The Tinubu-led Federal Government has indicated plans to purchase a new presidential jet.
This initiative is set to be
included in the 2024 supplementary budget, sources close to TheCable have
revealed.
This decision follows a series
of mishaps involving the current presidential fleet, highlighting the need for
newer, more reliable aircraft.
In a notable incident in April,
President Bola Tinubu was forced to switch to a commercial aircraft for his
journey to the World Economic Forum in Riyadh after the presidential jet he
used to travel to The Netherlands encountered technical difficulties.
Around the same period,
Vice-President Kashim Shettima experienced similar troubles, having to return
mid-air to Nigeria from a trip to the US due to an engine fault in his
chartered aircraft.
In response to these recurring
issues, the federal government has initiated the sale of three ageing aircraft
from the presidential air fleet, managed by the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF)
division of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
The current fleet includes a
range of aircraft models, such as the Boeing 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ),
Gulfstream G550, and Falcon 7x, among others.
Despite recommendations from
two national assembly committees advocating the purchase of two new aircraft
for the President and Vice-President, it has been decided that only one new jet
will be included in the upcoming supplementary budget.
This budget, as stated by Atiku
Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, in early June, will be
financed through the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) housed
in the National Sovereign Wealth Investment Authority (NSWIA).
Apart from the presidential
jet, the supplementary budget will also allocate funds for critical
infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar coastal road and various rail
projects across the country, aiming to bolster Nigeria’s transport network and
stimulate economic growth.
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