President Bola Tinubu has asked the House of Representatives to approve a ₦100.5bn promissory note programme to reimburse the Yobe State Government for the takeover of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport in Damaturu.
The request was conveyed in a letter read by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary on Tuesday as lawmakers resumed legislative activities after their annual recess.
Under the proposal, the Federal Government would repay the state for the cost of constructing the airport through a promissory note to be issued by the Debt Management Office.
Tinubu said the Federal Executive Council approved the airport’s takeover at an extraordinary meeting on May 23, 2023, alongside a decision to compensate the state through the promissory note arrangement.
The President stated in the letter, “I write to request the approval of the House of Representatives for the establishment of a promissory note programme for the reimbursement of the Yobe State Government for the takeover of Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Damaturu.”
He disclosed that the Bureau of Public Procurement had reviewed the project and recommended ₦100,509,017,255 as the amount due to the state.
“In the light of the foregoing, I urge the House of Representatives to consider and approve the establishment and issuance by the Debt Management Office of a promissory note programme in the sum of N100,509,017,255 for the reimbursement of the Yobe State Government for the takeover of Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Damaturu,” Tinubu said.
The proposed arrangement is intended to formalise the Federal Government’s financial obligation to Yobe State following the airport’s takeover. However, the reimbursement request remains subject to approval by the National Assembly.
In separate letters to the House, the President also transmitted the National Research Development Fund Bill and two proposed laws concerning the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court for legislative consideration.
The international-law proposals are the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols Bill, 2026, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Enforcement Bill, 2026.
In transmitting the bills, Tinubu stated, “Pursuant to Section 50A of Section 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), I forward herewith the Geneva Convention and Additional Protocols Bill 2026 and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Enforcement Bill 2026 for the kind consideration of the House of Representatives.”
The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols Bill seeks to repeal the existing Geneva Convention Act and incorporate the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, and two Additional Protocols adopted on June 8, 1977, into Nigerian law.
The proposed legislation is intended to update Nigeria’s domestic legal framework for fulfilling its international humanitarian law obligations, particularly those relating to the protection of people affected by armed conflicts.
The Geneva Conventions establish rules for the treatment of wounded and sick members of armed forces, prisoners of war and civilians during conflicts, while the Additional Protocols expand and clarify protections under international humanitarian law.
The second proposal, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Enforcement Bill, 2026, seeks to establish a domestic framework for implementing and enforcing the Rome Statute.
It also provides for the punishment of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and related offences, as well as mechanisms for Nigeria to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in carrying out its functions.
If enacted, the proposed legislation could strengthen the legal framework for addressing serious international crimes in Nigeria, subject to applicable law, while facilitating cooperation with the ICC.
The requests came as the House entered the final phase of its legislative work, with Abbas highlighting the presidentially transmitted bills as proposals requiring prompt and careful consideration.
In his address marking the resumption of plenary, the Speaker identified the National Research Development Fund Bill and the two international-law proposals as important items on the legislative agenda.
Abbas said the bills relating to the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols had national and diplomatic significance, particularly in strengthening protections for civilians, wounded persons and prisoners during armed conflicts.
He commended Tinubu for transmitting the proposals and expressed the House’s readiness to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities in considering them.
The bills have now been presented to lawmakers for consideration, with the next steps in the legislative process resting with the National Assembly.