President Bola Tinubu is set to leave Abuja on Monday for Paris, France, marking his first official trip using Nigeria’s newly acquired presidential jet.
The announcement was made by his spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, on Sunday night.
While specific details of Tinubu’s activities in France were not provided, Ngelale mentioned that the President would return to Nigeria after a brief working visit to the European nation.
This trip follows the recent release of the Airbus A330, one of three presidential jets that had been detained in France due to a court order. The aircraft was released after Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Limited, a Chinese firm involved in a legal dispute with Nigeria, permitted its release as a goodwill gesture, allowing President Tinubu to attend the meetings in France.
According to sources speaking to Premium Times, the Airbus A330 landed at the presidential wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sunday. The jet was welcomed by officials from Nigeria’s Presidential Air Fleet, led by Air Vice Marshal Olayinka Olusola.
The Airbus A330, now serving as Nigeria’s Airforce One, carries the registration number 5N-NGA. The aircraft, purchased for over $100 million, is significantly less expensive than its estimated market value of $600 million. The purchase was facilitated by L & L International LLC, an aviation firm based in Miami, Florida.
The decision to acquire the new jet came after recommendations from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of the House of Representatives, which had raised concerns about the safety and cost-effectiveness of the previous presidential jet, a 19-year-old B737-700 (BBJ). The committee advised replacing aging and unserviceable aircraft in the presidential fleet to minimize downtime and operational expenses.
