ABUJA – The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reaffirmed its commitment to completing long-stalled district infrastructure projects across Abuja, with Minister Nyesom Wike declaring that “government is a continuum” regardless of when contracts were originally awarded.
The Minister’s announcement came on Wednesday following an inspection tour of ongoing work at the Guzape II (A11) District, where he revealed that many major projects currently underway were initially awarded years before the Tinubu administration but had languished due to funding shortages.
“It is most unfortunate, what I’ve always said, that most of the jobs you see us doing were awarded years back before the inception of this administration in 2023,” Wike stated. “Here is A11, Guzape, but because of lack of funding, it was stalled.”
The Minister emphasized that infrastructure development remains crucial for stimulating social and economic growth by opening new districts and enabling residents and businesses to access allocated plots. He cited the example of Maitama II, where properties remained inaccessible for over a decade until recent intervention.
“Like Maitama II, which was awarded more than 10 years ago – people who had properties could not access their land,” Wike explained. “We felt Abuja was becoming congested, so the Federal Executive Council has now awarded the job for full engineering infrastructure.”
The A11 District project, awarded six years ago with plots allocated over seven years ago, represents one of several inherited contracts the administration has prioritized for completion. Wike stressed that despite not originating the projects, the current government has a duty to see them through.
Addressing community concerns, the Minister assured that the FCTA consistently compensates and relocates villages affected by expansion works. “Any village that is affected is always compensated,” he stated. “Like the one in C01 at Guzape village – compensation has been made and relocation is ongoing.”
