Northern youths up in arms over relocation of FAAN, CBN departments to Lagos

Citing the need to cut costs and inject better efficiency into their operations, the CBN and FAAN began the relocation of some of their departments from Abuja to Nigeria's economic capital.

In a memo issued on Saturday, January 13, 2023, the apex bank ordered the transfer of the affected departments to Lagos to decongest the Abuja headquarters.

“This is to notify all staff members at the CBN Head Office that we have initiated a decongestion action plan designed to optimise the operational environment of the Bank.

“This initiative aims to ensure compliance with building safety standards and enhance the efficient utilisation of our office space.

“The action plan focuses on optimising the utilisation of other Bank’s premises. With this plan, 1,533 staff will be moved to other CBN facilities within Abuja, Lagos and understaffed branches.

“Our current occupancy level of 4,233 significantly exceeds the optimal capacity of 2,700 designed for the Head Office building. This overcrowding poses several critical challenges,” the memo partly read.

In the same vein, the Federal Government also announced the relocation of the FAAN headquarters from the nation's capital to Lagos.

The move was officially announced by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in a memo dated January 15, 2024, and signed by the Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku.

The memo reads: “The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development has directed that the Headquarters of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria should be relocated from Abuja to Lagos.

“Consequent upon the above, you are requested to provide the implication of the relocation to the management.”

Reacting to the developments, the AYCF said these relocations to Lagos could impair the status of Abuja as the capital city and could have negative implications for the nation as a whole.

Disclosing this at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday, January 19, 2024, the President-General of the AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, expressed concern over the potential consequences that could arise from the relocations.

According to him, the move could undermine national unity, disrupt operations, causing economic setbacks and regional imbalances.

“The organisation urges decision-makers to prioritise national unity and ensure that any actions taken do not perpetuate regional imbalances or compromise the political and economic viability of Northern Nigeria.

“AYCF remains committed to its mission of promoting unity and development in Northern Nigeria and the nation as a whole and vows to continue advocating for the preservation of Abuja’s status as the capital city and to resist any attempts to undermine national unity,” Shettima said.