The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced its decision to relocate its headquarters from Abuja back to its original base in Lagos in order to optimise its operations.
This decision, conveyed in a statement by Mrs. Obiageli Orah, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at FAAN, comes after extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including aviation unions. The directive to return the Authority to Lagos was issued by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo.
The relocation is attributed to several factors, with one major consideration being the lack of adequate office space in Abuja for the staff who had initially moved there. Mrs. Orah emphasized that the first move was impractical from the beginning, as there was no FAAN building in Abuja capable of accommodating the entire workforce simultaneously.
However, the return to Lagos was necessitated by financial considerations, as staff working from Lagos while officially posted in Abuja were incurring outstation allowances, leading to increased revenue losses. Mrs. Orah then clarified that the decision was a cost-saving measure and a prudent use of public resources.
To address the issue, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development is reported to have been initiating plans to engage concessionaires for the construction of suitable offices for FAAN in both Lagos and Abuja.
It was also confirmed that plans were in place where the final decision will be made regarding the permanent location of the corporate headquarters.
In the interim, FAAN will continue to manage its existing buildings in Lagos, as it is capable of accommodating all its directors and senior officials. Operations in Abuja were said to remain unaffected, with full operational offices still in place.
Mrs. Orah assured the public that FAAN remains committed to acting in the citizens and country’s best interest even in the face of any ethnic or sectional sentiments.
