The North-East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) has raised N10.8 billion as counterpart funding for the take-off of a regional air shuttle, a precursor to the proposed North East Airline.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, disclosed this on Friday, October 3, 2026, at the opening of the 10th meeting of the forum in Maiduguri.
Zulum said the balance of the counterpart fund would be remitted before the end of the month to enable the immediate rollout of flight operations.
“The establishment of the North East Air Shuttle is a significant step towards improving connectivity within the sub-region, and we look forward to the commencement of these operations soon,” he said.
He urged member states — Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe — to consolidate commitments to ensure smooth take-off of the carrier.
Zulum also commended President Bola Tinubu for reviving oil exploration at the Kolmani oilfield in Bauchi State and appealed for extension of exploration to Bama, Monguno and Lake Chad Basin in Borno State, as well as Magumeri and Gubio.
He lauded the Federal Government’s $1 billion Household Prosperity and Economic Social Protection Project for the North-East, saying the region must move from relief to recovery and sustainable prosperity.
On security, the governor acknowledged improvements, crediting the armed forces and initiatives like the Safe Corridor programme, but warned against complacency.
He listed other regional drives including 10MW solar power plants per state, livestock value chain development with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, procurement of nearly 10,000 electric vehicles and e-tricycles by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to be launched by Vice President Kashim Shettima, and plans for off-taking and storage to curb post-harvest losses.
“Our people expect results. They expect security, roads, schools, hospitals, jobs and economies that enable families to prosper,” Zulum said.
