President Bola Tinubu has asked the National Assembly to approve a ₦100.5 billion promissory note programme to reimburse the Yobe State Government for constructing the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport in Damaturu.
The request, valued at exactly ₦100,509,017,234.55, seeks authorisation for the Debt Management Office (DMO) to establish and issue the promissory note to settle the Federal Government’s obligation to the state.
According to The PUNCH in a report published today, October 13, 2026, Tinubu conveyed the request in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, seeking legislative approval for the proposed reimbursement.
The President said the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its second extraordinary meeting on May 23, 2023, approved the Federal Government’s takeover of the airport, which was constructed by Yobe State, alongside an agreement to reimburse the state through a promissory note programme.
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) subsequently reviewed the project and recommended ₦100.509 billion as the amount payable to the state government.
The proposed programme forms part of the Federal Government’s 70th Promissory Notes Programme. Rather than an immediate cash transfer, the instrument would formalise the government’s commitment to reimburse Yobe State, subject to the required legislative approval.
The Senate referred the request to its Committee on Local and Foreign Debts for further scrutiny and directed the committee to report back within one month.
The reimbursement request remains subject to the legislative process, meaning the proposed amount has not yet been confirmed as paid to the state.
In a separate development, Tinubu transmitted three bills to the House of Representatives for consideration as lawmakers resumed plenary yesterday, October 13, 2026.
The proposals include the National Research Development Fund Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish a dedicated framework for funding research and development in Nigeria.
The President also forwarded the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols Bill, 2026, seeking to update Nigeria’s domestic legal framework for implementing international humanitarian law and protecting people affected by armed conflicts.
The third proposal, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Enforcement Bill, 2026, seeks to establish a domestic framework for enforcing provisions relating to genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other offences covered by the statute, alongside cooperation with the International Criminal Court.
House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said the proposals would receive consideration, highlighting the national and diplomatic implications of the international humanitarian and criminal justice bills.
The bills and the airport reimbursement request now await further consideration by the relevant legislative chambers.
