Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline, says it will begin constructing a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility in Lagos this September.

The project, slated for completion within 12 to 15 months, is expected to provide a major boost to the nation’s aviation industry.

Chairman Allen Onyema made the announcement on Wednesday after returning from Brazil, where he joined President Bola Tinubu on an official visit focused on strengthening bilateral relations and signing a direct air service agreement between both countries.

“We are increasing our partnership with Embraer. By September 17, we are going to inaugurate the commencement of construction of our new MRO, and Embraer will operate maintenance for Embraer jets,” Onyema said. “By God’s grace, we will lay that foundation here in Lagos.”

The new facility will remove the need to send Embraer aircraft overseas for maintenance, cutting both time and costs.

“You will now be able to do it here, and people will also come to Nigeria to do the same,” he added.

The MRO is being developed in partnership with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, as part of a broader collaboration between the company and Air Peace.

Onyema stressed that the airline’s recent approval to operate the Nigeria-Brazil route was not simply tied to its investment in Embraer, but rather a recognition of its proven capacity and readiness compared to other local carriers.

Air Peace is scheduled to begin flights to Brazil in the third quarter of 2025, following endorsements from President Bola Tinubu and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

He expressed confidence that the new route would strengthen economic and cultural relations between both countries.

“In Brazil, they signed several MoUs, but what really impressed me was their partnership approach, one that respects our sovereignty and is mutually beneficial,” Onyema noted. “President Lula’s warmth showed a genuine eagerness to work with Nigeria.”

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, praised President Tinubu’s leadership in securing the partnership, noting the economic significance of the new air agreement between Africa’s and South America’s largest economies.

“Brazil is the biggest economy in South America, and of course, Nigeria is considered the biggest economy in Africa. So connecting these two economies was very key to both presidents,” Keyamo said.