Yekini Nabena, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged President Bola Tinubu to consider relocating key agencies such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to the Niger Delta region for enhanced efficiency. Additionally, he suggested moving the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment to either Kano or Anambra States, aligning with the proposed relocation of some Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) departments.
Nabena’s call follows the Federal Government’s interest in relocating parts of CBN and FAAN to Lagos, which sparked debates and opposition from some Northern senators and elites. Citing an interview from 1997 where Tinubu expressed his views on Nigeria’s unity, Nabena emphasized the need for transparency regarding the intentions behind the agencies’ relocation.
Asserting that federal agencies symbolize Nigerian unity, Nabena proposed that agencies like NNPCL, NIMASA, and NPA would be more effective in Bayelsa, Rivers, or Delta states. Similarly, he suggested relocating the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to Kogi for proximity to Ajaokuta Steel and moving the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment to Kano or Anambra for high trade activities. Additionally, he recommended situating the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Benue, the nation’s food basket.
Nabena expressed surprise at the National Assembly’s silence on ongoing developments in the country, including the call for oil companies to relocate to the Niger Delta region, which has been debated in the Senate without implementation due to alleged influential interests in Lagos.
