Tuggar Urges Airbus to Establish Maintenance Hubs in Nigeria

By Iyojo Ameh

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has called on Airbus to establish aircraft maintenance hubs in Nigeria, emphasizing the need for deeper investment in the country’s aviation and defense sectors.

During his official visit to the Airbus Operations Facility in Getafe, Madrid—the largest Airbus industrial site in Spain—Tuggar engaged in high-level discussions with top Airbus executives. Among those present were Juan Sell, Head of Public Affairs, Spain; Luis Hernanperez Fernandez, VP, Head of Sales, Africa; Candelas Segovia Rodriguez, International Government Affairs Manager; and Cristina Garvia Aliste, Representative for Corporate Analysis, Defence EU Matters, and Sales Support, Public Affairs, Spain.

A statement signed by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister, highlighted that the discussions centered on Airbus’ interest in expanding its footprint in Nigeria’s aviation and defense industries. The minister welcomed the engagement and stressed the importance of moving beyond trade by fostering local investments, job creation, and skills development for Nigerians.

Airbus executives showcased various aircraft models suited to Nigeria’s transport, humanitarian, and defense needs, with particular emphasis on the C295—a versatile aircraft designed for multiple missions.

Tuggar urged Airbus to go beyond aircraft sales and actively invest in Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure by setting up maintenance and repair hubs. He underscored Nigeria’s role as a regional security hub for peacekeeping missions in Africa and highlighted the long-term potential for Airbus to contribute to aircraft assembly and manufacturing in the country.

The visit concluded with a tour of Airbus’ maintenance facilities, providing insights into the company’s operational capacity and technological advancements.