BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Air Peace has taken a bold step that could reshape the face of aviation in Nigeria and across the continent.
On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the airline broke ground on what will become the largest aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in West Africa, a project designed not only to service aircraft but also to change the economic trajectory of the nation’s aviation industry.
The historic ceremony took place at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on a 34,000-square-meter site.
It was attended by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, top executives of the Bank of Industry and Fidelity Bank, aviation regulators, financial partners and other distinguished stakeholders.
For Dr. Allen Onyema, Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, the event was the culmination of a dream that has spanned nearly a decade. With visible emotion, he recalled the obstacles that delayed the project for years.
“My joy knows no bounds. We paid for this land eight years ago, but nothing happened until the coming of President Bola Tinubu and our indefatigable Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo.
“In less than one year, they made it possible for us to stand here today. This is the first time Nigerian airlines are receiving massive support, and we at Air Peace are proud to be part of this history”, Onyema said.
He noted that Nigerian airlines spent more than $180 billion last year on overseas maintenance and spare parts, a financial hemorrhage that this project is determined to stop.
“This MRO will change that narrative,” he declared. “It will not only service Air Peace aircraft but also those of other Nigerian and international airlines.
In the next 24 months, Nigeria will begin attracting direct foreign investment, as airlines from Africa, Europe, and the Americas bring their aircraft here”, he added.
The scale of the project is immense. According to contractors Morgan Omonitan & Abe, the facility will cover 32,000 square meters and include a 6,200-square-meter hangar, a 2,000-square-meter warehouse, a 2,600-square-meter workshop, a 1,500-square-meter office complex, and a 10,000-square-meter apron for aircraft parking.
Additional amenities will include a car park, utility buildings, and landscaped grounds spread across another 9,700 square meters.
The facility will have the capacity to host a Boeing 777 and five other aircraft at the same time, positioning Nigeria to compete with long-established maintenance hubs in South Africa and Ethiopia.
The project is expected to create over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs, equipping young Nigerians with technical skills and offering thousands of families new opportunities for livelihood.
With technical support from Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer, the MRO is designed to operate at global standards and set new benchmarks for quality and efficiency in Africa’s aviation industry.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Ifeoma Uz’okpala, Executive Director at the Bank of Industry, applauded the boldness of Air Peace’s vision and the significance of the collaboration that has brought it to life.
“What has happened between us, Fidelity Bank, Dr. Allen Onyema, and Air Peace is that we formed a strategic partnership,”
she remarked, pledging the Bank of Industry’s continued support for both Air Peace and Nigeria’s aviation sector at large.
From Fidelity Bank, Executive Director Mr. Abolore Solebo reiterated, affirming the bank’s role as a committed partner.
“It was on the back of Air Peace’s idea and vision that Fidelity Bank established a proven first aviation desk. We thank you for that, and we will continue to work together.
All other airlines have benefited from this, and we will keep supporting the industry,” he said.
For Keyamo, the project represents not just a corporate milestone but a national triumph. “This is not just Air Peace’s day; it is Nigeria’s day,” he proclaimed.
“This hangar will save us billions in foreign exchange, attract foreign airlines to Nigeria, and create unprecedented opportunities for our people. For the first time in decades, confidence has returned to Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.
That is why I personally stood as guarantor to secure aircraft leases for Air Peace and why I will continue to support all local airlines to grow.”
He further assured that the Presidential Fleet would also patronize the MRO, describing it as the “cheapest, most effective, and best option for government.”
Closing the ceremony, Dr. Onyema described the project as more than just the laying of a foundation.
“This is more than a foundation stone, it is a revolution,” he said. “It is a statement that Nigeria believes in itself, that indigenous investment can thrive, and that we are ready to take our place on the global aviation stage.”
