After weeks of silence, the Presidency has officially unveiled the newly purchased Airbus A330 to replace Nigeria’s aging Boeing Business Jet (BBJ).
The need for a new presidential aircraft became apparent after the 19-year-old BBJ, acquired under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, developed faults during separate trips to Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, and South Africa, leading to President Bola Tinubu chartering flights—an issue the presidency described as embarrassing.
The debate over purchasing a new jet was met with significant public opposition, as many Nigerians argued that acquiring a new aircraft was not a priority amid widespread economic hardship and other pressing national issues.
Despite the outcry, the government went ahead with the acquisition, keeping the public in the dark until recent developments revealed the details of the purchase.
In June, reports surfaced indicating that the Nigerian government had acquired the Airbus A330 from a German bank.
The plane had reportedly been repossessed from an unnamed Arabian prince who had defaulted on a substantial debt.
However, the Presidency maintained its silence on the purchase until Monday when Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, released images of the aircraft along with a brief statement.
Onanuga noted that the new plane was bought at a price well below its market value and highlighted the savings on maintenance and fuel costs, which were said to run into millions of dollars annually.
The presidential spokesman defended the decision, citing the age of the previous BBJ and the need for a more reliable aircraft to serve the President.
However, Daily Trust, disclosed that the U.S. presidential aircraft, Air Force One, which is a 34-year-old Boeing 747, has served six U.S. Presidents, including the incumbent Joe Biden.
Despite the years of usage of the US government, the presidential jet has not been changed unlike Nigeria Government.
Other Presidents the jet had served were George H W Bush (1989-1993), Bill Clinton (1993-2001), George W Bush (2001-2008), Barack Obama (2008-2016) and Donald J Trump (2016-2020).
The newly acquired Airbus A330 is expected to take over the duties of the older BBJ, which served Nigerian leaders since its purchase under Obasanjo.
