The Labour Party and the People’s Democratic Party have criticised the N55 billion set aside for the presidential fleet’s maintenance in the 2025 budget.
The 2025 Appropriations Bill, which has been filed for approval by the National Assembly, includes this.
If the lawmakers approve it, more than N55.5 billion will be used for the complete overhaul of three presidential aircraft engines, as well as for air navigation, cleaning, fuelling, fumigation, and other fleet maintenance.
In 2025, the total budget for the aviation ministry is N105,953,496,365.
The budget revealed that N7,975,364,319 goes to the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria; N9,819,554,829 goes to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency; and N71,123,368,069 belongs to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
N10,035,209,148 was given to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, while N7,000,000,000 was given to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
The Presidential Air Fleet’s operations and maintenance from July 2023 to September 2024 cost at least N19.43 billion.
The payouts were N13.55 billion in 2024, which accounted for 66% of the fleet’s fiscal year allocations, according to checks on GovSpend, a civic digital platform that monitors and evaluates the Nigerian government’s spending.
The yet-to-be-passed budget revealed that N5,514,000,000 was allocated for an engine overhaul of one of the presidential fleet’s aircraft, registered 5N-FGW, and N8,646,336,653 billion was designated for the repair of air navigational equipment.
The document also mentioned that N3,132,336.65 will be used to rebuild two additional engines.
Along with N8,646,336,653 for air navigational equipment, the government also proposed N1,550,000,000 for 2025 aircraft fuel costs and an additional N1,255,700,000 for presidential fleet aircraft upkeep.
Additionally, N149,000,000 was set aside for overhead security activities, and another N7,500,000 was set out for the presidential fleet’s cleaning and fumigation services.
A total of N311,145,300 was allocated for aeroplane insurance premiums.
However, it was acknowledged that since local insurance companies cannot insure aircraft, especially airbuses, this enormous value may be handled by foreign insurance companies like those in the United States and the United Kingdom.
At the same time, local insurance firms only sometimes act as “middlemen” between the president and their international counterparts.
Kamorudeen Ajisafe, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South-West, questioned reporters about the president’s intentions to acquire another plane.
But until the time of publication, he never followed through on his pledge to return.
Factional National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, also expressed his ire at the development, calling it a devilish and inhuman act and saying that spending so much money on the presidential fleet was an inappropriate priority.
He argued that the government’s decision to spend so much money on luxury planes is a heinous and “wholesome insult to the Nigerian masses,” given that millions of Nigerians are already struggling to make ends meet.
“There are already some aircraft in the presidential air fleet, including a recently acquired Airbus A330 that cost more than $100 million,” he stated.
“The government’s spending patterns make it quite evident that it is not committed to lowering inequality and poverty.
“What we are getting from this administration is opposite to our expectations—an administration that has fallen in love with profligacy,” said Debo Adeniran, executive chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership.
“The government needs to start prioritising the needs of its people and reevaluate its priorities.
“Nigerians should demand better from their leaders because the anticipated spending on presidential jets is a national disgrace.
“It’s astonishing that the same individuals who are criticising the government’s extravagant spending would probably support the same candidates in the upcoming election. It is necessary to break this vicious loop.”
