The federal government is alleged to have spent approximately ₦19.43 billion on maintaining and operating the Presidential Air Fleet from July 2023 to September 2024.
Data reviewed by The PUNCH, sourced from GovSpend—a civic tech platform tracking government expenses—reveals that the fleet’s costs reached ₦13.55 billion in 2024, representing roughly 66% of its allocated budget.
A significant portion of these disbursements was labelled as “Forex Transit Funds,” used for covering foreign expenses such as fuel and maintenance costs when aircraft from the fleet are stationed abroad.
A government official explained that payments made in foreign currency are essential for ensuring uninterrupted operations for the fleet when outside Nigeria.
“When aircraft on the fleet are abroad, payments are often made in U.S. dollars or another foreign currency to ensure uninterrupted operations,” the government official explained.
Records show that in July 2023, ₦1.52 billion was allocated in two separate payments of ₦846 million and ₦675 million for the fleet’s foreign currency needs.
In August, this increased to ₦3.1 billion across three payments. Additional disbursements continued into the following months, with notable payments such as ₦5.6 billion spread over six transactions in August 2024.
During President Bola Tinubu‘s overseas tour in April, which included visits to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, the fleet’s transit account received ₦5.08 billion.
Although Tinubu initially traveled in a government-owned Gulfstream Aerospace G550 jet, a technical issue prevented its use for the Saudi Arabia leg, prompting the charter of a private aircraft instead.
Meanwhile, the president’s Boeing 737 business jet was undergoing maintenance.
In August, a new Airbus A330, valued at $100 million, was added to the fleet, purchased via service-wide votes to replace the aging Boeing 737.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the Airbus A330, equipped with advanced avionics and a customized interior, would ultimately save on maintenance and fuel expenses.
The Presidential Air Fleet currently consists of about 11 aircraft, one of Africa’s largest fleets, including older models such as a 19-year-old B737-700 and a 13-year-old Gulfstream G550.
The B737, acquired during former President Olusegun Obasanjo‘s administration, had become costly to maintain over the years.
Onanuga defended the acquisition of the Airbus A330, emphasizing that it was a matter of national interest rather than personal luxury.
“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane; it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property…the President did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet – it has been used by somebody else before he got it, but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used.
“The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago. There was a time when the President went to Saudi Arabia, and the plane developed some problems. The President had to leave the Netherlands with a chartered jet.
“Nigerians should try to prioritise the safety of the President. I’m not sure anybody wishes our president to go and crash in the air. We want his safety so that he can hand it over to whoever wants to take over from him,” Onanuga said.
He further pointed out that recent breakdowns underscored the importance of the President’s safety, urging Nigerians to understand the necessity of replacing aging, unreliable aircraft.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, also backed the decision, highlighting that excessive maintenance costs associated with the older Boeing 737 made the new acquisition essential.
In addition to the fixed-wing planes, the Presidential Air Fleet includes a Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605, as well as rotor-wing aircraft operated by the Nigerian Air Force under the supervision of the National Security Adviser.
Currently, three of the seven fixed-wing planes are reportedly out of service.