The Federal Government’s expenditure on the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF), which is managed by the State House, amounted to a total of within a ten-month period in 2024. A review of transaction data sourced from Govspend, a transparency platform that monitors public financial disbursements, revealed this significant sum. The reported spending occurred between March 7 and December 24, 2024, raising further public scrutiny regarding the cost of governance.
Analysis of the data indicates that the billion expenditure was the cumulative result of 23 distinct transactions carried out over the ten-month period. All of these payments were recorded with the beneficiary listed as the “Presidential air fleet naira transit account.” While a number of the transaction descriptions specified “presidential air fleet forex transit funds,” others were simply recorded with the description “none.” The PAF comprises both air and ground vehicles dedicated to facilitating the movement of the President, the Vice President, and other high-ranking government officials.
The operational command of the Presidential Air Fleet, which consists of approximately ten aircraft in 2024, including fixed-wing jets and helicopters specifically configured for VIP transport, rests with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). The fleet’s headquarters are situated at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
A report from June 2024 previously highlighted the substantial costs incurred, noting that the Federal Government had disbursed billion between July 16, 2023, and May 2024 purely for the repair and maintenance of the Presidential Air Fleet. These recurring expenses come at a time when there are ongoing discussions concerning the need to prune the cost of executive governance.
The aforementioned report also noted that the National Assembly was reportedly considering the approval for the purchase of two new aircraft to augment the fleet. This move was said to be in response to the fact that the President’s 19-year-old Boeing 737 and several other aircraft in the existing fleet were experiencing various degrees of dysfunctionality, necessitating significant repair and maintenance spending.
