writes that Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has justified his appointment by President Bola Tinubu in August, 2023 with the level of on-going infrastructural development in the capital city.

Immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who resumed duties as Minister of the FCT on August  21, 2023 after the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, became the 17th Minister of the nation’s capital territory.

On his first day in office, Wike had told top management staff of the FCT Ministry: “It is not going to be business as usual. The President has given us the marching order. We must bring FCT back to what it is supposed to be, and we are willing, and we have the capacity to do that”.

A lot of groups and associations attested to the ability of Wike to deliver as FCT Minister  going by his pedigree as governor of Rivers State.

One of the world’s largest associations for security professionals, ASIS International, could not hold its conviction in describing Minister Wike as a man with a vivacious spirit sufficient enough to address many of the challenges facing Abuja,  including insecurity.

Like ASIS, a senior lawyer, Mohammed Ndaran (SAN) in March 2024, declared that Minister Wike, in just a few months in office, performed far beyond his predecessors.

According to him: “His performance in just a few months as FCT minister is far beyond several years spent by his predecessors in that office and these are facts”

Wike in less than two years as FCT Minister led a massive overhaul, not just of Abuja city road’s infrastructure, but also of land administration processes, as well as the development of the real estate sector.

He is also set to showcase milestone achievements of the President Tinubu’s government, this time, in two years of the administration.

As the President marks his second anniversary in office as Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, several completed projects across different sectors of the Abuja economy have been lined up for his inauguration.

According to Wike, the projects to be inaugurated cut across the Abuja city center, the satellite towns, and the rural areas, reflecting the administration’s commitment to inclusive development.

Key projects slated for inauguration by the President, include the Arterial Road N16, connecting Maitama and Katampe districts, the 16-kilometer OSEX II to Wasa service carriageway, linking Apo and Wasa districts, the Arterial Road N5 from Lifecamp Junction to Ring Road III, the renovated International Conference Centre (ICC), and the Greater Abuja Water project.

Other slated projects are the  Bus Terminals in Kugbo and Mabushi as well as Apo – Wassa road, the Inner Nothern Expressway from Ring Road 3 (Idu to Kubwa Road), the CN8 from N5 (Obafemi Awolowo Way) to Court of Appeal, N20 Flyover Onnex Kubwa Road and Life Junction to Ring Road III.

Also lined up for inauguration are the Kabulsa-Takushara Access Road, the Kabusa-Ketti Access Road, the access road in Giri District, the 15km Road from A2 Junction Abuja-Lokoja Road to Pai in Kwali Area Council, as well as the Ushafa, War College, and Army Checkpoint roads in Bwari Area Council.

A statement by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Lere Olayinka, said the aforementioned projects will be inaugurated within 19 days.

In 2024, a similar inauguration of projects took two weeks, highlighting the magnitude of the development achieved so far by the administration under  Wike.

First anniversary:

While celebrating President Tinubu’s first anniversary, Wike took the Nigerian leader on a tour and inauguration of critical projects. The President who was visibly excited as he drove around the city, could not hold back his joy, seeing the level of performance and the delivery of quality projects.

“I must recognize your vision that is revolutionary and very inspiring to many of our people. The changes you made to the FCT – structural and administrative – are yielding results and elevating the heart of many Nigerians,” President Tinubu had noted.

The first-anniversary tour, witnessed Tinubu’s inauguration of the Southern Parkway, from the Christian Center to the Ring Road (renamed as the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way), the rehabilitated Abuja Metro Line, the constructed access roads to the train stations, and parking lots.

The President also flagged off the commercial operation of Abuja light rail, the engineering infrastructure to Wuye district, full scope development of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) from the Villa roundabout to Ring Road 1, and full scope development of Arterial Road N20, from the Northern Parkway to the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) (renamed the Wole Soyinka Way).

The first anniversary, also featured the delivery of roads B6, B12, the Circle Road in Central Area, the engineering infrastructure to Guzape district lot II, and the provision of engineering infrastructure to the New Layout and the Diplomatic area.

Other projects delivered in the first year, are the Guzape District II Cadastral Zone A11 District, the resurfacing of existing roads, and remedial works on bridges in the Asokoro, Garki, Maitama, and Utako districts.

The FCT Minister also within a one year pushed for extensive works on the extension of the Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) from the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) to the Southern Parkway (S8/9), the construction of the 11-kilometer access road (FCT Highway 105) from the Airport Expressway to Kuje Township with spur at Kyami and the resurfacing of 189 roads covering 57 kilometers of roads within the Abuja city center.

After 14 years of abandoned works, the new Vice President’s official residence built at the cost of N21billion was completed and inaugurated by President Tinubu. The official residence of the FCT Minister located in the Life Camp area also received a facelift with major renovation works.

Satellite towns

Wike’s giant interventions for Abuja were not limited to the city center alone. The Minister with strong support from the presidency embarked on the construction of at least five kilometers of roads in each of the six Area Councils of the territory.

Records show that after due consultation with stakeholders on needs assessment, Wike, with the support of the Minister of State, Dr. Mariyam Mahmoud,

constructed and rehabilitated the 9km Paikon Kore-Ibwa road in Gwagwalada Area Council, and supervised the construction of a temporary access road to Saburi 1 and 2 communities within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) from old Keffi road near the Dei-Dei International Market.

There is also the construction and rehabilitation of 7.2km Gaba-Tokulo road in Bwari Area Council, the construction of a 5km Asphalt Carriageway from Garage Junction to LEA Secretariat in Kuje Area Council, 11km Yangoji-Sukuku-Ebo road in Kwali Area Council as well as the construction of 5km Naharati-River Ukya-Unguwan Hausawa Road in Abaji Area Council.

Security

It is not in doubt that Wike inherited a city enmeshed in a snarl of criminality – from one-chance operators in Abuja to kidnappers moving freely to the abduction of people in their homes. One first action taken to tackle the troubling situation was engagement with critical stakeholders in the territory.

The FCT administration under Wike provided about 100 motorcycles to security personnel for effective patrol in hard-to-reach rural areas and distributed  50 operational vehicles fitted with communication gadgets to strengthen the fight against insecurity in the territory.

More such support has continued in the second year, with relative peace, being experienced across the city.

With an ambitious N1.7trillion statutory budget being considered by the National Assembly for the FCT in the 2025 fiscal year, Wike is likely to focus on boosting key sectors, including health, social welfare, agriculture, and employment going forward, all crucial for delivering an effective and service-oriented administration to residents.