Reps Approve ₦100.51bn Reimbursement To Yobe For Damaturu Cargo Airport
The House of Representatives has approved a ₦100.51bn promissory note programme to reimburse the Yobe State Government for the construction of the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport in Damaturu.
The proposed reimbursement, valued at ₦100,509,017,234.55, followed a review by the House Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management of the Federal Government’s request to settle the financial liability arising from its decision to take over the facility.
The committee’s chairman, Abubakar Nalaraba, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Nalaraba said the committee conducted due diligence, including a comprehensive inspection of the airport, before recommending approval of the reimbursement.
He explained that officials of the Federal Ministries of Aviation and Finance, alongside other relevant agencies, provided technical assessments and supporting documents to establish the legitimacy of the state government’s claim.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Aviation inspected the completed facility and confirmed that the quality of construction met the required standards for federal takeover.
The committee also established that the Yobe State Government had paid the contractors responsible for the project, while the Bureau of Public Procurement confirmed that the necessary procurement procedures had been followed.
Documents examined during the review 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 submitted under the legal framework governing public debt management and fiscal responsibility, which requires legislative approval for relevant borrowing and debt-settlement arrangements.
Promissory notes are financial instruments used by the Federal Government to settle verified outstanding obligations, including reimbursements to state governments for eligible projects undertaken on its behalf.
Nalaraba stressed that the proposed payment was not fresh funding for the construction of the airport but a reimbursement for expenditure already incurred by the Yobe State Government.
He noted that the state had undertaken the project despite aviation falling within the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
The committee chairman expressed optimism that the airport would contribute to economic development in Yobe State and attract investment to the state and the country.
He added that the relevant aviation authorities, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, had completed the necessary technical assessments and considered the facility viable for commercial operations.
Also speaking, a member of the committee, Mohammed Jajere, said the airport could serve as a major cargo hub for the North-East, particularly for transporting agricultural produce and raw materials.
Jajere noted that Yobe’s agricultural potential made the facility strategically important, as it could improve access to markets for farmers, traders and businesses across the region.
He said the airport’s cargo operations could facilitate the movement of agricultural commodities and other locally produced materials, thereby supporting trade and economic activities.
Under the proposed arrangement, the Federal Government’s takeover of the airport would also transfer responsibility for its future management, maintenance and development to 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 disclosed during the briefing.
It consequently recommended approval of the full ₦100.51bn claimed by the Yobe State Government and approved by the Federal Executive Council.
The recommendation is expected to proceed through the legislative process before a final decision is reached.
The airport’s long-term economic impact, however, will depend on its ability to attract cargo operators, sustain commercial activities and provide efficient access to markets for agricultural produce from Yobe State and other parts of the North-East.
