Tinubu Urges Prompt Delivery of Attack Helicopters

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

President Bola Tinubu welcomed Airbus’s proposal to establish maintenance and hangar facilities in Nigeria, a step aimed at positioning the country as a regional aerospace and aviation services hub.

He also stressed the urgent need for modern helicopters and fixed‑wing aircraft to support security operations, logistics and national development, as part of his administration’s effort to resolve persistent security challenges in certain regions.

The comments were made on Thursday during a meeting with an Airbus delegation headed by Thierry Cloutet, Head of Regional Business Growth for Africa and the Middle East, held on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

A statement from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga on Saturday night said that Tinubu told the delegation his administration was committed to deepening the relationship, drawing on Airbus’s strengths in military aircraft and aerospace development.

He urged the rapid delivery of the three Apache helicopters Nigeria has already ordered, emphasizing the administration’s resolve to deploy all available assets against terrorists nationwide.

“Nigeria needs attack helicopters urgently that can be used to confront and overwhelm terrorists. That is my priority now,” President Tinubu said.

The discussion also covered Nigeria’s purchase of the Airbus C‑295 platform, wider defence aviation cooperation, and various aircraft leasing and financing models such as export credit arrangements, sale‑and‑lease‑back structures and long‑term financing solutions designed to enhance airlines’ access to aircraft and ease sector financing constraints.

To further strengthen ties, Tinubu talked with the Airbus delegation about creating an aviation leasing company that could unlock value along Nigeria’s aviation value chain and improve financing for domestic operators.

Cloutet praised Tinubu’s economic reforms and the steps taken to stabilise Nigeria’s aviation sector, reaffirming Airbus’s commitment to support the country’s long‑term aerospace development goals.

To support the administration’s modernization policy, Cloutet proposed a “360‑degree engagement” model with Nigeria.

According to Cloutet, the engagement would span commercial aviation, military aircraft cooperation, human‑capital development, sustainability initiatives,