President Bola Tinubu has departed from Abuja, the capital city of the nation, en route to Paris, France.
He utilized the newly acquired Airbus A330, which has supplanted the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700, BBJ, originally procured during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disseminated this information via his X account on Monday.
It is posited that the newly acquired aircraft was purchased at a significantly reduced price relative to market value, which, according to presidential sources, results in substantial savings for the nation in terms of maintenance and fuel expenditures, accumulating to millions of dollars annually.
The recommendation to substitute the B737-700 stemmed from an investigative hearing conducted by Nigeria’s parliament that scrutinized the aircraft’s safety record and cost-effectiveness, particularly in light of its malfunction during a journey to Saudi Arabia.
The Security and Intelligence Committee of the Nigerian Senate advocated for the replacement of the aging aircraft within the presidential fleet to minimize operational downtime and associated costs.
In the meantime, the presidency announced on Sunday that President Tinubu would embark on his journey to France on Monday.
The succinct statement attributed to Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, did not provide specific details regarding the purpose of the trip.
According to the statement: “President Bola Tinubu will embark on a trip to France on Monday, August 19, departing from Abuja, the nation’s capital.
“The President will return to the country after his brief work stay in France.”
