President Bola Tinubu has departed Abuja, the nation’s capital for Paris, France.
He flew the new Airbus A330, which replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700, BBJ, bought under the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, posted the information on his X handle on Monday.
The new plane is believed to have been bought far below the market price, which presidency sources said saves the country huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars a year.
The recommendation to replace the B737-700 followed an investigative hearing by Nigeria’s parliament that questioned the plane’s safety record and cost efficiency, especially after it malfunctioned during a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Nigerian Senate’s Security and Intelligence Committee recommended replacing the ageing aircraft in the presidential fleet to reduce downtime and operational expenses.
Meanwhile, the presidency announced on Sunday that President Tinubu would be travelling to France on Monday.
The terse statement attributed to Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, was not specific on the reasons for the trip.
According to the statement: “President Bola Tinubu will embark on a trip to France on Monday, August 19, departing from Abuja, the nation’s capital.
“The President will return to the country after his brief work stay in France.”
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