By Olawumi Oyehan
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, said that the cost of completing the abandoned Millennium Tower project in Abuja has increased to between N300 billion and N400 billion.
The FCT Minister added that the increment in the cost of completing it is base on the present budget of the administration, it has made it financially unviable because it would affect other ongoing projects.
Wike stated this during an inspection tour of inspecting the ongoing construction of the extension of Collector Road CO1 linking Nile University area in the Institution and Research District with Lugbe, Abuja and the Arterial Road N1, from Wuye District to Ring Road II, Abuja.
The minister revealed that he has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to step in, reconsider the complex as a strategic national project, and assume its funding.
According to the minister, tying down such an enormous capital outlay to a single project would effectively cripple the territory’s finances and force the administration to abandon several other critical infrastructure projects needed across Abuja.
Responding to inquiries about the long-delayed landmark, Wike emphasised the need for a realistic approach to the city’s development priorities.
He said, “Well, you know that’s a national project. And I believe that it’s one project that government should reconsider. It should be a tourist centre project. The capital involved is too huge for the FCT to handle as a single project”.
Tracing the genesis of the signature edifice, Wike noted that the contract was originally awarded decades ago under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
However, the minister said years of neglect, economic shifts, and delayed execution have pushed the financial requirements to an unprecedented high.
“We have discussed with the contractor. Remember that the project was awarded under Obasanjo’s regime. As I speak to you, it’s not less than 300 to 400 billion Naira that the contractor is talking about. And if you look at it, how do we carry out such a project? It means that every other project in Abuja we will have to abandon. But we are still talking to the President that he should reconsider it as a national project. So, that’s where we are,” Wike further explained.
Despite the setback posed by the massive cost of the Millennium Tower, Wike expressed strong satisfaction with the pace and quality of ongoing infrastructure development across the territory, particularly praising major construction firms handling critical corridors.
On ongoing projects, Wike assured residents that all ongoing infrastructure projects awarded by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will be completed before the end of the year, expressing confidence in the contractors handling the various road projects across the capital city.
Wike said the Tinubu administration remained committed to delivering every project it had initiated, insisting that no road project would be abandoned.
”What should concern you is whether there is any project we have started and abandoned. Look at even the projects that were awarded since 2010. We have tried to see that all are completed, and the ones that this administration has awarded will also be completed,” the minister said.
He added: “I don’t want to be pessimistic. I’m very optimistic that all the roads that we have gone for inspection, after the commissioning and flag-off, will also be done. As far as I’m concerned, latest by the end of this year.”
Wike expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work on the Research and Institution Avenue, which will link Lugbe, being executed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), despite initially expressing concern over the volume of work still outstanding.
”I have faith. There are companies that, when they give you their word and you also play your own part, they always fulfil. CCECC is a company that is doing the road at the Research and Institution Avenue.
”With what I saw today, I can tell you comfortably that if we complete that project, I can beat my chest and go home and say I’m happy. The administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has succeeded in providing the basic infrastructure that has transformed Abuja into the city it is supposed to be,” he said.
The minister also commended Arab Contractors for the quality of work on another major road project, recalling that when the present administration assumed office in August 2023, the contractor handling the Airport Road to Kuje project had yet to mobilise to site.
According to him, discussions with stakeholders revealed that Arab Contractors was responsible for the project, after which the company committed to completing it as part of activities marking President Bola Tinubu’s third anniversary in office.
”Today, you can agree with me that it is one of the best quality roads you can talk about in Abuja. They are the ones now doing this road, and look at the quality of the job.
”The Managing Director, who is here with us, has assured us they will do their own part, while we will also fulfil our obligations. By the grace of God, we will hand over this project to Mr. President in December,” he stated.
Wike attributed the progress on ongoing projects to the mutual trust between the FCTA and its contractors, noting that several companies continued executing projects even before receiving full payments because they were confident the administration would honour its commitments.
”They have never disappointed us. That’s why most companies, even if we have not done our own part, still go ahead because they know that, at the end of the day, we will fulfil our obligation. That trust is there between us and these companies,” he said.
The minister described himself as “highly elated” by the quality of construction witnessed during the inspection, arguing that the transformation taking place in the nation’s capital was evident to residents and visitors alike.
”I can tell you I am highly elated with the level of work, the level of construction and the quality that we have seen. Every right-thinking person in this country and in this city will agree that indeed the President’s administration has transformed Abuja into a world-class city,” he stated.
He also urged the media to objectively report the progress recorded by the administration, saying journalists who had inspected the projects could independently attest to the changes taking place across the FCT.
”People are happy, and I believe that even you, the media, can attest to it. Even if we are not there, you become our ambassadors to say, ‘We have gone, we have seen, and we can attest to the fact that things have changed,'” Wike said.
Responding to questions on the ongoing bridge project around the Jabi axis, the minister urged residents to remain patient, reiterating that every project initiated by the administration would be completed.
”I know you have interest in one of these particular projects, but just be patient. Everything will be done,” he assured