President Bola Tinubu has requested the Senate's approval for the reimbursement of over N15 billion to the Kebbi State Government for the construction of Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi and N9 billion to the Nasarawa State Government for the construction of Lafia Cargo Airport.

The request was outlined in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary session. In his letter, President Tinubu explained that the federal government had assumed control and ownership of the two airports, necessitating reimbursement to the state governments.

The president cited the 1999 Constitution, which places aviation, including airports and air transport, under the federal government’s jurisdiction as specified in item three of the second schedule. This constitutional provision gives the federal government exclusive authority over aviation matters, including the ownership and management of airports.

Tinubu also noted that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the reimbursement in its meeting last May through the issuance of promissory notes. The letter detailed the specifics of the reimbursement:

- A promissory note of N9,000,542,651,786.11 to be issued to the Nasarawa State Government for the Lafia Cargo Airport.

- A promissory note of N15,137,336,95.88 to be issued to the Kebbi State Government for Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport.

The letter emphasized the constitutional mandate that places aviation under the federal government's control, reiterating the need for Senate approval to formalize the reimbursement through promissory notes.

“In light of the above, I urge the Senate to consider and grant concurrent approval for the establishment of the promissory notes program in favor of Kebbi and Nasarawa state governments, respectively,” Tinubu concluded.