Fresh disclosures from GovSpend, a platform that tracks public spending, show that no less than N4.24bn was released for the Presidential Air Fleet between June and December 2025.
The payments were made through the Presidential Air Fleet’s naira transit account managed under the State House. Records indicate that the funds were disbursed in eight separate tranches during June, July and December, with July accounting for the largest share of the releases.
Details from the platform showed that N1.285bn was paid on June 12. In July, additional transfers followed, including N430m on July 24, N1.28bn on July 25, N92m on July 29 and N626m on July 31.
Further releases were made in December, including N9m on December 18 for what was described as “forex transit funds” linked to the Presidential Air Fleet. Other transfers included N343.9m on December 30 and N90.9m on December 31.
Several entries on the spending portal carried no clear explanation and were labelled simply as “None,” similar to previous transactions associated with the fleet account.
Most of the payments categorised as forex transit funds are believed to cover international operational costs such as overseas aircraft maintenance, purchase of aviation fuel, foreign technical services and other expenses requiring foreign currency payments.
The recent disbursements add to the growing cost of maintaining the Presidential Air Fleet since President Bola Tinubu assumed office. Available records show that more than N26bn was spent on fleet operations between July 2023 and December 2024, while spending in 2024 alone exceeded N14bn.
Although the fleet’s allocation dropped from N17.32bn in 2025 to N14.70bn in 2026, maintenance costs have remained substantial. Engine servicing and overhaul projects reportedly consumed billions of naira over the last three years, with total spending crossing N19bn.
Aviation experts blamed the sharp increase in operational expenses on the weakening value of the naira, rising insurance costs and the ageing condition of some aircraft in the presidential fleet.
According to aviation analyst Olumide Ohunayo, most aviation-related services are dollar-denominated, meaning every decline in the naira increases maintenance and operational costs. He added that older aircraft naturally require more repairs and technical attention, further driving up expenses.
Security concerns across the country have also contributed to rising insurance premiums for government aircraft.
In April 2024, President Tinubu reportedly had to switch to a chartered private jet after the presidential Gulfstream aircraft assigned to him developed a technical problem during an international trip.
Following the incident, lawmakers recommended the purchase of newer aircraft for presidential operations. By August 2024, the government replaced the presidential Boeing Business Jet with an Airbus ACJ330-200 said to have cost about $100m.
According to presidential officials, the newer aircraft was acquired to reduce long-term maintenance and fuel expenses.
The Presidential Air Fleet currently operates a mix of jets and helicopters, although reports suggest that some aircraft in the fleet are presently out of service.
