Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has led a delegation of major private jet operators to Canada for discussions with Bombardier Inc. on the possibility of establishing a major aircraft service and maintenance centre in Nigeria.
The delegation met with officials of Bombardier, a leading Canadian aerospace company renowned for the design, manufacture and servicing of luxury business jets, including its Global and Challenger aircraft families, as well as defence aviation solutions.
According to Keyamo, the talks focused on creating a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Nigeria that would provide technical support not only for aircraft operating in the country but also for operators across the African continent.
“Nigeria officially has the highest number of private jets in Africa, with nearly 240 currently operating within the country, and so much foreign currency is repatriated weekly from the country for the maintenance of these aircraft,” the minister said.
Industry stakeholders have long advocated for the establishment of world-class maintenance facilities in Nigeria, arguing that the absence of such infrastructure has forced operators to ferry aircraft overseas for routine maintenance and major checks, resulting in significant capital flight.
A Bombardier service centre in Nigeria is expected to significantly reduce maintenance costs and aircraft downtime for operators while positioning the country as a regional hub for business aviation services.
The proposed facility could also boost Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem through job creation, technology transfer and the development of local technical expertise in aircraft engineering and maintenance.
Nigeria has one of the largest business aviation markets on the continent, driven by demand from corporate organisations, high-net-worth individuals and charter operators. However, despite the size of the market, the country still relies heavily on foreign maintenance facilities in Europe, the Middle East and North America for the servicing of most business jets.
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The engagement with Bombardier forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to attract investment into the aviation sector and develop critical infrastructure that can support the growth of both commercial and business aviation in Nigeria.
Should the discussions culminate in an agreement, the proposed service centre would mark a significant milestone in Nigeria’s ambition to become a leading aviation hub in Africa and could help retain millions of dollars currently spent annually on overseas aircraft maintenance.
