Take a look at these interesting statistics and see how Nigeria continues to waste money on presidential aircraft. I remember President Buhari promised to reduce the fleet and curve waste. We are waiting and looking.
GDP of the USA $14 Trillion with per capita $38,000
GDP of Germany $3.77 Trillion with per capita income of $43,000
GDP of the UK $2.45 Trillion with per capita income of $36,000
GDP of Nigeria $422 Billion with per capita income of $2,800
The above table shows the USA as world number one economy followed by Germany as world number 4th and the UK as world number 6th.
Nigeria is world number 52nd economy with a GDP of 422billion and a per capita income of a mere $2,800.
The leaders of rich nations quoted above have two or one aircraft for their official use, while the Nigerian leader has 10. Last year Buhari moved two to Air Force but still has 8 planes.
So from what illusion are our leaders drawing their wealth such that a Nigerian President has 8 planes and 30 official cars when the above bigger economies have 2 aircraft each and 2 official cars?
Specifically, the Nigerian President has two Falcon 7X jets, two Falcon 900 jets, Gulfstream 550, one Boeing 737 BBJ (Nigerian Air Force 001 or Eagle One), and Gulfstream IVSP. There are additional Gulfstream V, Cessna Citation 2 aircraft and Hawker Siddley 125-800 jet.
The President of Nigeria and other high profile government officials use a black armored Mercedes Benz S-Class 2016 adorned with the Nigerian flag and official party flag. Other luxury cars, like the BMW 730Ld and the Range Rover, all armored, are used. The President travels in a motorcade of 30 cars and ten escort motorcycles, along with police cars and 6 Mercedes S-550 of SSS surrounding the president’s car.
Meanwhile, China, a far more prosperous nation with second-biggest economy on Earth offered us a lesson in prudence and simplicity.
Traditionally, the official limousine for Chinese leaders has been the Hongqi. During former President Hu Jintao’s review of troops on National Day in 2009, he was seen in a Hongqi HQE Limousine.
The HQE is powered by an independently researched and developed aluminum V12 cylinder engine of Chinese design (designation CA12VG), with a displacement of 6.0 liters and producing 370 kW (470 hp) at 5600 rpm and 550 N m (405 lb·ft) of torque at 4400 rpm. It is bulletproof, completely hand-built and comes with run-flat tires.
In recent years, Chinese leaders have switched to using minibuses, such as the Toyota Coaster, for short-distance trips.
Figures obtained from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority revealed that N9.08bn is spent to maintain the 9 presidential jets every year.
Cost of running fleet
Former Minister of Information, late Professor Dora Akunyili, once revealed that each of the two Falcon 7X jets purchased in 2010 cost $51.1m, while the Gulfstream 550 costs $53.3m.
The factory price of other aircraft in the fleet could not be easily obtained online. However, airline CEOs put the average price of Falcon 900 at $35m, Gulfstream IVSP as $40m, Gulfstream V at $45m, Boeing 737 BBJ at $58m, Cessna Citation is $7m and Hawker Siddley 125-800 at $15m.
This brings a combined estimated value of Nigeria’s PAF to $390.5m (N60.53bn).
According to airline chief executives and industry experts, airlines spend between 15 and 20 percent of the cost of an aircraft on its operation yearly. They say that averagely, a little less than one-fifth of the cost of the plane is spent every year on insurance, flight and cabin crew, maintenance, fuelling, catering, and training.
Going by the fact that at least 15 percent of this amount is spent annually on operating the PAF, it means about $58.57m (N9.08bn ) is spent annually on running the planes. Nigeria happens to be one of the few countries in the world with a large PAF.
Let’s look at Other countries’ fleets
Most major countries in Europe and Asia maintain mostly two aircraft in their Presidential Air Fleet, according to Wikipedia.
According to the website, Japan maintains only two Boeing 747-400 planes in its Presidential Air Fleet.
The two aircraft, mostly for the Prime Minister, the Emperor, Empress and other members of the Imperial Family, is operated by the Japan Air Self-Defence Force.
The aircraft was constructed at the Boeing factory at the same time as the United States’ Air Force One. Both Japanese aircraft were delivered in 1990.
Wikipedia also confirms that the Netherlands government operates only two aircraft, one Fokker 70 and one Gulfstream IV, as a means of transport for the Dutch Royal family and government officials, such as the prime minister and other ministers.
They are also used also to attend international conferences, and also for private trips by the Queen and the Prince of Orange.
For long haul trips, the Royal Dutch Airline is used. Often the upper deck of a Boeing 747 is used.
The Queen of England and Prime Minister often go on British Airways chartered flights for long trips. UK’s former Prime Minister Cameron was once criticized by the UK media for chartering a foreign plane instead of a British’s.
According to Wikipedia, The Royal Squadron of the Royal Air Force maintains a fleet of Agusta A109 helicopters, BAE-125 mid-sized business jet, and BAE-146 regional airliner to support short travel by the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and senior members of the British Government.
Countries like Ghana, Algeria and a host of others in Europe maintain only one aircraft in their PAF.
Experts expressed concerns over the economic sense behind the large mix of brands of aircraft in the President Air Fleet.
They said although the fleet size was large, the cost of operation would have been cheaper if they had maintained only two brands, instead of more. According to them, the various brands of aircraft in the fleet will cost the Presidency more in terms of money being spent on aircraft maintenance, insurance, engineers, flight and cabin crew among others.
Example if you look at the Presidential Fleet, you have at least five different brands of aircraft manufacturers. In that single Presidential Fleet, you have Boeing, Falcons, Gulfstream, Hawker and Cessna: that is not less than four different brands from various countries. I don’t know the economic sense in this. The fleet needs to be streamlined from five to just two brands. The aircraft can’t see each other. It means each of those planes will have its own flight crew, cabin crew, engineers, dispatchers etc. It is a mismatch.
The Presidency will be spending more to keep all of them in the skies. Going by airline economics, you spend less when you focus on a single brand or at most two. You will get support from the manufacturers and then you spend less.
What’s wrong with our past and present leaders please?
Please leave your contributions and questions in the comments section below. I will be happy to hear from you.
By Aliyu Nuhu
