The Federal Government has nullified the sale of staff quarters belonging to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), affecting both retired and serving personnel who had purchased official residences under an owner-occupier arrangement.
The decision was announced on Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Federal Executive Council (FEC), approved the exclusion of all FAAN properties within and around airport environments from any form of disposal to private individuals.
Keyamo explained that the move addresses longstanding concerns over the sale of government-owned properties in sensitive airport zones. “Properties around airport environments are security areas and should not be occupied by private individuals,” he said, emphasizing that such quarters are intended for essential airport personnel, including fire service officers and air traffic controllers.
The minister noted that the practice of selling government properties in these zones dates back to the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, but persistent representations highlighted the need for these properties to remain under public control for operational and security reasons.
The nullification follows controversy in Kano, where some retired and serving staff claimed ownership of FAAN quarters after making payments under the owner-occupier scheme. With the FEC’s latest approval, such transactions are now invalid, reaffirming the government’s position that airport-related properties must remain under federal control.
