President Bola Tinubu has approved the exclusion of all properties belonging to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) within and around airports across the country from sale to private individuals.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), announced the development after it received the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) approval on Wednesday.
For decades, FAAN has held residential and operational quarters within and around airport precincts. These facilities were built to accommodate essential aviation personnel such as air traffic controllers, rescue and firefighting staff, aviation security (AVSEC) officers, and navigational technicians.
In 2025, the Authority began demolition exercises in Kano amid ownership disputes, insisting that the quarters were designated for active aviation workers and were never legally sold or transferred to third parties.
With the new directive, retired staff members or private individuals occupying FAAN-owned properties may now be required to vacate them to make way for critical operational staff.
In a video shared on his verified X handle, Keyamo explained that the decision was aimed at enhancing aviation safety and ensuring quick emergency response, as essential personnel must reside within airport premises for operational efficiency.
“We sought the approval of the FEC to exclude properties owned by the Federal Airports Authority in and around airports in the country from disposal to private individuals by a committee called the Presidential Committee on Properties,” Keyamo stated.
The minister clarified that the affected properties had previously been listed for disposal by a presidential committee on government properties set up during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
He added that the move was necessary to resolve longstanding ownership disputes involving individuals who claimed to have purchased FAAN quarters under past arrangements.
“Now, it has been our problem at the airport when people come and say, because they are owner-occupiers, they own properties within or around the airport meant for very technical staff,” he said.
“The airport is an environment where you can have an emergency at any time, and as a result, you need those people to stay within government quarters inside the airport.”
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s stance, Keyamo stressed that such properties will not be ceded to private individuals, adding that a new presidential memo now formalizes the exclusion.
“The President has graciously said we should exclude all of those properties from disposal to private individuals,” he declared.
“We will not give those properties to anyone who claims to have purchased them. The memo is now clear — all FAAN-owned properties within or around airports remain government assets.”
