Vows ongoing projects will be delivered before year-end
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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed that the long-delayed Abuja Millennium Tower remains unfinished because completing the iconic project would cost more than ₦400 billion, a sum he said is beyond the financial capacity of the FCT Administration.
Speaking on Thursday after inspecting major infrastructure projects across the Federal Capital Territory, Wike said the FCTA was in discussions with President Bola Tinubu to designate the Millennium Tower as a national project to enable federal funding and accelerate its completion.
Describing the tower as a potential tourist landmark, the minister said the project could not be funded from the FCT’s statutory allocation without jeopardising other ongoing infrastructure works.
“That is a national project. I believe it is one project that the government should reconsider as a tourist center project. The capital involved is too huge for the FCT’s statutory budget,” Wike said.
He added: “As I speak to you, the contractor is talking about not less than ₦400 billion. If we attempt to carry out such a project alone, every other project in Abuja will be abandoned. But we are discussing with the President to consider it as a national project.”
Despite the setback over the Millennium Tower, Wike reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to completing all ongoing infrastructure projects in the nation’s capital before the end of 2026.
The minister inspected the extension of Collector Road CO1 in the Institution and Research District, linking Nile University to Ring Road III and the Baze University Junction extension, as well as the Arterial Road N1 project connecting Wuye District to Ring Road II.
According to him, the projects are aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving connectivity, and integrating key academic, legal, and research institutions into Abuja’s road network.
Wike expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work, saying the projects reflect the Tinubu administration’s determination to transform Abuja into a world-class capital city.
Providing an update on the Arterial Road N1 project being executed by Arab Contractors, the minister assured residents that the road would be formally handed over by December.
He attributed the steady progress on infrastructure projects to the confidence contractors have in the FCT Administration’s ability to honour its financial obligations.
“For me, it’s the confidence in us by the contractors,” Wike said.
“Even if we have not fully met our obligation at any point, they still go ahead knowing fully well that we will fulfill our part. That trust is there, and I am highly elated with the level of work.”
The minister noted that the FCTA was simultaneously completing legacy projects awarded as far back as 2010 while executing new projects initiated under President Tinubu’s administration.
He appealed to residents to remain patient as construction continues across the territory and urged the media to accurately report what he described as the visible transformation taking place in the Federal Capital Territory.
(The Sun)