Nigeria is advancing a major military modernisation initiative with a landmark procurement of 24 Italian-built M‑346FA fighter jets from Italian aerospace and defence firm Leonardo S.p.A., marking the largest single military aircraft acquisition in West African history, Business Insider Africa has reported.
The report says that the deal, valued at approximately €1.2 billion, includes long-term maintenance and support provisions through Leonardo and represents a strategic deepening of defence ties between Nigeria and the Italian manufacturer.
Business Inside Africa in an earlier publication had reported that Nigeria’s cabinet approved a borrowing plan of $618 million from a consortium of financiers to purchase six Italian-made M-346 attack jets along with ammunition for the country’s air force.
The first six jets are currently under production in Italy, with three expected to be delivered by early 2025 and full deliveries continuing through mid-2026.
This acquisition, alongside additional purchases of helicopters and support systems, is central to Nigeria’s effort to modernise and expand the Nigerian Air Force’s operational reach.
According to the publication, the timing of the procurement coincides with Nigeria’s persistent internal security crises. The country continues to grapple with a decade-long jihadist insurgency in the Northeast, widespread banditry in the Northwest, and complex communal violence across the Middle Belt.
These overlapping threats have strained governmental resources, displaced communities, and eroded investor confidence across West Africa.
