President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s latest two-day state go to to Brazil has begun to yield tangible outcomes, with Air Peace and Brazilian plane producer Embraer signing an settlement to determine a world-class Upkeep, Restore and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Lagos.
LEADERSHIP experiences that the signing of the MRO settlement is seen as a breakthrough for Nigeria’s aviation trade, which has lengthy relied on international amenities for heavy plane upkeep, typically at excessive prices and with vital operational delays.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, who was a part of the Presidential contingent that travelled to Brazil in a significant diplomatic interface, on the Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport, Lagos, after returning to Nigeria.
Onyema returned on Wednesday within the firm of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Growth, Festus Keyamo, the minister of Data and Orientation, Muhammed Idris, chairman/CEO of Nigerians within the Diaspora Fee, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, amongst others.
Chatting with Journalists, Onyema stated the upkeep centre for the Embraer jets wouldn’t serve solely Nigeria but additionally different African nations.
Based on Onyema, the foundation-laying ceremony for the upkeep hangar can be on September seventeenth, 2025, in Lagos.
“We’re growing our partnership with Embraer, and by September 17, we are going to lay down the muse for the upkeep hangar with Embraer. We’ll construct a basis on September 17 right here in Lagos, and inside 12 or 15 months, that upkeep hangar can be able to go. Embraer offers upkeep assist to the upkeep centre. So we have now a whole lot of enormous alternatives for this nation.”
“We’re not going to do upkeep checks exterior the nation. We do it right here, and different nations will come to Nigeria to do it. I’ve to thank the federal government, actually, as they made it straightforward for us to get a few of these issues going by eradicating these obstacles that inhibit enterprise progress.”
Onyema additionally acknowledged that the President’s go to to the South American nation would open new vistas of alternatives for Nigeria.
Based on Onyema, Nigeria can now connect with Brazil inside 7 hours as a substitute of over 2 days of connecting to the nation.
“The go to goes to open up each nations. It was a superb factor that the President needed to do a few of these issues to open up the nation and likewise appeal to funding. They signed a whole lot of MOUs there. They will change issues. One factor that actually impressed me is the truth that they’re searching for the form of partnership that can respect our sovereignty.
“The form of partnership that can be symbiotic in implementation, not the one which can be parasitic or bullish. That’s the form of partnership the President has been searching for, and to be sincere with you, I noticed it firsthand, the love the Brazilian President confirmed.
“The Brazilians are so wanting to work with Nigeria. And, you realize, they’re over and above us in so many issues, know-how and so forth, and they’re able to let these issues bear. The connectivity now turns into an issue. A lot of the Nigerian ministers who travelled on Saturday, I obtained there earlier than them as a result of they have been going world wide, they usually spent two days earlier than they obtained to Brazil, however I simply spent seven hours.
“It was an indication of what to anticipate once we begin operations in direction of the tip of this 12 months,” Onyema acknowledged.
Onyema acknowledged additional that the airline would service the entire of South America and the Caribbean nations.
“The Brazilian story is just like the Nigerian story, too. We have now rather a lot in frequent; the potential is there. We’re not simply going to service Brazil alone, however we’re going to service all the South American continent. On September 1st, I’m going to have a gathering with the Vice President of Colombia. They despatched for me additionally as a result of all of them need it. They usually imagine that Air Peace would do it due to what we’re doing within the Caribbean, too,” he acknowledged.
