Nigeria Puts Presidential Boeing 737-700 BBJ Up for Sale as Tinubu Upgrades to Airbus A330-200

The Federal Government of Nigeria has put its 19-year-old Boeing 737-700 Business Jet (BBJ) up for sale, listing it through AMAC Aerospace in Basel, Switzerland. The aircraft, originally acquired in 2005 for $43 million under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is now being offloaded amid efforts to streamline the presidential air fleet.

The listing, published on U.S.-based aviation marketplace Controller.com, marks a significant step in the Tinubu administration’s push for cost efficiency and modernization of the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF). The move comes less than a year after President Bola Tinubu transitioned to a refurbished Airbus A330-200 in August 2024, replacing the aging Boeing jet following concerns over rising maintenance costs and public scrutiny.

Nigeria’s presidential fleet, managed by the Nigerian Air Force under the Office of the National Security Adviser, currently includes around 10 aircraft—seven fixed-wing and four rotor-wing. The fixed-wing segment features aircraft such as a 13-year-old Gulfstream G550, Gulfstream G500, two Dassault Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605. Reports indicate that at least three of these jets are presently unserviceable.

The helicopter fleet comprises two AgustaWestland AW139s and two AW101s, also operated by the Nigerian Air Force.

Efforts to downsize and optimize the PAF were pledged under both the Buhari and Tinubu administrations, driven by concerns over operational costs and the need for fiscal discipline.

The BBJ-737, bearing tail number 5N-FGT, served as the president’s primary aircraft until August 2024. It was replaced by the refurbished Airbus A330-200 (5N-FGA), reportedly acquired for around $100 million from a repossessed German bank asset. The wide-body jet underwent maintenance and reconfiguration in France before being sent to South Africa in early 2025 to receive its official Nigerian livery and additional refurbishment.

In the interim, President Tinubu has been flying aboard a San Marino-registered Boeing BBJ (registration: T7-NAS) since February 2025.

Despite undergoing partial upgrades in July 2024—including new carpeting, first-class seating enhancements, and scheduled C1-C2 inspections—the BBJ-737 was ultimately deemed too expensive to maintain. A mechanical fault during an official trip to Saudi Arabia in April 2024 further raised concerns over the jet’s reliability.