President Bola Tinubu has praised the transformation taking place in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), saying Abuja is becoming a better city under the leadership of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking through Senate President Godswill Akpabio at a thanksgiving dinner held in Abuja on Friday to celebrate the inauguration of 31 projects completed within 28 days, Tinubu said the nation’s capital has witnessed remarkable progress 50 years after its creation.
He commended Wike and his team for their commitment to delivering infrastructure and improving the lives of residents, noting that true leadership is reflected in visible achievements rather than promises.
According to the President, every completed road, bridge and project in the FCT strengthens national unity, creates opportunities and restores confidence that government can deliver when driven by vision and determination.
Former FCT Minister and current Special Adviser to the President on General Duties, Aliyu Modibbo, who represented Vice President Kashim Shettima, also applauded Wike’s performance. He expressed hope that the minister would retain his position during Tinubu’s second term, saying four years would not be enough to complete his development plans.
Wike, in his remarks, said he inherited a civil service with low morale when he assumed office in August 2023 but quickly introduced reforms, including the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, which allows civil servants to rise to senior positions such as permanent secretary and Head of Service.
He credited the commission and other reforms approved by President Tinubu for improving workers’ motivation and boosting project execution.
The minister revealed that the administration completed nine projects in Tinubu’s first year, 19 in the second year and 31 in the third year. He added that removing the FCT from the Treasury Single Account also enabled the administration to access commercial bank funding for infrastructure development.
Wike thanked contractors for delivering projects on schedule and pledged to sustain collaboration with them to further improve infrastructure across Abuja.
He noted that about 70 per cent of the projects commissioned were abandoned by previous administrations, adding that only the Inner Southern Expressway remains unfinished.
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 Abuja has experienced unprecedented transformation under his leadership.
Julius Berger Managing Director, Dr. Peer Lubasch, speaking on behalf of contractors, commended Tinubu’s commitment to infrastructure development and praised Wike’s planning and investment, describing Abuja as a city steadily evolving into one of Africa’s finest purpose-built capitals.
