Amid Widespread Whistleblower Safety Concerns, Boeing and Nigeria Sign MoU To Strengthen Aviation Sector

Amid the widespread safety concerns raised by whistleblowers, the Boeing Company and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the country’s aviation sector.

Both parties disclosed this on Thursday in Seattle, USA, indicating a shared interest as part of a strategic relationship with the ministry and Nigerian airlines, revealing that Boeing will provide planning workshops, training, technical support and assessments to airline operators.

During the meeting, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, stated, “We are delighted to enter into this important, ‘working together’ agreement with Boeing, which will benefit Nigerian airlines and enable the development of our country’s civil aviation ecosystem.

“As Africa’s largest economy and continent’s largest population, Nigeria has much to offer to drive the growth of aviation in Africa. The support to be provided through this agreement will help our local operators grow and succeed, which is a priority of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. We are keen to work assiduously with Boeing in the coming months and years to make this a reality,” Keyamo said.

Read Also: Boeing Pleads Guilty To Avoid Trial Over Deadly 737 Max Crashes

In a corroborative tone, Boeing’s Commercial Sales vice president for Africa stated, “This agreement is an important step in establishing a sustainable civil aviation ecosystem in Nigeria as there is shared interest and value in driving innovation and progress.”

Boeing sees the agreement as its commercial market outlook projection to supply 1,170 aeroplanes over the next two decades, adding to its 75 years of forming the backbone of Africa’s commercial fleet. According to Boeing, over 60 airlines operate around 500 Boeing aeroplanes throughout Africa, representing nearly 70 per cent of the aeroplane market globally.

At the event, Nigeria’s Keyamo highlighted that the MoU aims to provide leverage through Boeing’s network of financiers and lessors to better position Nigerian Airlines to acquire newer-generation Boeing aircraft, among other things.

Meanwhile, at the National Whistleblower Day celebration held at Capitol Hill on July 30, a Boeing whistleblower announced new documents that he claims further demonstrate Boeing’s shortcomings in manufacturing the 737 Max, which crashed in Ethiopia on March 10, 2019.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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