President Bola Tinubu says the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is witnessing remarkable progress under Minister Nyesom Wike, 50 years after the territory’s creation.
Tinubu spoke in Abuja on Friday night at a special thanksgiving dinner marking the inauguration of 31 projects across the FCT in 28 days.
Represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the president commended Wike and his team for their sacrifices in ensuring the nation’s capital works for everyone. He praised the minister for showing that leadership is measured not by loud announcements but by visible results.
Tinubu described the FCT as a city belonging to every Nigerian — a place where unity resides, diversity meets, and every citizen’s hope finds a common address. He said every new road and bridge built connects more than communities; it connects friendship, love, unity, and opportunity, adding that completed projects prove government can still work when vision meets determination.
Aliyu Modibbo, a former FCT minister and special adviser to the president on general duties, described Wike as one of the best-performing FCT ministers. Representing Vice President Kashim Shettima, Modibbo expressed optimism that Wike would return as minister in Tinubu’s second term, noting that four years wasn’t enough time to complete what he had started.
In his remarks, Wike recalled that when he took office as FCT minister in August 2023, he met demoralised civil servants lacking motivation to drive Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He said he and the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, turned things around by establishing the FCT Civil Service Commission, which now allows civil servants to rise to permanent secretary and head of civil service.
He said Tinubu approved the move to motivate workers, resulting in nine projects inaugurated in his first year in office, 19 in the second year, and 31 in the third. He added that removing the FCT from the Treasury Single Account also helped, allowing the administration to access commercial bank funding for projects.
Wike commended contractors for quality and timely delivery, noting that most of the completed projects were not initiated by his administration — 70 percent were previously abandoned. He said the only project yet to be completed is the Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX).
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by majority leader Julius Ihonvbere, described Wike as the best-performing FCT minister so far, saying the capital had undergone monumental transformation under his leadership.
Speaking for contractors, Julius Berger managing director Dr Peer Lubasch said some contractors had witnessed more ribbon-cutting ceremonies in recent days than in previous years combined. He commended Tinubu’s commitment to infrastructure and national development, and praised Wike’s vision in transforming Abuja into what he called Africa’s finest, purpose-built capital.
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