Nigeria to locally manufacture Magnus light aircraft

Nigeria’s government has allocated $5 million towards the local assembly of Magnus light aircraft at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, while the Nigerian Air Force will be getting armed surveillance aircraft from Magnus Aircraft.

This was revealed by Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on 18 January. “I am happy to announce today is the reality; we will indeed assemble the Magnus aircraft and will continue to do so and not too distant future by God’s grace; the industry of civil aviation will begin to manufacture right here in the country aircraft,” Sirika is reported by Voice of Nigeria as saying.

The Hungarian-based Magnus will “very soon” begin assembling the aircraft, to be used for training in Nigeria. The timeframe for the 2.3 billion Naira project is 18 months.

“I think the Nigerian Air Force and the air forces around the region will be interested and excited by this development; we are taking the lead in civil aviation,” Sirika said.

The first two aircraft are planned to be completed by May at the site in Zaria, Kaduna State. Nigeria will assemble Magnus’s Sentinel locally while Magnus will supply dozens of its aerobatic Fusion UL training aircraft.

The agreement for the assembly and sale of Fusion UL aircraft with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology was signed in May 2022, Business Day reports. The College flies Diamond, Socata, and Beech aircraft. Established in 1964, it is funded by the Civil Aviation Department in the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Aviation.

A month ago, Magnus Aircraft reported that it had flown a Fusion aircraft (HA-XCN) from Hungary to Nigeria over nine days, covering 7 680 km. “The exciting flight took place for a very important reason: the Magnus test aircraft is now flight testing specially in the African climate. Thanks to the first Nigerian aircraft, our presence in West Africa is now tangible,” the company said.

The deal with Magnus has roots to 2021, when the company expressed its willingness to work with Nigeria in advancing its aviation goals. In August that year a Nigerian delegation visited the Magnus Aircraft facility in Hungary.

The Nigerian Air Force, meanwhile, will be getting three Magnus MF 212 surveillance attack aircraft, with 2.7 billion Naira ($6 million) listed in the 2023 budget proposal for these aircraft.

Belarussian company BVST (Belspetsvneshtechnika) has developed the Fusion into the MF 212 armed aircraft ideal for homeland security, surveillance and patrol tasks. It can apparently be fitted with an iSKY-30 HD electro-optical gimbal, and R-60-NT-L or R-60-NT-T-2 missiles. Although BVST has not provided any detail on its development of the aircraft, Greek company International Armour lists the BVST MF 212 in its sale catalogue. BVST has previously worked with the Nigerian Air Force, providing maintenance for Mi-35 helicopters as well as training.