FG puts Obasanjo-era Presidential Jet up for sale in Switzerland

The Federal Government has officially listed its Boeing 737-700 Business Jet for sale, nearly two decades after acquiring it during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The listing, hosted by AMAC Aerospace in Basel, Switzerland, comes months after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu switched to a refurbished Airbus A330-200 for official travel in August 2024.

Details obtained from the US-based aviation marketplace Controller.com confirmed that the jet, bought for $43 million in 2005, is now available to interested buyers, with AMAC Aerospace handling enquiries privately.

The decision to retire the aircraft was reportedly influenced by rising maintenance costs and safety concerns following a mechanical incident during a presidential trip to Saudi Arabia in April 2024.

The BBJ-737, which had carried Nigerian Presidents for nearly 20 years, was partially refurbished in July 2024 and underwent C1-C2 inspections.

It was fitted with a 33-passenger, five-zone luxury cabin, including a VIP stateroom, conference room, and business-class section.

Despite its age, the aircraft is described as equipped with cutting-edge avionics, connectivity via Honeywell Ka-Band Wi-Fi, and multiple in-flight entertainment options.

The move follows longstanding pledges by both the Buhari and Tinubu administrations to streamline Nigeria’s presidential air fleet, which currently comprises around 10 aircraft.

Reports indicate that three of the seven fixed-wing planes in the fleet are unserviceable.

The BBJ-737 sale is part of a broader restructuring of the fleet. The Airbus A330-200, acquired for about $100 million from a repossessed German bank asset, has undergone maintenance and livery updates abroad.

Meanwhile, since February 2025, Tinubu has temporarily used a San Marino-registered BBJ for presidential flights while awaiting the completion of the A330 upgrades.

Efforts to reach presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga for official confirmation of the BBJ sale was unsuccessful as of press time.