Abuja – Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has declared that Abuja is fully open for business, assuring genuine investors of a conducive environment while warning land grabbers, speculators and fraudulent developers that the administration will no longer tolerate activities capable of undermining the Abuja Master Plan.
Speaking at the opening of the Abuja Business and Investment Expo (ABIE) 3.0 in Abuja, Wike said the FCT Administration had embarked on sweeping reforms to make the nation’s capital Nigeria’s most attractive destination for investment.
Represented by the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, the minister said the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu had transformed Abuja into a thriving investment hub through massive investments in roads, transportation, water supply, healthcare, education and urban renewal.
According to him, the administration has completed abandoned projects, opened up new development corridors and extended critical infrastructure to satellite towns and Area Councils to stimulate economic growth.
Wike noted that the FCT’s fourth-place ranking in the 2025 Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Subnational Ease of Doing Business assessment, with a 61 per cent score, reflects the administration’s commitment to improving governance and making business easier.
He disclosed that reforms in land administration, digital governance, revenue collection and institutional accountability were designed to eliminate bottlenecks, improve transparency and boost investors’ confidence.
The minister, however, warned that anyone involved in fraudulent land allocations, multiple ownership claims or illegal developments would face the full weight of the law.
“Ease of doing business does not mean the absence of regulation. We will support and protect genuine investors, but we will not protect land speculators, fraudulent developers or businesses that disregard the law,” he said.
He identified real estate, transportation, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, education, renewable energy, technology, waste management and the creative industry as sectors offering huge investment opportunities, urging investors to take advantage of emerging districts and satellite towns.
Earlier, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL), Amb. Maureen Tamuno, described the Expo as a strategic platform for attracting investments and forging partnerships that would unlock Abuja’s enormous economic potential.
She said the three-day event would feature exhibitions, investment forums, networking sessions and policy dialogues aimed at driving sustainable economic growth in the FCT and Nigeria.
