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The plane of the president of Nigeria may be confiscated by foreign creditors


Nigeria's President leaves the country's Boeing Business Jet

How do you repo an aircraft from a sovereign entity to a military?
image: Audu Ali Marte / AFP (beautiful pictures)

NigeriaThe President’s fleet is at risk of being taken over by foreign creditors. Punch WORD is reporting that the operating air transport unit is currently in arrears to service providers for aircraft performance upgrades. The legislators have also yet to allocate a high enough budget for the unit to receive scheduled updates to maintain its ability to fly. As a result, the service was postponed to prevent the aircraft from being impounded. tthe situation has raised questions about whether foreign entities can seize government-owned aircraft, or whether they are immune as diplomatic property.

The Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) serves the same purpose as government aircraft of other countries. This unit is intended to provide safe transportation for the President, Vice President and other officials in the Nigerian government. There are currently ten aircraft in the fleet: four AgustaWestland helicopters, two The ocean currents around the bay business jets, two Dassault Falcon 7X business jets and a Boeing business jet (737-800).

The Presidential Fleet requested $10.1 million for maintenance in 2023, but it received only $3.3 million from the Nigerian Parliament. Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdullahi, Commander of the PAF, explained during a defense budget committee hearing that several factors determine the amount he is asking for. The average age of aircraft in the fleet is 11 years, slightly younger due to the two new helicopters delivered last year. He reasoned that older planes make maintenance more expensive. Abdullahi noted that his unit is expected to carry out more missions than usual in 2023 as it is an election year in Nigeria.

Abdullahi also noted:

“The consequences of underfunding the fleet can have an adverse impact on safe operations. It can also lead to our nation losing face in the international community through the seizure of PAF aircraft at foreign airports or maintenance facilities. Furthermore, other countries may refuse the PAF’s over-the-counter flight permits for foreign missions.

Punch WORD mentioned that Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria, had promised to reduce the size of the Presidential Air Fleet. During Buhari’s eight years as president, the PAF’s budget grew 121 percent. With the Nigerian presidency limited to two four-year terms, Buhari will not run for a third term. In addition, an easy solution to repay the debt and reduce the size of the PAF is to sell off some of the aircraft.

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