The United States government has concluded plans to sell 12 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, with sophisticated targeting gear to Nigeria to aid its fight against Boko Haram terrorist group.
This is in fulfillment of the pledge made by that country in February this year to strike a new deal that will enable the Nigerian Armed Forces get concrete military assistance, including the supply of arms from the US to combat terrorism.
The US President, Donald Trump, had called President Muhammadu Buhari who was on vacation in the United Kingdom on telephone to discuss the relationship between the two countries, including America’s resolve to assist Nigeria in combating terror.
The deal is also said to be in furtherance of the plan that began during Obama’s administration. President Trump is expected to send formal notification to the Congress within weeks, informing the lawmakers of the plan to sell the aircrafts to Nigeria.
The arrangement will call for Nigeria to purchase up to 12 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft with sophisticated targeting gear for nearly $600 million, one of the US officials said.
Details of the deal still remained sketchy as at press time because officials were not authorised to discuss the terms of the sale publicly and requested anonymity to speak about internal diplomatic conversations.
While President Trump has made clear his intention to approve the sale of the aircraft, the National Security Council is said to be still working on the issue.
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