Nigeria Acquires 24 M-346FA Fighter Jets, Largest-Ever Military Aircraft Acquisition in West Africa

• Nigeria has embarked on the largest military aircraft acquisition in West African history, procuring 24 Italian-built M-346FA fighter jets as part of a sweeping effort to modernise its air force and confront rising security threats at home and across the region.

Nigeria is advancing a major military modernisation programme with a landmark procurement of 24 Italian-built M-346FA fighter jets from aerospace and defence firm Leonardo S.p.A., marking the largest single military aircraft acquisition ever recorded in West Africa.

The deal, valued at approximately €1.2 billion, includes long-term maintenance, logistics, and technical support arrangements with Leonardo, and represents a significant deepening of defence cooperation between Nigeria and Italy.

Earlier reports indicated that Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council approved a borrowing plan of $618 million from a consortium of financiers to facilitate the purchase of the first batch of six M-346 attack jets, along with ammunition and related support systems for the Nigerian Air Force.

According to defence sources, the first six aircraft are already under production in Italy, with three expected to be delivered by early 2025. Full delivery of the entire fleet is scheduled to continue through mid-2026.

The acquisition forms a central pillar of Nigeria’s broader strategy to modernise and expand the operational reach of the Nigerian Air Force, alongside ongoing purchases of helicopters, surveillance platforms, and support infrastructure.

The timing of the procurement comes amid persistent internal security challenges. Nigeria continues to battle a decade-long jihadist insurgency in the North-East, escalating banditry in the North-West, and complex communal violence across parts of the Middle Belt. These overlapping crises have strained national resources, displaced millions, and dampened investor confidence across the region.

Defence analysts say the enhanced air combat, intelligence, surveillance, and precision-strike capabilities of the M-346FA fleet are expected to significantly strengthen Abuja’s response to these entrenched threats.

Regional Dynamics and Security Role

Nigeria’s military build-up is also unfolding against a backdrop of growing regional instability. In recent months, Nigerian forces intervened in a coup attempt in neighbouring Benin Republic, where mutinous soldiers briefly seized key installations in Cotonou.

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Acting at the request of the Beninese government, Nigerian air and ground units helped neutralise the threat and restore constitutional order. The intervention, authorised by Nigeria’s Senate, underscored the country’s willingness to project military power beyond its borders as coups and democratic backsliding continue to spread across the Sahel and coastal West Africa.

Within this evolving security environment, Nigeria’s decision to source advanced military hardware from Italy reflects a broader recalibration of its defence procurement strategy.

Italian defence firms are increasingly viewed as offering modern, reliable, and cost-effective platforms compared to traditional suppliers. The shift also signals Nigeria’s intent to diversify away from heavy reliance on U.S., Russian, and Chinese equipment, reduce procurement delays, and strengthen partnerships with European manufacturers that provide technology transfer and long-term maintenance support.

As the Nigerian Air Force prepares to induct the new fighter jets, the coming years are expected to be decisive for the country’s internal security posture and its standing as a leading regional security power in West Africa.