PROVISION OF RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE WILL STIMULATE LOCAL ECONOMIES – SAYS FCT MINISTER

(R-L) FCT Minister Barr Nyesom Wike, Prof Emmanuel Adibe, AMAC Chairman Christopher Maikalangu, Director Engineering Services, STDD, Engr Bayo Boderinwa and the Coordinator STDD, Hon Abdulkadir Zulkifli during the Minister's inspection of ongoing reconstruction of roads in Karu satellite town on Wednesday

FCTA PRESS RELEASE

PROVISION OF RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE WILL STIMULATE LOCAL ECONOMIES – SAYS FCT MINISTER

…AS HE INSPECTS CRITICAL ROAD PROJECTS ACROSS SATELLITE TOWNS

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has reiterated that the administration’s focus on rural and satellite town infrastructure was a direct mandate from the Presidency to ensure the rapid development of suburban communities and reduce the pressure on the city centre.

Barr. Wike stated this on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, while addressing newsmen, shortly after he embarked on an extensive inspection tour of critical infrastructure projects across several satellite towns in the FCT.

Speaking during the tour which included stops at the 13km Karu road, the Apo-Karshi road, the emergency construction of the Bwari-Kubwa road, and the rehabilitation of the Gbazango (Arab Road) in Kubwa, the Minister explained that making satellite towns accessible through the provision of vital road infrastructure will not only stimulate local economies but will also significantly curb rural urban migration.

The Minister stressed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to better the lives of residents through the completion of key road projects, especially in the satellite towns, and decongesting the city centre.

Barr. Wike also stressed that the level of transformation under the current administration has won the confidence of the people.

He insisted that, “It is very difficult for anybody to win an election in the FCT against Mr. President, adding that, “Because to them (residents), it is surprising what they have seen in their lives.”

The Minister attributed the growing support to the administration’s deliberate policy of extending development beyond the city centre to rural and satellite communities.

He said, "The President said there is no need for over-concentration of development in the city; you have to go down to the satellite towns. That alone would have to discourage rural-urban migration. Look at this Bwari-Kubwa road; when I first came to this area, it was unpassable. Now you can imagine, having done this road, what the economic activities will be. While you are doing that of the city, you must also know that the satellite towns are part of the FCT. If that is done, obviously, nobody will complain”.

Reflecting on the progress of the projects, the Minister expressed high satisfaction with the technical capacity of the contractors, including Zeberced Nigeria Ltd, Arab Contractors and an indigenous company, Abdul Val Construction Company Ltd and expressed confidence that they will deliver the projects within agreed schedule.

At the Gbazango project in Kubwa, being handled by Zeberced, the Minister praised the high quality of the three-layer asphalting process, stressing that the road will have great positive impact on the local economy.

He said, “They’ve done part of the asphalting of three layers... up to 18cm. This is one of the roads we believe, by the grace of God, will be inaugurated during the third-year anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. By and large, we are happy with what we are doing because we believe the people are happy. It means that the government is very impactful in their lives and the economy will change”.

Addressing calls for a new specialized agency to regulate real estate and prevent the extortion of citizens by developers, the Minister dismissed the idea of creating multiple government bodies and maintained that existing departments, such as Development Control and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), were sufficient to handle these challenges.

He said, “I’m not in support of multiple agencies in government. That is not what will solve the problem. What is important is that FCDA can do that. In fact, there are some complaints that have come that we have been able to tackle by making sure that the estate developers return funds to the innocent citizens that they tried to collect money from”.

On his message for residents as they celebrate Eid Al-fitr, the Minister called for unity and continued support for the government to improve both infrastructure and regional security, noting that national development requires collective effort.

He said, “This is a period of unity, it’s a period of everybody working together and giving support to the government. Residents of the FCT should continue to support the government and expect more infrastructure. In terms of security, we are going to improve the security as it is today.

He wished all residents a happy Sallah.

MORE PHOTOS and CAPTIONS

Apo Karshi road under construction on Wednesday

 

Ongoing construction work on the Karu road on Wednesday

FCT Minister addressing excited residents of Kuchibuyi community along the Bwari-Kubwa road under construction, as he inspected ongoing critical road projects in the satellite towns on Wednesday

RABI MUSA UMAR

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PRESS

(OFFICE OF THE HONOURABLE MINISTER)

18/03/2026

FCTA/ODP/PR/811