Nigerian President Auctions off Presidential Aircrafts to Cut Costs

Two aircrafts belonging to the presidential air fleet are being sold as part of a campaign promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari to cut costs. The two jets, a Falcon 7x and Hawker 4000, are both said to be in a good and serviceable condition. According to ThisDay, the sale of the aircraft’s was advertised in its newspaper yesterday by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). The ad called for bids in an auction open to all interested buyers from the general public.

Shehu Sani, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, confirmed the newspaper advertisement while speaking with the press. She said that the sale was a directive from the president and is a fulfilment of a promise he made during his 2015 presidential campaign. While on the campaign trail, the president promised to cut wastage and streamline government spending on public officers, in line with international best practices.

According to ThisDay, the presidential airfleet holds between 11-16 aircrafts (the exact size is treated as classified information). Previous administrations have been criticized for needlessly keeping such a large fleet, considering Nigeria’s status as a developing country.

The ad, which spelled out the technical specifications of the two aircrafts, revealed that the Falcon 7x was purchased in 2011 and can comfortably seat 19 people, including three crew members. The slightly smaller Hawker 4000 aircraft was purchased in 2012 and can carry 12 people, including three crew members.

The Falcon 7x is available for inspection by interested buyers at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, while the Hawker 4000 can be inspected at the Cessna Zurich Citation Service Center in Zurich, Switzerland. The ad stipulates that all interested buyers have four weeks from the day of the publication to submit their bids.

President Buhari’s move to auction off the jets comes as his government is grappling with the worst economic crisis that Nigerians have experienced in decades. Nigeria earns the bulk of its foreign exchange from the export of crude oil, and a persistent slump in crude oil prices (with prices hovering below $50 per barrel) have seen the Naira, the country’s official currency, fall nearly one hundred percent against the U.S. dollar.