Why Headquarters of Nigeria’s Airport Authority Was Relocated To Lagos From Abuja
Four years after the relocation of the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Lagos to Abuja, the federal agency overseeing the operation and maintenance of all Federal Airports has announced its decision to move its head office back to Lagos, the nation’s economic hub.
On January 15, 2024, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, directed that the FAAN be relocated from Abuja to Lagos.
The decision, coming in the wake of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) relocating key departments to Lagos, has sparked mixed reactions.
However, Festus Keyamo claimed that the move was in the best interest of the Authority and the country.
“FAAN wishes to inform Nigerians that, following extensive consultations by the new Management of FAAN with stakeholders, including the Unions, it was agreed that this move was in the best interest of the Authority and the country for now, for the following reasons,” Keyamo said.
Why is the Relocation back to Lagos necessary?
Lack of Office Space In Abuja
Established in 1976 as the Airports Authority of Nigeria (NAA), it was renamed to FAAN after the Civil Aviation reform of 1995. However, the move to Abuja, the nation’s capital, has been described as ill-advised due to a lack of sufficient FAAN facilities, including office space for staff. The agency explained that staff posted to Abuja but forced to return to Lagos because of a lack of office space were being paid Duty Tour Allowance (DTA).
“Having returned to Lagos, the Authority would be liable to pay them DTA because technically they are working out of station as their official posting is to ABUJA. The Minister has decided to stop this waste of public resources and rip-off on the public purse,” the statement reads in part.
60 Percent of FAAN’s Activities Done In Lagos
Part of the decision was to use the FAAN building in Lagos to cater to the huge passenger volume of the Lagos airports. According to the Minister, it would be a waste of “scarce resources to rent an office space in Abuja for Millions of Naira of public money when, in actual fact, more than sixty percent of its activities are in Lagos given the huge passenger volume of the Lagos airports.”
Noting that the relocation is not final, the Minister of Aviation said that “in the near future, when befitting corporate buildings have been built for the Authority in both Lagos and Abuja, a final decision will be taken as to the location of the permanent headquarters, depending on the exigencies of the time.”
