The Central Bank of Nigeria has initiated a plan to move some of its departments from Abuja to Lagos.
A source told Punch that while some staff of the bank resisted the transfer and claimed that it was motivated by tribal sentiment, the decision was taken to ensure ‘staff safety and increased productivity’.
The memo which Punch obtained read;
“This is to notify all staff members at the CBN Head Office that we have initiated a decongestion action plan designed to optimize the operational environment of the Bank.
“This initiative aims to ensure compliance with building safety standards and enhance the efficient utilization of our office space.
“This action is necessitated by several factors, including the need to align the Bank’s structure with its functions and objectives, redistribute skills to ensure a more even geographical spread of talent, and comply with building regulations, as indicated by repeated warnings from the Facility Manager, and the findings and recommendations of the Committee on Decongestion of the CBN Head Office.
“The action plan focuses on optimizing the utilization of other Bank’s premises. With this plan, 1,533 staff will be moved to other CBN facilities within Abuja, Lagos and understaffed branches.
“Our current occupancy level of 4,233 significantly exceeds the optimal capacity of 2,700 designed for the Head Office building. This overcrowding poses several critical challenges.”
The source added that “the CBN is saying instead of 200 workers to go work in other states and return to the head office, they should relocate fully to that state for safety and to increase productivity.”
The departments penciled down for relocation by the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, are Banking Supervision, Other Financial Institutions Supervision, Consumer Protection, Payment System Management and Financial Policy Regulations departments.
