By Olawumi Oyehan
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, said his administration has concluded arrangement to shifting its focus toward industrial waste recycling to achieve a more sustainable and consistently clean capital city.
Wike revealed this during an inspection tour of various infrastructure projects in Abuja.
The FCT Minister argued that the current culture of monthly environmental sanitation is insufficient for the long-term needs of a modern city.
He added that the traditional Monthly Sanitation only provides a temporary facelift.
”It does not solve the root problem of waste accumulation. If you do it on a Saturday, that Saturday is clean.
”But for me, that is not a very major issue. Having a dump site is not enough for you to say that the problem is solved,” Wike said.
He emphasised that true waste management is an industrial necessity rather than just a routine business task.
According to the Minister, the goal is to transition from merely collecting refuse to processing it through modern technologies.
He disclosed that the FCTA is looking to move beyond the use of landfills and dump sites by establishing specialised factories.
The vision is to turn Abuja’s waste into a resource by creating new products, aligning with global best practices.
The FCTA is already receiving and reviewing offers from experts who have successfully implemented these systems in other global cities.
In addition to waste management, the Minister provided updates on critical infrastructure projects slated for inauguration during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s third year in office.
Wike expressed high satisfaction with the Judges’ residences, describing the work by Gilmor as “beautiful” and “99 per cent ready.”
He also inspected the N5 road project, which is 100 per cent complete, and the Court of Appeal (Abuja Division).
While the Court of Appeal is 90 per cent complete, the Minister was candid about his expectations for quality, ordering the contractor to correct several “errors” before the official commissioning.
Addressing recent criticisms regarding the executive’s role in building judicial residences, Wike dismissed claims that such projects erode judicial independence.
He pointed out the irony of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) criticising government-funded infrastructure while simultaneously accepting government sponsorship for their own activities and conferences.
”The mere fact that the executive constructs does not mean that that will lead to interference in the judiciary,” Wike stated, reaffirming that providing comfortable housing allows judges to stay focused on their work without compromise.
The Minister concluded by reiterating that the FCTA remains undeterred and focused on fulfilling its promises to the residents of Abuja through both physical infrastructure and innovative environmental solutions.