A fresh layer of uncertainty has emerged around the Federal Government’s controversial plan to dispose of its presidential Boeing 737-700 Business Jet, as JetHQ — the American firm contracted to market the aircraft — has quietly withdrawn the jet from its sales platform.
When the listing vanished from the company’s website, enquiries sent to JetHQ confirmed the development. Laurie Barringer, the firm’s Manager of Market Research, stated succinctly that the organisation no longer had the jet on offer and redirected further questions to Abuja. Her terse response has fuelled renewed scrutiny of the government’s opaque handling of the matter.
Insiders say the Federal Government has remained tight-lipped, despite earlier pledges of transparency around the disposal of the ageing aircraft. The media aide to the National Security Adviser, Ismail Garba, had promised a formal update but has failed to provide clarity several days on, leaving stakeholders to speculate about whether the jet has been withdrawn for internal evaluation, quietly reassigned, or sold through undisclosed channels.
The latest twist comes months after the administration listed the aircraft on the global market in July, positioning the sale as part of a broader rationalisation strategy intended to cut costs and trim the overburdened Presidential Air Fleet. However, by October, the jet remained unsold, even as email exchanges between the marketing firm and journalists suggested it was still available.
JetHQ had earlier declined to disclose detailed information, describing such data as proprietary and accessible only to the aircraft’s owner. The firm, however, consistently maintained that the jet was on the market — until now.
Before its sudden delisting, records indicated the aircraft had undergone significant refurbishment at AMAC’s Basel facility in 2024, including upgraded first-class seating, fresh cabin carpeting, and major C1–C2 inspections to boost its resale value.
A pre-owned Boeing 737 BBJ of similar specifications carries an estimated market value of $56 million, depending on configuration and maintenance history. Nigeria purchased the jet in 2005 for $43 million under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and it has served successive administrations ever since.
