Questions are being raised over Nigeria’s spending priorities after reports that the Presidential Air Fleet has added five aircraft in less than four years, even as the Nigerian Air Force reportedly received no new aircraft throughout 2025.
The reported additions to the Presidential Air Fleet include 5N-FGY, a brand-new Bombardier Global 7000; T7-FGQ, a three-year-old Pilatus PC-24; 5N-FGA, an Airbus A330; M-FGNG, a Gulfstream G500; and M-NGSA, another Gulfstream G500.
Of the five aircraft, three reportedly carry Nigerian 5N registrations and are said to have been purchased outright by the Federal Government. The other two are reportedly leased to the government by a private company, although the terms and costs of the leases have not been publicly disclosed.
The development has triggered criticism, particularly against the backdrop of Nigeria’s economic challenges and the operational demands facing the country’s military.
Critics argue that expanding the Presidential Air Fleet while the Nigerian Air Force went through 2025 without taking delivery of a single aircraft raises serious questions about government priorities.
According to the claims, the 2025 aircraft-delivery drought was the first of its kind for the Nigerian Air Force since 2015—meaning the country experienced a similar gap about 11 years earlier.
For a nation battling insecurity on multiple fronts, the absence of new aircraft for the Air Force has become a particularly contentious issue.
The controversy is therefore not simply about the number of aircraft in the Presidential Air Fleet. It is increasingly about how public resources are being prioritised, especially when military aviation remains critical to Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, banditry and other security threats.
As debate intensifies, Nigerians are demanding greater transparency over the reported purchases and leases, including the procurement process, funding sources and the costs attached to the privately leased aircraft.
For critics, the central question is straightforward: why is the Presidential Air Fleet expanding while the Nigerian Air Force is reportedly going without new aircraft?
Source:@_dinomelaye
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