The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu spent about N4.24bn on the Presidential Air Fleet within six months, according to spending records obtained from Govspend, a civic technology platform tracking public expenditures.
The records showed that the payments were made between June and December 2025 for the operational and logistical maintenance of the Presidential Air Fleet amid increasing public concern over government spending and calls for cost-cutting measures.
Breakdown Of Transactions
Findings revealed that the funds were paid into the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account operated by the State House through eight separate transactions across June, July and December 2025.
The largest portion of the spending was recorded in July 2025, when four transactions amounting to N2.43bn were made within one week.
According to the records, N1.285bn was disbursed on June 12, while N430m was paid on July 24. Another N1.28bn followed on July 25, alongside N92m on July 29 and N626m on July 31.
Further payments were made in December, including N9m on December 18, described as “Presidential Air Fleet forex transit funds,” while N343.9m and N90.9m were disbursed on December 30 and 31 respectively.
Questions Over Spending Details
The report also revealed that four of the eight transactions were listed without descriptions and simply marked as “None” in the Govspend database.
Most of the transfers were, however, labelled as “Forex Transit Funds,” usually linked to foreign exchange requirements for international operations such as aircraft maintenance, fuel purchases and payments for overseas services.
The latest figures add to the rising cost of maintaining the Presidential Air Fleet since President Tinubu assumed office in 2023.
Presidential Fleet Costs Continue Rising
Data showed that at least N26.38bn was spent on Presidential Air Fleet operations between July 2023 and December 2024 alone.
Out of the figure, N14.15bn was reportedly spent in 2024.
Budget allocations for the fleet also showed a steady rise over the years. The fleet received N17.32bn allocation in the 2025 budget before it dropped to N14.70bn in the 2026 budget.
The reduction was largely attributed to lower capital expenditure projections.
Records further indicated that engine overhaul projects across the fleet consumed N4.58bn in 2024, N8.65bn in 2025 and N6.05bn in 2026, bringing the total spending on engine maintenance to N19.27bn within three years.
Concerns Amid Economic Hardship
The development comes at a time many Nigerians continue to raise concerns over economic hardship, rising inflation and austerity measures introduced by the Federal Government following fuel subsidy removal and ongoing economic reforms.
Budget data also showed that allocations to the Presidential Air Fleet have risen significantly over the years, increasing from N4.37bn in 2017 under the Buhari administration to N20.52bn in 2024.