Abuja — Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday voiced disappointment over the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, describing the development as a painful contrast to the strides being recorded in infrastructure development under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking during the commissioning of Phase I of the Kuje-Gwagwalada Dual Carriageway in Abuja, Wike said Nigerians had every reason to expect better from a national team populated by players competing at the highest levels of global football.
“Let me use the medium through you to tell the Super Eagles that we are not happy,” Wike said while addressing Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu at the event.
“The moment they mentioned the Super Eagles, I said I would not clap. I watch the World Cup and see countries I have never heard of qualifying. Nigerians are everywhere in the world playing football at the highest level, yet we did not qualify. Joseph Yobo should go and tell them that we are not happy.”
His remarks, which drew laughter from the audience, reflected wider public disappointment over Nigeria’s absence from the global football tournament despite the country’s rich pool of football talent.
Beyond football, Wike used the occasion to highlight what he described as the tangible impact of the Tinubu administration’s development agenda in the Federal Capital Territory.
He recalled that shortly after assuming office in August 2023, the FCT Administration embarked on extensive consultations across the six area councils to identify the needs and priorities of residents.
According to him, traditional rulers, youth groups, women and other stakeholders consistently raised concerns over poor road infrastructure, limited access to communities and the security challenges associated with neglected road networks.
“For the first time, government officials went to the people to ask them what they wanted instead of making decisions from offices in Abuja,” he said.
Wike noted that many of the projects currently being commissioned across the territory were direct responses to requests made by residents during those engagements, adding that the administration remained committed to ensuring that development extends beyond the city centre to satellite communities.
He said the completion of the Kuje-Gwagwalada road would not only improve mobility and security but also stimulate agricultural production and commercial activities along the corridor.
The minister further described the project as evidence that the Renewed Hope Agenda was translating into visible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
The commissioning formed part of ongoing activities marking the inauguration of key infrastructure projects executed under the Tinubu administration across the Federal Capital Territory.
