FG allocates N19.27bn for presidential fleet engine overhauls, N10.61bn for VP’s aircraft

The Federal Government has earmarked a total of N19.27bn for engine overhauls across the Presidential Air Fleet between 2024 and 2026, with more than half of the amount—N10.61bn—allocated to the Gulfstream G550 aircraft assigned to Vice President Kashim Shettima.

An analysis of appropriation bills for the three years shows that the vice president’s aircraft, registered as 5N-FGW, accounted for about 55 per cent of all engine overhaul spending under the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Budget document revealed that funding for the overhaul of the aircraft’s engines rose sharply from N1.24bn in 2024 to N5.51bn in 2025, representing a 345 per cent increase, before dropping to N3.86bn in 2026.

The project was initially listed as “NEW” in 2024 but reclassified as “ONGOING” in subsequent years.

The 13-year-old Gulfstream G550, which uses the call sign “Nigerian Air Force 2” when conveying the vice president, has suffered repeated technical issues that have disrupted Shettima’s foreign engagements. In May 2024, he aborted a trip to the United States after the aircraft developed a fault mid-flight.

Earlier, President Tinubu had been forced to charter a private jet to Saudi Arabia after the same aircraft developed an oxygen leak in the Netherlands. In October 2024, Shettima again cancelled an international trip after a foreign object struck the aircraft during a stopover in New York.

Presidency sources said the frequent technical failures likely necessitated urgent and extensive maintenance, leading to the rising budgetary provisions.

Beyond the vice president’s aircraft, two Falcon 7X jets—registered 5N-FGV and 5N-FGU—received a combined N6.98bn for engine overhauls over the three years, while another Gulfstream jet, 5N-FGS, was allocated N1.68bn in 2024 alone.

Overall, engine overhaul spending across the fleet stood at N4.58bn in 2024, peaked at N8.65bn in 2025, and fell to N6.05bn in 2026.

The spike in 2025 came a year after the Presidency took delivery of a new Airbus A330 reportedly worth about N150bn, which presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said would reduce long-term maintenance and fuel costs. Although engine overhaul costs declined by 30 per cent in 2026, routine aircraft maintenance spending rose by 10 per cent to N4.54bn.

Aviation experts attributed the high costs to the age of the fleet. According to the General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, older aircraft require more frequent and costly maintenance.

An aircraft maintenance engineer noted that a full engine overhaul for a jet like the G550 can cost between $1.5m and $3m per engine, especially if major components are being replaced.

The Presidential Air Fleet, operated by the Nigerian Air Force and based at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, currently consists of 10 aircraft, including six fixed-wing jets and four helicopters.

Critics have continued to question the size and cost of the fleet amid Nigeria’s economic challenges. Debo Adeniran, Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, described the spending as excessive, arguing that it contradicts public expectations of fiscal restraint.

In 2024, the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence recommended acquiring new aircraft for both the president and vice president due to safety and cost concerns.

While the president has since received a new Airbus A330, no replacement has been announced for the vice president’s aircraft.

As of the time of reporting, the Presidency had not provided details on the specific engine works carried out.

Budget documents also show continued investment in fleet infrastructure, including allocations for the construction of a Presidential Air Fleet hangar, even as the fleet’s overall budget declined from N17.32bn in 2025 to N14.70bn in 2026.