FG Gives Aviation Agencies Ultimatum To Relocate To Abuja

FG Gives Aviation Agencies Ultimatum To Relocate To Abuja

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has given aviation agencies a 45-day ultimatum to relocate to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

The minister noted that the directive is due to the need to reduce the cost of governance and manage scarce resources.

The ministry confirmed the development in a tweet Friday.

“Minister of @fmaviationng Sen.@hadisirika has given the @FAAN_Official @NAMANIGERIA @NigerianCAA other, 45 days within which to relocate their corporate Hqrts in Lagos to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in line with the Presidential directives given in 2012,” the ministry said in a tweet Friday.

The affected aviation agencies include the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), among others.

A letter dated May 4, 2020 with the reference number: FMA/PMD/7061/T/4 with the head: Relocation of Aviation Agencies’ Headquarters to Abuja, signed by Muhammad Shehu, Director, Human Resource Management on behalf of the ministry gave the agencies 45 days to relocate their headquarters to FCT.

The letter stated that the directive to move to Abuja had been on since 2012. It directed the chief executive officers of the agencies to comply immediately.

The letter read in part: “I am directed to remind you of the presidential directive issued in 2012 requesting agencies under the ministry to relocate their corporate headquarters to the Federal Capital Territory for efficient and effective coordination and enhanced service delivery between the ministry and its agencies and to note that, eight years after the directives, the agencies are yet to comply.

“Accordingly, considering the current situation and the economic impact worldwide, as well as the need to reduce the cost of governance and manage the scare resources in a sustainable way, it has become imperative and further to the Honourable Minister’s directives (copy attached) to request that you facilitate and complete the relocation exercise of your corporate headquarters to Abuja within the next 45 days, in line with earlier directives.”

Mr Sirika argued in the letter that the relocation of the agencies’ headquarters out of Lagos would enhance efficiency and service delivery between the ministry and them.