of old Boeing 737 aircraft made the new purchase imperative. In addition to fixed-wing aircraft, the presidential fleet includes a Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000 and a Challenger 605, as well as rotorcraft operated by the Nigerian Air Force under the supervision of the National Security Advisor.
Currently, three of the seven fixed-wing aircraft are reportedly out of service.
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