By Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says about 70 per cent of the infrastructure projects completed by the FCT Administration under President Bola Tinubu were inherited contracts abandoned for between 15 and 16 years.
Speaking at his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Wike said the administration deliberately prioritised reviving long-neglected projects in line with President Tinubu’s directive that viable government investments should not be left to waste.
According to the minister, completing the abandoned projects has preserved public resources while delivering long-awaited infrastructure to residents of the nation’s capital.
He explained that the FCT Administration has pursued a dual strategy of completing inherited projects alongside the execution of new roads and other critical infrastructure across Abuja and the satellite towns.
“The President made it clear that we cannot abandon old projects. While completing inherited projects, we must also initiate new ones. About 70 per cent of the projects we have completed were awarded 15 to 16 years ago but left abandoned,” Wike said.
The minister noted that leaving the projects unfinished would have continued to deny residents essential infrastructure despite the huge public funds already committed to them.
Wike also credited the accelerated pace of infrastructure development in the FCT to President Tinubu’s support, particularly the removal of the FCT Administration from the Treasury Single Account (TSA), which he said has improved access to funding for capital projects.
He assured residents that the administration would sustain its infrastructure renewal programme by completing ongoing projects, opening up new districts, constructing more roads and strengthening transportation infrastructure across the Federal Capital Territory.
