Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria has concluded its strategic engagement with the world’s leading aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Bombardier, following a visit to the company’s Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre (LBCC) in Montréal, Canada, by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who led a delegation of Nigerian airline operators on a working visit.
The visit fulfilled a commitment made by the minister upon assuming office in 2023 to establish direct partnerships between Nigerian operators and the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers.
Following earlier engagements with Boeing, Airbus and Embraer, the Bombardier visit completed the federal government’s comprehensive OEM engagement programme aimed at supporting fleet renewal, improving access to aircraft financing, expanding technical cooperation, strengthening maintenance capabilities, and enhancing the competitiveness of Nigerian airlines.
Speaking during the visit, Keyamo reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for indigenous operators.
The minister, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Tunde Moshood, stated: “Our objective has always been clear—to connect Nigerian operators directly with the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers and create opportunities that will strengthen indigenous capacity, modernise our fleets, improve safety, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our aviation industry.”
According to him, “Bombardier, a global leader in business aviation, manufactures the Challenger and Global series of executive aircraft and provides world-class aircraft completion, maintenance, training and aftermarket support. The engagement aligns with the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s business and non-scheduled aviation sector.”
During the visit, the Nigerian delegation was exposed to Bombardier’s aircraft manufacturing and completion processes, maintenance support systems, pilot and technical training programmes, digital technologies, aftermarket services, and innovative aircraft acquisition solutions. The engagement is expected to create new opportunities for collaboration in fleet modernisation, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), engineering support, technical capacity development, aviation training, and aerospace technology transfer.
The visit also advanced the minister’s fleet modernisation agenda by encouraging the acquisition of newer, safer and more fuel-efficient aircraft while strengthening partnerships among aircraft manufacturers, financiers, lessors and Nigerian operators.
“The successful completion of strategic engagements with Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier underscores the commitment of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration to repositioning Nigeria as Africa’s preferred aviation hub through strategic international partnerships, private-sector collaboration and sustainable industry reforms,” Keyamo said.
The minister was accompanied on the official visit by the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo; the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku; Nigeria’s Representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Mahmoud Sani Ben-Tukur; and other senior government officials and industry stakeholders.