WorldStage– Nigeria has taken a major step toward transforming its aviation sector as President Bola Tinubu announced a strategic partnership with Boeing and the United Kingdom’s Cranfield University to establish state-of-the-art Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in the country.
The announcement was made during the opening ceremony of Nigeria’s first-ever International Airshow in Abuja, where the President was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
The tripartite agreement, officials said, will significantly reduce the more than $200 million Nigeria spends annually on overseas aircraft maintenance.
The initiative aims to build local technical capacity, create skilled jobs, and position the country as the primary aviation service hub for West and Central Africa.
According to the Federal Government, the new MRO centres will be driven by local operators Aero Contractors and XEJet, with facilities planned for Lagos and Abuja. The hubs are expected to increase aircraft availability for Nigerian airlines, support dry-lease options, and strengthen competition with international carriers as the country pushes for improved safety and operational efficiency.
Tinubu tied the initiative to the aviation sector’s rapid expansion, noting that passenger traffic grew from 15.89 million in 2023 and is projected to reach 25.7 million by 2029, with industry revenues forecast to hit $2.58 billion.
The announcement also aligns with ongoing infrastructure upgrades, including the ₦712 billion ($450 million) rehabilitation of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and modernization projects across five other major airports.
The development sparked enthusiastic reactions online, where users described the deal as a “game changer” for skills development, foreign exchange savings, and economic growth.
Some online users celebrated the move as long-overdue progress toward reducing Nigeria’s dependence on maintenance facilities in South Africa, Ethiopia, and Europe.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo also received widespread praise for steering reforms seen as restoring credibility to the industry.
This week’s announcement builds on momentum generated earlier in 2025, including Air Peace’s groundbreaking ceremony for what is slated to become Africa’s largest MRO facility.
That project alone is projected to create more than 50,000 jobs and offer full-service maintenance for Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer fleets, another significant shift toward aviation self-sufficiency for Nigeria.
With the Boeing-Cranfield partnership now formalized, industry experts say Nigeria is on track to become one of the continent’s most competitive aviation hubs, with ripple effects expected across tourism, security, logistics, and national economic diversification efforts.
