Presidential Jet: Obasanjo, Yar’adua, Buhari, Others Spend ₦214 Billion Flying Around The World

A new controversy has erupted over the Federal Government’s plans to purchase two additional aircraft for the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF), as recent findings reveal that a staggering ₦214 billion has been spent on maintaining and expanding the fleet since the onset of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

According to a detailed review by Sunday Vanguard, the expenditure spans across the tenures of five presidents, starting from ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo to the current President, Bola Tinubu.

The figures have sparked intense debate among the public and critics who question the government’s fiscal priorities amid pressing national needs.

Critics argue that the enormous sum could have been better allocated towards critical sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure, especially given the country’s ongoing economic challenges.

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence recently green-lighted the acquisition of two new jets, citing the ageing state of the current 19-year-old Boeing 737 and other aircraft within the fleet.

The estimated cost of each new plane is over $623.4 million, approximately ₦918.7 billion, an amount that has further fueled the debate on governmental spending.

The PAF, managed by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), comprises 10 aircraft, including models such as the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) 737 and Gulfstream G550, among others.

These aircraft are used to transport the President, Vice President, and other top officials, symbolizing national prestige.

However, this symbol comes with high maintenance and operational costs, exacerbated by periodic upgrades and the addition of new aircraft with each administration.

While the government views the PAF as a necessary tool for national security and international diplomacy, many Nigerians see it as an extravagant expense amidst the country’s financial woes.

According to Vanguard, in terms of budget allocations, there has been a fluctuation over the years.

For example, the Federal Government under Tinubu earmarked ₦20.5 billion in the 2024 budget for the PAF, while ₦12.7 billion and ₦13 billion were budgeted for PAF in the 2023 supplementary budget and the 2023 budget, respectively.

Out of the budgeted sum, findings also reveal that the administration has disbursed a total sum of ₦14.77bn for the repair and maintenance of the presidential aircraft in 11 months.

The payments, it was revealed, were made in 11 tranches between 16th July 2023 and 25th May 2024, and processed through the State House headquarters transit account labelled ‘Presidential Air Fleet Transit Funds’.

Furthermore, the Muhammadu Buhari administration spent ₦69.06 billion on fleet operation and maintenance for over eight years.

For instance, during Buhari’s first four years in office, a total of ₦20.42 billion was allocated for the presidential fleet.

Surprisingly, this allocation doubled in his second term, reaching ₦41 billion. In 2016, ₦3.65 billion was allocated for PAF, with subsequent increases in 2017, 2018, and 2019, reaching ₦4.37 billion, ₦7.26 billion, and ₦7.30 billion, respectively.

However, a slight drop of ₦503.75 million occurred in 2020 when ₦6.79 billion was budgeted due to the global lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted flight operations.

In the two years following the pandemic, the allocation surged, rising to ₦12.55 billion and ₦12.48 billion for the 2021 and 2022 fiscal budgets, respectively.

Similarly, Goodluck Jonathan’s administration spent ₦42.18 billion on PAF in four years from 2011 to 2015.

In 2011 and 2012, the fleet was allocated ₦17.98 billion and ₦3.54 billion, while it was ₦7.5 billion, ₦7.97 billion and ₦5.19 billion in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.

A look at the budgetary allocations for the presidential fleet from 2011 to 2024 amounted to ₦144.44bn.

Records for allocations to PAF under the Obasanjo and Yar’Adua (1999 to 2000) were not immediately available but sources told the platform they averaged ₦7 billion per year, meaning that total allocations for the 10 years could be in the region of ₦70 billion.

What this means is that estimated allocations to PAF since 1999 are in the region of ₦214 billion.

A breakdown of budgetary allocations from 2011 to 2024 is as follows:

2011 – ₦17.98bn

2012 – ₦3.54bn

2013 – ₦7.5bn

2014 – ₦7.97bn

2015 – ₦5.19bn

2016 – ₦3.6bn

2017 – ₦4.37bn

2018 – ₦7.26bn

2019 – ₦7.297bn

2020 – ₦8.51bn