TheCable

Nigeria may not be able to take delivery of the 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft it ordered from the United States until 2024.

In April, President Muhammadu Buhari had approved $496 million  for the procurement of the fighter jets to combat Boko Haram insurgency.

But the United States Department of Defence has just awarded a contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation to manufacture the planes for the Nigerian air force (NAF).

The US department of defence said work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expected to be completed in May 2024.

A defence news portal, defence.co.za, had reported that the contract was announced on November 28 and is worth $329m, although the total not-to-exceed amount is approved at $344.7m.

In December 2017, the air force had received letters of offer and acceptance for the Super Tucano deal.

The deal valued at $593 million, included Paveway II guided bombs, laser-guided rockets, 12.7 mm ammunition, unguided bombs and infrared sensors.

Aside the sale of the 12 fighter jets, the deal includes ground training equipment, mission planning systems, mission debrief systems, spares, ground support equipment and support services.

The sale of the aircraft had been stalled by the administration of former US President Barack Obama over allegations of human rights abuse levelled against the Nigerian military.