Nigeria’s Presidential Jet Yet to Find Buyer After Four Months on Market

The Presidential Boeing 737-700 Business Jet, which the Nigerian government put up for sale in July 2025, remains unsold nearly four months after being listed on an international aircraft sales platform.

Confirmation of the aircraft’s availability came through email exchanges between The Punch and JetHQ, the U.S.-based marketing firm managing the sale. JetHQ’s Market Research Assistant, Marinell Nuevo, stated that the jet “remains available,” while the company’s Market Research Manager, Laurie Barringer, declined to disclose any further details, citing confidentiality.

“We do not provide this kind of information to anyone but the direct owner of the aircraft. This is considered proprietary information,” Barringer said. “The only data we can provide is that the aircraft remains available for sale.”

A follow-up request for comment on the accountability of public assets, noting that the jet was acquired and maintained with taxpayers’ funds, had not been answered as of press time.

The aircraft, managed by AMAC Aerospace in Switzerland, underwent partial refurbishment and several inspections in July 2024 at the company’s Basel facility. The work included refurbishing first-class seats, replacing cabin carpets, and completing major C1–C2 inspections.

According to its listing, the aircraft has had a single owner since purchase, has always been hangared, and features a 33-passenger configuration with space for eight crew members.

Data from aircraftcostcalculator.com estimates that a pre-owned Boeing 737 Business Jet typically sells for around $56 million, depending on condition and specifications. The site also places the jet’s annual operating cost at more than $5.2 million, including maintenance, fuel, and crew expenses, translating to about $11,561 per flight hour.

The Boeing 737-700 BBJ was originally purchased in 2005 for $43 million under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and has remained part of Nigeria’s Presidential Air Fleet since then. The decision by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to sell the aircraft was part of a broader cost-cutting effort and an attempt to streamline the fleet amid public concern over rising maintenance expenses.