Nigeria’s aviation sector is losing more than $1 billion (₦1.5 trillion) annually to foreign Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities due to weak domestic capacity, former President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Isaac Balami, has warned.
Speaking at a stakeholder forum in Lagos, Balami said the country’s continued dependence on overseas workshops is draining jobs, stunting technical growth and trapping the industry in avoidable capital flight.
He noted that despite the rise of local MRO centres—7Star Global Hangar, Aero Contractors, Air First, ExecuJet and AeroTac—they jointly handle less than 20 per cent of Nigeria’s maintenance needs.
Balami blamed poor collaboration among operators, duplicated investment in expensive tools and weak access to financing.
According to him, foreign MROs attract Nigerian airlines with flexible tool-leasing and payment structures that domestic facilities cannot match.
He urged airlines to patronise home-grown centres and jointly invest in shared tooling and capacity-building, saying such cooperation could slash costs and boost competitiveness.
On manpower, Balami projected that Africa will require tens of thousands of new pilots and engineers in the coming decade.
He said institutions like the newly approved Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics, which aims to offer joint NCAA and European certifications, are critical to bridging the talent gap.
He called for coordinated government support, targeted funding and stronger partnerships among regulators, airlines and financial institutions, stressing that Nigeria’s aviation future depends on building a robust local maintenance ecosystem.
Reporting by Nosa Aituamen