The House of Representatives has given its green light for reimbursement of ₦100.5 billion promissory note by the Federal Government to Yobe State Government for the construction of the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport in Damaturu
The House of Representatives has approved a ₦100.5 billion promissory note to refund the Yobe State Government for the construction of the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport in Damaturu, following the Federal Government’s decision to assume ownership of the facility.
The approval covers ₦100,509,017,234.55 and was given after the consideration of a report by the House Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management at plenary on Wednesday.
Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly, the committee’s chairman, Rep. Abubakar Hassan Nalaraba, said lawmakers recommended the reimbursement after conducting due diligence and inspecting the airport.
He explained that the committee examined technical reports and documents submitted by officials of the Federal Ministries of Aviation and Finance, as well as other relevant government agencies, before reaching its decision.
Nalaraba said the oversight exercise confirmed that the airport’s infrastructure and equipment met the required standards for the Federal Government to take over the facility.
He said, “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.”
According to the committee’s report, the Federal Ministry of Aviation inspected the completed project and certified that the quality of construction was satisfactory for the proposed federal takeover.
The report also established that the Yobe State Government had settled payments due to the contractors who executed the project, while the Bureau of Public Procurement confirmed that the necessary procurement procedures had been followed.
As part of its review, the committee considered documents submitted by the state government, the Federal Ministries of Finance and Aviation, the Federal Executive Council and the Bureau of Public Procurement.
The documents included contract agreements, completion certificates, evidence of payments to contractors, due-process reviews and the bureau’s certificate of no objection.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier sought the National Assembly’s approval for the promissory note programme in a letter read on the floor of the House on October 13, 2026.
The request was made under the Debt Management Office (Establishment) Act, 2003, and the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, which provide the legal framework for legislative approval of such programmes.
Promissory notes are among the instruments used by the Federal Government to settle outstanding financial obligations, including reimbursements to state governments for projects executed on its behalf.
Airport To Boost Agricultural Trade
Nalaraba said the cargo airport would provide economic benefits to Yobe State by improving infrastructure, attracting investors and creating opportunities for commercial activities.
He described the project as an important addition to the state’s development prospects, noting that its potential benefits could extend beyond Yobe to the wider Nigerian economy.
“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.
Also speaking, a member of the committee representing Yobe State, Rep. Mohammed Jajere, said the airport could become a major cargo distribution centre for the North-East, particularly for the movement of agricultural produce and raw materials.
Jajere noted that Yobe’s agricultural potential made the facility strategically important for transporting products from farms and processing centres to markets within and outside the region.
“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.
He added that the facility could improve access to markets for agricultural commodities and support the movement of goods from the North-East to other parts of the country.
