The House of Representatives has approved a ₦100.51 billion promissory note programme to reimburse the Yobe State Government for constructing the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport in Damaturu, paving the way for the Federal Government to take over the facility.
The approval followed the adoption of a recommendation by the House Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management, which reviewed President Bola Tinubu’s request for the settlement of the liability valued at ₦100,509,017,234.55.
Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Nalaraba (APC, Nasarawa), disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
Nalaraba said the committee conducted due diligence, including an inspection of the completed airport and a review of technical assessments and supporting documents from relevant government agencies, before recommending approval.
He said officials of the Federal Ministries of Aviation and Finance, alongside other relevant agencies, provided the necessary information to establish the legitimacy of the reimbursement claim.
“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,” he said.
The committee’s report indicated that the Federal Ministry of Aviation had inspected the airport and confirmed that the quality of work met the required standards for federal takeover.
It also established that the Yobe State Government had paid the contractors that executed the project, while the Bureau of Public Procurement confirmed that due process was followed.
Among the documents reviewed were contract agreements, certificates of completion, evidence of payments to contractors, technical assessments and the bureau’s certificate of no objection, alongside submissions from the state government, relevant federal ministries and the Federal Executive Council.
President 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.
Promissory notes are financial instruments used by the Federal Government to settle verified obligations, including eligible claims by state governments for projects undertaken on its behalf.
Nalaraba stressed that the proposed payment was a reimbursement for funds already expended by Yobe State, rather than fresh funding for the airport’s construction.
“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 explained that the state government had undertaken the project despite aviation falling within the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
According to him, the airport represents a major infrastructure investment that could stimulate economic activities, attract investors and strengthen commercial opportunities in Yobe and beyond.
“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 become a major cargo hub for the North-East, particularly for transporting agricultural produce and raw materials to domestic and international markets.
“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,” Jajere said.
He added that the facility could improve market access for farmers and businesses by facilitating the movement of agricultural products and other goods.
Addressing concerns over the commercial 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 relevant aviation authorities, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), had assessed the Damaturu facility.
“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.
The committee maintained that the airport had undergone the necessary technical and administrative assessments before the reimbursement request was submitted to the National Assembly.
Under the proposed arrangement, the Federal Government’s takeover would also transfer responsibility for the airport’s future management, maintenance and development to the federal authorities.
The committee recommended approval of the full ₦100.51 billion claim, which it said had been submitted by the Yobe State Government and approved by the Federal Executive Council. It described the reimbursement as a one-off payment, although the detailed payment schedule was not provided during the briefing.
The approval marks a significant step towards settling the state’s claim and transferring the facility to federal control.
However, the airport’s long-term economic impact will depend on its ability to attract cargo operators, sustain commercial operations and provide reliable access to markets for agricultural produce from Yobe and other parts of the North-East.
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