Reps approve ₦100.51bn reimbursement to Yobe for Damaturu airport

The House of Representatives has approved a ₦100.51bn promissory note programme to reimburse the Yobe State Government for constructing the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport in Damaturu.

The resolution of the House followed the adoption of the recommendation of its Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management after reviewing the Federal Government’s request to settle the liability arising from its decision to take over the airport, with the proposed reimbursement put at ₦100,509,017,234.55.

The Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Nalaraba (APC, Nasarawa), disclosed this while briefing journalists at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the committee conducted due diligence, including an inspection of the facility, before recommending that the House approve the reimbursement.

According to him, officials of the Federal Ministries of Aviation and Finance, alongside other relevant agencies, provided technical assessments and supporting documents for the review.

“After due diligence and considerations, and after undertaking comprehensive oversight of the airport, receiving the reports of technical officials at the Ministry of Aviation, Ministry of Finance and the accounting office, we recently considered and approved the reimbursement of the airport to Yobe State Government,” Nalaraba said.

The committee’s report stated that the Federal Ministry of Aviation had inspected the completed airport and confirmed that the quality of work met the required standards for takeover by the Federal Government.

It also found that the Yobe State Government had paid the contractors that executed the project, while the Bureau of Public Procurement certified that due process was followed.

The committee said it examined submissions from the state government, the Federal Ministries of Finance and Aviation, the Federal Executive Council and the Bureau of Public Procurement.

Other documents reviewed included contract agreements, certificates of completion, evidence of payments to contractors, due-process assessments and the bureau’s certificate of no objection.

President Bola Tinubu had sought the National Assembly’s approval for the promissory note programme in a communication read on the floor of the House on October 13, 2026.

The request was made under the legal framework governing public debt management and fiscal responsibility, which requires legislative approval for the relevant borrowing and debt-settlement arrangements.

Promissory notes are among the instruments used by the Federal Government to settle verified outstanding obligations, including reimbursements to state governments for eligible projects undertaken on its behalf.

Nalaraba said the airport would add value to Yobe State and potentially attract investment to the state and the wider country.

“When you see a critical infrastructure being constructed in a state, I think it’s a value addition, first, to the people of the state. Secondly, it will attract some level of investment to the state and the nation at large,” he said.

A member of the committee, Mohammed Jajere, said the airport could serve as a cargo hub for the North-East, particularly for the transportation of agricultural produce and raw materials.

“Yobe, as you all know, is an agrarian state. We are into agriculture and a lot of raw materials are abundantly available in the state, where we expect that the cargo airport will be used as a hub, especially in the North-East region, where you have these cargo airports,” he said.

Mugbejajere added that the facility could provide farmers and businesses in the region with improved access to markets by facilitating the movement of agricultural products.

On the viability of airports in Nigeria, following reports that only three of the country’s 22 domestic and international airports were commercially viable, Nalaraba said the committee relied on the assessments of the relevant aviation authorities, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria .

“The Ministry of Aviation, FAAN, in my earlier statement, I said technical FAAN has all gone and satisfied that this airport is viable and is ready for commercial use,” he said.

He maintained that the airport had undergone the necessary technical and administrative assessments before the reimbursement request was presented to the National Assembly.

The chairman also stressed that the proposed payment was not fresh funding for construction but reimbursement for money already spent by the Yobe State Government on the project.

“This is reimbursement. This money has been spent. The Federal and state governments spent this money to construct that cargo international airport,” he said.

He added that the state government had undertaken the project despite aviation being a matter within the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the Federal Government.

Under the proposed arrangement, the Federal Government’s takeover of the facility would also place responsibility for its future management, maintenance and development on the federal authorities.

The committee indicated that the reimbursement would be a one-off payment, although details of the payment schedule and other implementation arrangements were not fully explained during the briefing.

It consequently recommended that the House approve the promissory note programme for the full amount of ₦100.51bn, as claimed by the Yobe State Government and approved by the Federal Executive Council.

The recommendation is expected to proceed through the House’s legislative process before a final decision is taken.

Beyond the reimbursement, the airport’s long-term value will depend on its ability to attract cargo operators, sustain commercial activity and provide an effective route to market for agricultural produce from Yobe and other parts of the North-East.