The Federal Government has concluded its strategic engagement with the world’s leading aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) following a high-level working visit to Bombardier’s Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre (LBCC) in Montréal, Canada.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, led the Nigerian delegation, which included the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo; the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku; Nigeria’s Representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Engr. Mahmoud Sani Ben-Tukur; alongside other senior government officials and aviation stakeholders.
The visit marked the completion of the Federal Government’s engagement with the world’s four leading aircraft manufacturers – Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier; a commitment made by the Minister upon assuming office in 2023 to establish direct partnerships between Nigerian airlines and global aircraft manufacturers.
The initiative is designed to support fleet renewal, improve access to aircraft financing, deepen technical cooperation, strengthen maintenance capabilities, and enhance the competitiveness of indigenous airlines.
Speaking during the visit, Keyamo reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for Nigerian carriers.
“Our objective has always been clear; to connect Nigerian operators directly with the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers and create opportunities that will strengthen indigenous capacity, modernise our fleets, improve safety, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our aviation industry”, the Minister said.
Bombardier, a global leader in business aviation, manufactures the Challenger and Global series of executive aircraft and offers aircraft completion, maintenance, training, and aftermarket support. The engagement aligns with the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s business and non-scheduled aviation sector.
During the visit, the Nigerian delegation toured Bombardier’s manufacturing and aircraft completion facilities and received briefings on maintenance support systems, pilot and technical training programmes, digital technologies, aftermarket services, and innovative aircraft acquisition solutions.
The discussions are expected to open new opportunities for collaboration in fleet modernisation, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), engineering support, aviation training, technical capacity development, and aerospace technology transfer.
The visit also advances the Federal Government’s fleet modernisation agenda by encouraging the acquisition of newer, safer, and more fuel-efficient aircraft while strengthening partnerships between aircraft manufacturers, financiers, lessors, and Nigerian operators.
With the successful completion of strategic engagements with Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and Bombardier, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has further demonstrated its commitment to repositioning Nigeria as Africa’s preferred aviation hub through global partnerships, private-sector collaboration, and sustainable aviation reforms.