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Nigeria has the population, the airspace, the professionals and the private-sector energy to become a major aviation and aerospace hub in Africa, but lacks the discipline to turn those advantages into profit. That was the message delivered by Air Vice Marshal A. A. Suleh, Air Officer Commanding of the Nigerian Air Force’s Logistics Command in Ikeja, at an International Conference Fellowship Conferment organised in Lagos on Wednesday by the Institute of Nigerian Aeronautical Engineers (INAE).
The conference, which had the theme: “Aeronautical Engineering and National Development: Repositioning the Nigerian Aviation Industry,” was attended by industry stakeholders who brainstormed why Africa’s largest domestic travel market still struggles to service its own aircraft.
Excerpts.
Untapped aviation potential
Nigeria has many of the essential foundations required to become a major aviation and aerospace hub in Africa. We have a large population, a substantial domestic travel market, strategically located airspace, experienced professionals, military and civilian aviation institutions, universities, and an energetic private sector. However, possessing these advantages is not enough. They must be converted into sustainable national capabilities through deliberate policies, disciplined implementation and long-term investments.
Challenges facing the aviation industry
The Nigerian aviation industry has made notable progress over the years. However, several structural challenges continue to limit its full potential. The first is heavy dependence on foreign maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities. Virtually every aircraft due for overhaul and every engine due for overhaul, is sent abroad. We must look at this issue if we are to move beyond the current situation.
Next is the inadequate availability of certified aircraft spares and specialised tools. Again, we depend on foreign vendors to supply our spare parts and tools. Next is the high foreign exchange exposure in aircraft acquisition and maintenance. All of you in the industry know that this is everything you have to pay for in cash, in foreign exchange. Next is the aging maintenance and airport infrastructure. And then there is the limited indigenous production and aggregation of components, including component maintenance.
Lastly, there are the gaps that exist between academic training and industrial requirements. So, these are the current challenges we are facing. These challenges affect aircraft availability, operating costs, safety performance, passenger confidence, and national competitiveness. We must also recognize that the aviation industry is unforgiving of poor standards.
Local content must meet global standards
An aircraft component cannot be accepted merely because it was locally manufactured. It must meet defined airworthiness requirements, be traceable to approved materials and processes, and pass the required tests to receive approved certification. So, if you are going to produce aircraft parts in Nigeria, you must ensure they meet industry-accepted standards. A part will not be accepted just because it is made in Nigeria. Therefore, our pursuit of local content must never be separated from quality assurance, safety, and regulatory compliance.
Now, let me take you through how we do things in the Nigerian Air Force logistics system. Perhaps there are a few lessons here for us. Within the Nigerian Air Force, Logistics Command is responsible for supporting the readiness and sustainability of diverse aircraft and associated systems. This responsibility covers aircraft maintenance, supply chain support, engineering services, ground support equipment, technical infrastructure, quality assurance, and the development of maintenance capabilities. The real measure of a nation’s capability is its ability to sustain an aircraft safely and economically throughout its service life. Every aircraft acquisition is therefore supported by a comprehensive lifecycle plan.
Another lesson from military aviation is the importance of self-reliance. During periods of global diplomatic restrictions, supply chain delays, or foreign exchange shortages, external technical support may not be immediately available. A nation must therefore retain a minimum sovereign capability to inspect, maintain, repair, and return critical aviation assets to service. This is a major gap in the Nigerian aviation industry. Self-reliance does not mean isolation from original equipment manufacturers.
6-point strategy to reposition the industry
In my opinion, to reposition the Nigerian aviation industry, I propose a coherent national aviation and aerospace industry strategy. One is to have a long-term national strategy. Nigeria requires a long-term aviation and aerospace industrial strategy that transcends annual budgets and changes in administration. We have to look at the industry holistically, rather than piecemeal not every four years, not every year, not with every change in office holder. We have to look at the industry with a 25- to 30-year perspective. How do we want to position it? Such a strategy should identify the capabilities Nigeria intends to develop over the next 10 to 30 years. Our efforts will remain fragmented if each organization pursues isolated projects without a common national direction. Repositioning requires coordination, continuity, and measurable outcomes.
The second one is that we need a competitive Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul ecosystem. Nigeria must treat maintenance, repair, and overhaul as a strategic industry. We’ve heard of several such projects in the past. There was supposed to be a partnership with Boeing to establish an MRO facility; after some years, that was cancelled. Later, we learned it was going to be with Lufthansa Technik, which was going to establish a hangar for aircraft maintenance. All of these have come and gone, and we still do not have a reasonable MRO capability. A strong domestic MRO ecosystem will reduce aircraft downtime, retain expenditure within the country, create skilled jobs, and attract maintenance business from other African countries.
The third is the strengthening of safety, airworthiness, and quality assurance and this includes safety management systems, independent quality assurance, and human factor management, among others. Nigeria must also develop a deliberate pipeline for producing aeronautical engineers, aircraft maintenance engineers, avionics specialists, technicians, safety professionals, inspectors, data analysts, and aviation managers.
The fourth is that we should prioritise areas where local production can be achieved safely and economically, including aircraft maintenance tools and fixtures, ground support equipment, maintenance platforms and docking systems, protective covers and storage systems, selected electrical harnesses, hydraulic hoses, and other non-flight-critical components. Many parts of the aircraft or the maintenance ecosystem are not high-tech. We should focus on these parts first, then gradually move toward the high-tech ones.
The fifth is that our engineers should be challenged to solve issues such as corrosion in tropical environments, aircraft parts obsolescence, supply chain delays, fuel efficiency, equipment reliability, and the maintenance of aging platforms, among others. The sixth is that Nigeria’s aviation organizations must invest in electronic technical records, enterprise resource planning systems, digital inventory management, automated component tracking, predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, and cybersecurity, among others. A digital maintenance and logistics system improves visibility, accountability, and decision-making. The Institute of Nigerian Aeronautical Engineers occupies a strategic position in repositioning the industry. The Institute should continue to promote high ethical and professional standards, support continuing professional development, and provide evidence-based technical advice to governments, including the military, who will welcome it. It should strengthen mentoring for young engineers, create platforms for collaboration between academia and industry, and promote research directed at national aviation challenges.
