The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has set an end-of-December target for the completion and handover of two major road projects in Abuja, saying the infrastructure will be delivered to residents ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike gave the assurance yesterday during an inspection of ongoing projects in the nation’s capital, where he commended the China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC) for maintaining work on the projects despite limited mobilisation.
The minister said the contractor had shown strong commitment by working day and night to meet the deadline.
“You remember when we flagged off this particular road, we did mention that we’ll like to hand it over to the residents of the FCT before the general election,” Wike said.
“I want to commend the contractor, CGC. Each time I discuss with them, they’ve always been so hopeful that they will complete the job, working day and night.”
Wike also praised the contractor for its work on the first phase of the International Conference Centre Expressway (ISEX) project, which he said was awarded in 2014 and had remained uncompleted for about 10 years.
According to him, the first phase comprises two interchanges and about 5.4 kilometres of road.
He specifically thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the full release of funds for the first phase of the project.
“I really would want to thank Mr. President for approving the complete release of the funds for the ISEX, of the first phase, which includes two interchanges and I think about 5.4 kilometres of road,” he said.
The FCT minister said the level of work achieved by CGC was commendable considering that the contractor had not received substantial mobilisation.
He described the contractor’s decision to continue working as a demonstration of confidence in the FCT Administration and the Tinubu government.
“I want to commend the contractors for having confidence in us, that even though they’ve not been mobilised much, yet you see the level of work. And that shows their commitment and belief in this administration,” Wike said.
He urged other contractors handling government projects to emulate CGC, arguing that development projects should not always be viewed solely from the perspective of immediate profit.
“Everything is not about profit. Sometimes, for the development, they call it their own contribution for the development of the area. Money will come at the end of the day,” he said.
Wike assured contractors that government would eventually meet its financial obligations, urging them to continue with work even when payments were delayed.
“There’s no government that will give out jobs and will not want to pay. Probably, the money may not have come at that time you expected, but at the end of the day, we believe that you have moved work, you deserve your payment,” he said.
The minister also cautioned contractors against allowing pressure from competitors to discourage them from executing projects.
He said some companies could attempt to question why a contractor was working when it had not received full mobilisation, but urged them to remain committed.
“I know that when you say this, some companies will go and lobby them to say, ‘Oh, why are you working when we are not working?’ Please, they’re committed to contribute to the success of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration,” Wike said.
Expressing confidence in the completion target, the minister said: “I’m quite confident by December ending, God willing, these two projects would have been handed over to us.”
He said the projects would significantly change the landscape of Abuja and further demonstrate the impact of the Tinubu administration’s investment in the FCT.
“Indeed, the present administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given so much to the Federal Capital Territory. We thank him for that,” Wike said.
He also commended Abuja residents for their support and cooperation with the FCT Administration, particularly in the execution of ongoing infrastructure projects.
