Moving to bolster national security, humanitarian responses, and agricultural logistics in the North-Central zone, the House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, adopted a motion urging the immediate revival and construction of the long-abandoned Ohimini/Otukpo Airstrip in Benue State.
The motion, sponsored by Hon. Onuh Onyeche Blessing, highlights that the federal asset has been left dormant for decades, leaving the vast land area vulnerable to illegal encroachers and land grabbers.
The land for the airstrip, designated as Plot No. 299/OJ-OT at Ojali, was originally approved for construction over half a century ago in 1972, with the Certificate of Occupancy allocated directly to the Ministry of Aviation. Following local government re-demarcations in 1996, the Ojali site now sits within the Ohimini Local Government Area, which was carved out of the old Otukpo Local Government Area.
Despite high-profile interventions in 2019 by the late former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, alongside the then Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), previous efforts to reactivate the project stalled.
The House emphasized that reviving the tactical airstrip is no longer just an infrastructural goal, but a critical security necessity. Giving the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) a functional operational base in the area will drastically improve response times to combat the rising wave of banditry and insecurity plaguing local communities across Benue State.
To ensure the project moves from paper to physical execution, the House passed a series of resolutions:
Urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Air Force to conduct an immediate joint site visit to Ojali to verify the boundaries and submit a formal revival implementation plan.
Mandated that authorities actively engage with Ohimini youth, traditional rulers, and community representatives to address any lingering compensation claims and secure local support transparently.
Urged the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the NAF to establish an operational liaison desk to integrate the airstrip into Nigeria’s national security architecture, humanitarian response networks, and agricultural supply chains.
Mandated the House Committee on Aviation to ensure the airstrip revival project is captured and funded in the upcoming 2027 federal budgetary estimates.
According to Hon. Onuh Onyeche Blessing, “The revival of this historic airstrip will not only empower our military to push back against banditry, but it will open up Benue’s rich agricultural corridor to the rest of the nation.”
