Nigeria’s newly acquired N150bn presidential jet has been flown back to the country after months in South Africa, where it underwent a full livery change to the nation’s green and white colours.
The Airbus A330-200 was spotted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Wednesday.
Photographs posted on Thursday by aviation-tracking account @Abuja_Aviation on Instagram showed the twin-engine, wide-body aircraft, tail number 5N-FGA, parked at the Presidential Wing of the airport.
The aircraft is painted almost entirely white, with green-white-green stripes running the full length of its fuselage and an emblem of the Nigerian Air Force crest on the forward fuselage near the cockpit windows on both sides.
Both engine intakes were capped with bright red circular covers, signalling that the aircraft, at the time the photograph was taken, was not being prepared for immediate flight.
A self-contained airstair was also positioned at the forward left doorway, but no passengers were visible on it.
However, ground personnel were spotted at the front of the wing and slightly behind the nose gear.
A presidency official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press, confirmed the arrival, saying, “Yes, they have returned the aircraft after the painting and minor touch-ups to the inside.”
He added that the jet would resume presidential duties “after routine acceptance checks” by the Nigerian Air Force’s Presidential Air Fleet.
The official did not say when next the aircraft would fly the President. However, footage shared by the State House on Friday afternoon showed President Tinubu boarding the aircraft for his official visit to Kano State.
He is also expected in Ogun State in the coming days to pay condolence visits to the family of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, who died on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 91. The revered monarch reigned for 65 years.
In May 2025, The PUNCH reported that the jet had been ferried to South Africa for “refitting and repainting,” barely nine months after President Bola Tinubu’s administration took delivery of the 15-year-old wide-body from a European leasing firm in August 2024.
At the time, it had been out of operation for about three months.
Since February 2025, the President has been using a San Marino–registered BBJ (REG: T7-NAS) for his foreign and local trips.
