…as committee say facility meets takeover standards, but commercial viability comes under scrutiny
By Gloria Ikibah 
The House of Representatives has approved a ₦100.5 billion promissory note to reimburse the Yobe State Government for constructing the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport in Damaturu.
The was sequel to the adoption of the recommendation contained in a report by the House Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management on Wednesday at plenary, which puts the reimbursement at ₦100,509,017,234.55 following the Federal Government’s decision to take over the facility.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Abubakar Hassan Nalaraba, during a briefing with journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja, said lawmakers conducted due diligence and inspected the airport before recommending the payment.
He said officials from the Federal Ministries of Aviation and Finance, alongside other relevant agencies, provided technical assessments and supporting documents on the project.
“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 said it found the airport’s infrastructure and equipment satisfactory, adding that professionals had certified the facilities as meeting the required standards.
According to the report, the Federal Ministry of Aviation inspected the completed airport and confirmed that the quality of work met the standards required for the Federal Government to take over the facility.
The committee 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.
Its review covered submissions from the Yobe State Government, Federal Ministries of Finance and Aviation, Federal Executive Council and Bureau of Public Procurement.
The committee also examined contract agreements, certificates of completion, evidence of payments to contractors, due-process reviews 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 13 October 2026.
The request was made under the Debt Management Office (Establishment) Act, 2003, and the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, which provide for legislative approval of the programme.
Promissory notes are used to settle outstanding Federal Government liabilities, including reimbursements to state governments for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.
Reps. Nalaraba said the airport would add value to Yobe State by attracting investments and creating economic opportunities for residents.
“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 from Yobe State, Rep. Mohammed Jajere, said the airport will serve as a cargo hub for the North-East, particularly for transporting 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.
Jajere added that the facility could improve the movement of agricultural products from the region to other markets.
The airport’s commercial viability, however, came under scrutiny during the briefing, with journalists citing a report attributed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that only three of Nigeria’s 22 domestic and international airports were commercially viable.
Responding, Nalaraba said the committee relied on assessments by the relevant aviation authorities, stressing that technical decisions on airport operations were best informed by the responsible professionals.
“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 chairman maintained that the airport had undergone the necessary administrative and technical assessments before the reimbursement request was presented to the National Assembly.
He also clarified that the proposed payment was not fresh funding for construction but a reimbursement to Yobe State for money already spent on a project the Federal Government had agreed to take over.
“This is reimbursement. This money has been spent. The Federal and state governments spent this money to construct that cargo international airport,” he said.
Nalaraba explained that the state government had undertaken the project despite aviation being within the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
On the possibility of further financial liabilities, the committee said the Federal Government’s takeover will place responsibility for the airport, including its future maintenance and development, on the federal authorities.
The committee further indicated that the reimbursement will be a one-off payment, although detailed repayment arrangements were not fully explained during the briefing.
It recommended that the House approve the full N100.509 billion claimed by the Yobe State Government and approved by the Federal Executive Council.
With the proposed reimbursement now before the House, attention is expected to shift to how the Federal Government will manage the airport and whether its projected agricultural cargo operations can generate sufficient commercial activity to justify the public investment.
