The directive to relocate the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos has been justified by the organization.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, issued the directive, prompting FAAN’s Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, to request an assessment of the implications of the relocation in an internal memo dated January 15, 2024.
In the memo titled “Relocation of FAAN Headquarters From Abuja to Lagos,” Kuku instructed the Director of Human Resources and Administration to outline the consequences of moving FAAN’s operations to Lagos. It was revealed that FAAN had a staff strength of 5,308 as of December 2015, with technical staff comprising 21.72%, non-technical staff 78.26%, and executive staff 0.02%.
FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, reiterated in a statement that relocating the headquarters was deemed to be in the best interest of the authority. She explained that employees affected by the move had returned to Lagos due to a lack of office space in Abuja.
Orah stated, “It was ill-advised in the first place to move the headquarters to Abuja when there was no single FAAN building in Abuja to accommodate all of them at once.” She emphasized that the decision aimed to prevent wastage of public resources and save the country from unnecessary expenses.
The Minister, according to Orah, plans to engage concessionaires to construct suitable offices for FAAN in both Lagos and Abuja. Until then, FAAN will manage its existing building in Lagos, capable of accommodating all directors and senior officials.
Orah clarified that operational offices in Abuja remain fully functional, ensuring no reduction in operations, and emphasized that the decision only pertains to the technical aspects of the organization and does not impact ongoing operational structures in both cities.
