The decision was announced in Abuja by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the measure through the Federal Executive Council (FEC). Under the approval, all FAAN properties located within or around airport environments have been formally excluded from any form of disposal to private individuals.
According to the minister, the move addresses long-standing concerns over the sale of government-owned assets situated in sensitive airport zones, a practice he said dates back to the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He noted that repeated representations had been made against the policy, particularly because staff quarters near airports are designed to support critical aviation operations.
Keyamo explained that such residential facilities are essential for airport personnel whose duties require proximity to operational areas, including fire service officers, air traffic controllers and other safety-critical workers. He added that airport environments are designated high-security zones and are therefore unsuitable for private residential use, especially for non-operational occupants and their families.
“Properties around airport environments are security areas and should not be occupied by private individuals,” the minister said, stressing that maintaining public control over such assets is necessary to safeguard aviation security and operational efficiency.
The decision follows growing controversy over FAAN staff quarters in Kano, where some retired and serving employees had laid claim to ownership of their official residences after making payments under the owner-occupier scheme. With the latest FEC approval, all such transactions have now been rendered invalid.
The government’s action reaffirms its position that airport-related properties must remain under public ownership and be reserved strictly for operational and security purposes, bringing clarity to a dispute that has lingered for years within the aviation sector.