Nigeria's Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has led a delegation of indigenous airline operators and senior aviation officials on a working visit to Bombardier's Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre — known as the LBCC — in Montréal, Canada, completing a four-manufacturer outreach programme that has engaged Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, and now Bombardier in quick succession.
The visit marks the final leg of what the Federal Government has described as a comprehensive OEM engagement programme — a structured diplomatic and commercial effort to connect Nigerian carriers directly with the world's major aircraft manufacturers, financiers, lessors, and maintenance service providers.
The delegation accompanying Keyamo included NCAA Director-General Capt. Chris Najomo, FAAN Managing Director Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, Nigeria's Representative on the ICAO Council, Engr. Mahmoud Sani Ben-Tukur, and other senior government officials and industry stakeholders.
What the Visit Covered
During their time at the LBCC, the Nigerian delegation toured Bombardier's manufacturing and completion facilities and received structured briefings on maintenance support systems, pilot and engineering training programmes, digital technologies, aftermarket services, and aircraft acquisition solutions.
The delegation engaged Bombardier specifically on the possibility of establishing a major aircraft service and maintenance centre in Nigeria — a development that would represent a milestone in the country's ambition to retain domestically the hundreds of millions of dollars currently spent annually on overseas aircraft maintenance. Bombardier's CRJ regional jets are operated by Ibom Air, ValueJet, United Nigeria Airlines, Arik Air, and Cally Air, making the company a significant presence in the Nigerian commercial aviation market.
Keyamo's Message
"Our objective has always been clear — to connect Nigerian operators directly with the world's leading aircraft manufacturers and create opportunities that will strengthen indigenous capacity, modernise our fleets, improve safety, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our aviation industry," Keyamo said at the engagement.
The completion of the four-OEM programme signals that the Federal Government's aviation reform agenda is now entering an implementation phase. The ministry said the engagements align with plans to develop the proposed Nigeria Aircraft Leasing Company, which is expected to reduce the financial barriers that have historically constrained fleet renewal by Nigerian carriers. If the Bombardier MRO hub progresses, it would serve both commercial CRJ operators and the executive aviation sector simultaneously — reducing maintenance costs and aircraft downtime for all operators.
