A former South-East spokesperson to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Denge Josef Onoh, has strongly refuted claims that the Tinubu administration is covertly relocating Nigeria’s capital from Abuja to Lagos.
Onoh was reacting to an opinion article by Mohammed Bello Doka, which alleged regional favoritism and a “stealth” relocation of the nation’s capital through administrative and budgetary decisions.
In a statement made available from Paris, France, Onoh acknowledged that concerns about equitable development in a federal system are legitimate but described Doka’s claims as exaggerated, selective, and misleading.
He said he would ordinarily not respond to such narratives but felt compelled to do so out of respect for public discourse and the danger of misinformation gaining traction.
Onoh expressed disappointment that the narrative was amplified by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for whom he said he still has personal respect despite prevailing negative perceptions.
He also criticised what he described as the failure of President Tinubu’s media handlers to robustly, respectfully, and effectively communicate and defend government policies to Nigerians and the international community.
Addressing specific claims, Onoh described as “ludicrous and laughable” the allegation that the relocation of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) headquarters signaled a capital shift. He explained that FAAN’s corporate headquarters was returned to Lagos in 2024—its long-standing base for decades—strictly for operational efficiency.
According to him, Lagos accounts for over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s air traffic, while the earlier relocation to Abuja under the previous administration suffered from inadequate office space, resulting in excessive duty tour allowances and frequent flights for routine approvals.
Onoh said he personally engaged the Minister of Aviation during the controversy over a year ago, noting that the minister, Festus Keyamo, highlighted significant cost savings estimated at between ₦450 billion and ₦500 billion annually in travel expenses, alongside consultations with relevant stakeholders, including aviation unions.
He stressed that FAAN still maintains full operational offices in Abuja, with plans for modern office buildings in both cities, insisting the move was an administrative optimisation, not an attempt to relocate the nation’s capital.
On the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Onoh clarified that the redistribution of 1,533 staff across Abuja, Lagos, and other understaffed branches nationwide was aimed at improving safety, efficiency, and oversight. He noted that most commercial banks are headquartered in Lagos and emphasised that the CBN’s official headquarters remains in Abuja.
He also dismissed claims that the Bank of Industry (BOI) is effectively relocating its headquarters to Eko Atlantic City, Lagos. While confirming that the Federal Executive Council approved, in December 2025, the design and construction of a new BOI headquarters in Eko Atlantic, Onoh explained that the decision was to support BOI’s expanded mandate in industrial financing, small and medium-scale enterprises, and export development.
He added that BOI already operates major offices in Lagos, including Marina, as well as a 12-storey tower in Abuja, describing the Eko Atlantic project as infrastructure expansion rather than relocation.
Onoh further noted that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have been headquartered in Lagos since their inception, owing to the concentration of Nigeria’s ports in the Apapa and Marina areas. He said this long-standing arrangement predates the Tinubu administration and does not represent a new policy shift.
He commended the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, for his commitment to delivering the 700-kilometre Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, which cuts across nine coastal states and is expected to boost tourism, trade, and regional integration.
Onoh explained that recent cost clarifications put the project at about ₦7.5 billion per kilometre for standard sections, particularly due to the use of concrete pavement in challenging terrains. He argued that comparisons with the combined budgets of the ten lowest-funded states merely reflect state-level fiscal capacities and not federal neglect.
According to him, the Tinubu administration has also prioritised major infrastructure projects in the North, including the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano dual carriageway, the revived Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, Kano–Kongolam and other northern road projects flagged off in 2025.
He listed other initiatives such as the Aba–Maiduguri railway rehabilitation, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline—now about 83 per cent complete—and the Kolmani oil exploration project as evidence of balanced federal investment.
Onoh concluded that Abuja remains Nigeria’s constitutional seat of government, stressing that the decisions cited were driven by efficiency, cost reduction, and operational needs rather than regional bias.
He said infrastructure development under President Tinubu cuts across all geopolitical zones, noting that challenges such as poverty, insecurity, and educational gaps in parts of the North predate the current administration and require broader solutions beyond road construction.
According to him, while dialogue on inclusive growth is necessary, portraying routine administrative decisions and nationwide projects as a covert capital relocation only distorts facts and fuels unnecessary division.
Onoh Dismisses Claims of Secret Capital Relocation Under Tinubu, Calls Allegations Misleading
