FCT will Mirror Nigeria’s Growing Population and National Identity, Says Tinubu

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

President Bola Tinubu said the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will develop into a capital city that mirrors Nigeria’s expanding population, economic goals and national identity.

He reaffirmed his administration’s focus on infrastructure-led growth, noting that better transport links in Abuja should lower logistics costs, attract investment and create jobs.

President Tinubu made these remarks on Wednesday in Abuja when he commissioned the full‑scope development of Arterial Road N5, Obafemi Awolowo Way, which connects Life Camp Junction to Ring Road III in Dape District, Abuja.

The president, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, described infrastructure as a sign of national seriousness and state capacity.

He said the government would keep investing in strategic projects that improve connectivity, support economic activity and restore public confidence in governance.

“Infrastructure is the measure by which every civilised nation announces its seriousness. No capital can carry the weight of national ambition if its arteries are blocked by neglect, excuses and abandoned promises,” he stated.

He added that his administration remains determined to transform Abuja into a capital capable of matching the federation’s ambitions and serving as a model of planned urban development.

“We will never rest until we have made the Federal Capital Territory not only a functional seat of government, but a capital worthy of our federation, our growing population and the dreams that brought Abuja into being,” he said.

President Tinubu noted that the road infrastructure inherited by his administration required sustained intervention, pointing out that the government has maintained continuity in construction and rehabilitation efforts without interruption.

“There has been no break, no pause and no retreat in the construction and rehabilitation of the roads we inherited. That is why we have ended the tradition of abandoned projects and restored faith in the power of government to finish what it starts,” he maintained.

Speaking specifically about the Dape District section of Arterial Road N5, the president said the project was conceived, funded and completed under the current administration after it was awarded to Julius Berger with a fifteen‑month execution timeline following its flag‑off in October 2024.

He said the project’s completion shows a deliberate departure from a culture in which public infrastructure became trapped in prolonged delays and repeated budget cycles.

“In the past, projects like this became permanent budget items with ten or fifteen years of excuses. Under this administration, that era is over,” he stated.

Tinubu praised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, for driving infrastructure execution across the capital city and commended the contractor for delivering as expected.

“The Honourable Minister has shown what happens when political will meets accountability. We fund projects to see results, not to hear explanations for failure,” he said.

He described the newly completed road as more than a transport corridor, noting that it serves as an economic asset that can improve mobility and reduce productivity losses caused by congestion.

For years, he said, Life Camp Junction had been a major traffic bottleneck that imposed significant time and economic costs on residents and businesses.

“With the completion of this N5 corridor, we are delivering the seamless district connectivity envisioned in the Abuja Master Plan,” he said.

According to the president, the corridor now creates faster connections across Dape, Karmo, Gwarinpa I, Kado, Idu and Mbora while also improving access to the Idu Industrial District.

President Tinubu also stressed that infrastructure sustainability requires shared responsibility between government and citizens.

He urged residents and businesses benefiting from the development to comply with tax obligations and land‑related payments to strengthen the FCT Administration’s capacity to deliver more projects.

The president called on traditional rulers, community leaders and residents to protect public infrastructure and prevent vandalism.

Earlier, Minister of FCT Barr. Nyesom Wike praised President Tinubu’s support for improving the state of infrastructure in the FCT, especially in satellite towns, and for bringing governance closer to the people of the territory, urging continued support for the administration.

He said the pace and state of development in satellite towns and communities under the Tinubu administration was unprecedented and the most visible evidence of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the FCT.

Minister of State for FCT Dr Mariya Mahmud also thanked President Tinubu for his visionary leadership and support for the implementation of critical infrastructure projects in the FCT over the past three years.

She applauded Vice President Shettima’s steadfast commitment and support for developmental initiatives and people‑oriented projects in the FCT and across the country.

Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Administration Engr Richard Yunana Dauda said the completion and inauguration of the current phase of the road project adds to the list of impactful projects completed under the Tinubu administration and will significantly improve the state of road infrastructure in the territory, particularly connecting adjoining towns and communities in the FCT.

Also present at the event were federal legislators and top officials of the FCT administration, among others.

The post FCT ‘ll reflect Nigeria’s growing population, national identity – Tinubu appeared first on Vanguard News.