Before the end of 2023, Nigeria may be among the countries that manufacture aeroplanes as the federal government has entered into a partnership with a Hungarian airplane manufacturing company.
Expressing readiness to established an assembling plant in Nigeria, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said that the partnership with the Magnus aircraft manufacturing industry in Hungary would pave way for the manufacturing of airplanes in Nigeria from start to finish before the end of the Buhari administration.
Speaking while on an inspection visit to the Magnus Aircraft Industry in Pogany, Hungary. Sirika said that “if we venture with them, we may start with assembling plant and later manufacturing.”
He explained that the Magnus aircraft is an aeroplane that is good for Military training, has an aerobatic manoeuvre and is made of fully composite materials high strength and very lightweight.
According to a statement made available by James Odaudu, the Minister noted that aerobatics is the practice of flying manoeuvres involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment, and sport.
Sirika further said he was very satisfied with the features and more than willing to facilitate the production of the aeroplanes in Nigeria, saying one of the significant features of the Magnus aircraft is that it uses normal car petrol and outperforms any training aircraft of its kind”
The Minister who was at the facility on the invitation of the company said the proposed partnership with the aircraft manufacturer will be subjected to further analysis to verify the market and government willingness to partner with a significant amount of money and logistics.
He emphasized that the local production of aircraft in the country will facilitate the growth of Nigeria as a regional aviation superpower as it will also come with maintenance and repair facilities that will attract patronage from neighbouring countries.
