A recent report has revealed that Nigeria's Federal Government spent approximately N19.43 billion on maintaining and operating the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) from July 2023 to September 2024.
According to findings from GovSpend—a civic tech platform that tracks government expenditures—shows that the bulk of this spending, about N13.55 billion, occurred in 2024 alone, covering 66% of the annual budget allocation for the PAF.
The report indicates that many disbursements were labeled "Forex Transit Funds," which typically cover foreign exchange needs for international transactions and engagements. These funds were crucial for covering operational expenses, including fuel purchases and maintenance, in foreign currencies while the fleet’s aircraft were outside Nigeria. A government official confirmed that such payments, often made in U.S. dollars, help keep the fleet operational abroad.
Disbursement details reveal that in July 2023, two transfers totaling N1.52 billion were made for "forex transit funds," followed by a significant N3.1 billion released in August in three tranches. By November, another N1.26 billion was added to the fleet’s naira transit account.
In 2024, disbursements began in March with N2.54 billion in funds allocated to the PAF. April saw N6.35 billion, followed by N4.97 billion in May, N210 million in July, and the highest frequency of payments in August, with six separate transactions totaling N5.6 billion. By September, an additional N35 million was transferred to the fleet’s account.
In April 2024, amid President Tinubu's two-nation tour to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, the fleet’s account received another N5.08 billion. However, while the President traveled to the Netherlands aboard a Gulfstream Aerospace G550, he reportedly needed to charter a private plane to Saudi Arabia due to technical issues with the fleet's Boeing 737 business jet, which was then undergoing maintenance. The Boeing 737 was later replaced by an Airbus A330 purchased for $100 million from service-wide votes in August 2024. This nearly 15-year-old ACJ330-200, as per Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga, “will save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”
The A330 joins one of Africa’s largest presidential air fleets, which currently includes 11 aircraft of various makes and models. Until August, the fleet comprised a 19-year-old Boeing 737-700 and a 13-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace G550. The Boeing BBJ, acquired during Olusegun Obasanjo's presidency for $43 million, had become costly to maintain due to its age. Onanuga defended the purchase of the A330, describing it as a pragmatic investment for national interest, adding, “It’s not President Tinubu’s plane; it belongs to the people of Nigeria.”
The PAF also includes a Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605, though three of the seven fixed-wing aircraft are reportedly unserviceable. Additionally, the rotor-wing fleet consists of four helicopters, all operated by the Nigerian Air Force under the oversight of the National Security Adviser.
Attempts to downsize the fleet date back to former President Buhari's tenure, with three jets listed for sale in 2023. However, previous efforts to sell a Dassault Falcon 7X and a Hawker 4000 in 2016 were unsuccessful after a buyer’s offer dropped from $24 million to $11 million.
Budget allocations for the PAF have shown a rising trend since 2017, with expenditures climbing from N4.37 billion to N20.52 billion in 2024, marking a 370% increase. Notably, the budget for the fleet spiked by 66% to N7.26 billion in 2018, reflecting increased capital allocations. Although the budget decreased to N6.79 billion in 2020 amid global economic challenges, it surged in 2021 by 85% to a record N12.55 billion.
In 2022, maintenance costs per aircraft ranged from $1.5 million to $4.5 million annually, leading to budgetary allocations of N12.48 billion, N13.07 billion, and N20.52 billion for the fleet in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively.
During a stopover at New York's JFK Airport in September 2024, Vice President Kashim Shettima's Gulfstream aircraft sustained damage to its cockpit windscreen. A replacement windshield for this model can range between $50,000 and $70,000. Commenting on the incident, the Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, criticized the administration’s spending, suggesting that it contradicts public expectations for fiscal restraint amid widespread poverty in Nigeria.
Aviation expert and General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, attributed the rising costs to the declining naira, aging aircraft in the fleet, and heightened security risks. “As the naira continues to fall, we see increased costs because crew training, aircraft parts, and maintenance are all in dollars. The older the aircraft, the higher the costs of operation,” Ohunayo explained. He added that terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria have raised the cost of insuring these aircraft.
Adeniran echoed concerns over the PAF’s upkeep costs, arguing that the funds could be more judiciously spent, especially considering the administration’s promise of prudence.