Aviation: German firm, Fidelity Bank partner to support fleet growth
Lagos, April 2026 (TBL Africa) A German finance firm, Aircraft Finance Germany (AFG), has entered into a partnership with Nigeria’s Fidelity Bank Plc. to support fleet growth of local airlines.
Mr Christian Hatje, Managing Director of Business Aviation and SVP Commercial at AFG, announced the partnership at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Aircraft Acquisition and Investment Summit 2026 on Thursday in Lagos.
Hatje said that the partnership was designed to combine international expertise with domestic capital capabilities.
According to him, the idea is that AFG will set up an African aircraft finance and lease company in Africa for African airlines.
He said that in the partnership, Fidelity Bank would act as the funding manager, while AFG would act as the asset manager.
“For each transaction, for each aircraft, we will set up a dedicated special purpose company which will be the lessor.
“We are absolutely convinced that Nigeria will become Africa’s largest aviation market,” he said.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc., Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the partnership would ensure combination of technological expertise with Fidelity bank’s ability to finance.
Onyeali-Ikpe was represented by the bank’s Executive Director of Corporate and Investment Banking, Mr Stanley Amuchie.
She said: “It is like technical know-how meeting financing to make sure that you de-risk your investment in the aviation sector and make sure it is done very well.
“We have supported Air Peace, Ibom Air and most of the other airlines.”
According to her, the partnership is another step in the right direction.
Reacting to the partnership, the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Chris Najomo, expressed hope that more operators would take advantage of the opportunity.
According to him, the partnership is a major achievement.
He said: “The aircraft insurance will definitely come down. Insurance companies are all here and they have met.
“They are getting stronger. In as much as we have foreign insurance, we have the Nigerian insurance to back it up.
“I can tell you one ultimate thing we are going to see at the end of the day. It is that prices of tickets will come down because we are beginning to have capacity.”
He said that the partnership was a testament of the hard work of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN)
