President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties, ending a body that has overseen the privatisation, sale and lease of federal landed assets for more than two decades.
The Presidency announced the decision in a statement on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, all matters relating to the activities of the committee will henceforth be coordinated by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The PIC was established in 2000 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to supervise the implementation of the Federal Government’s monetisation policy through the sale, lease and privatisation of government-owned landed properties.
Its membership included the Minister of Housing as chairperson and representatives of the ministries of transportation, justice, health and agriculture, as well as the Nigeria Police Force. Professor P.T. Ahire, then a deputy director in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, served as the pioneer secretary.
The Presidency recalled that the Federal Executive Council had, on March 22, 2001, approved the setting up of a panel of inquiry to produce a White Paper to guide the implementation of recommendations relating to the committee’s activities.
However, the government said the committee’s operations had expanded beyond its original mandate, resulting in multiple litigations across the country.
“After careful consideration, the government has noted that the activities of the PIC had extended beyond its original mandate, resulting in multiple litigations across the country, and the continued existence of the committee is no longer justified,” the statement said.
President Tinubu directed that the Attorney General take over coordination of all related matters with effect from November 5, 2025.
The Presidency also directed the former secretary of the committee, B.S. Dutsin-Ma, to cease acting on behalf of the dissolved committee and the Federal Government on all matters related to its former responsibilities.