Tinubu scraps 26-year FG property committee, transfers powers to AGF

President Bola Tinubu has dissolved the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties, ending its 26-year role in managing federal landed assets. All matters relating to those properties now fall under the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.

The dissolution was announced in a statement on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Why the committee was dissolved

The Presidency said the committee’s activities had extended beyond its original mandate, resulting in multiple litigations across the country. It added that the continued existence of the committee was no longer justified, prompting Tinubu to approve its immediate dissolution.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) has approved the immediate dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties,” the statement read.

“Henceforth, all matters relating to the activities of the Committee will be coordinated by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (HAGF).”

The Presidency also directed the committee’s secretary, B.S. Dutsin-Ma, to immediately cease acting on behalf of the dissolved committee and the Federal Government on all matters relating to the committee’s former responsibilities.

History of the committee

The Presidential Implementation Committee on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties was established in 2000 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. It was created to oversee the privatisation, sale, and lease of Federal Government landed assets under the government’s monetisation policy.

The committee was chaired by the then Minister of Housing and included representatives from 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 its pioneer secretary, while members were drawn from both the public and private sectors.

On March 22, 2001, the Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of a Panel of Inquiry to produce a White Paper to guide the implementation of recommendations relating to the committee’s work. The panel worked for 21 months before submitting its report.

The committee had faced scrutiny before this administration. In 2021, the House of Representatives queried it over the sale and management of Federal Government properties, requesting records of assets sold, proceeds realised, and properties under litigation. Lawmakers alleged that some properties reported as sold had either not been paid for or were still occupied, while the committee said some occupants had obtained court injunctions after being asked to vacate the properties.

Next steps

The Office of the Attorney General will now coordinate all matters previously handled by the dissolved committee. The directive takes effect from November 5, 2025, although the dissolution was publicly announced on July 30, 2026. The official statement did not explain the gap between the effective date and the announcement.

The move is the latest restructuring measure by Tinubu since he assumed office in 2023. Shortly after taking office in June 2023, he dissolved the governing boards of Federal Government parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies, directing affected agencies to route board-related matters through the Presidency pending the appointment of new boards.

For businesses and individuals dealing with federal landed assets, the change consolidates authority at the AGF’s office, ending the committee’s long-running oversight and its repeated legal complications.