Representative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, APC National Chairman, operating a loader vehicle to ceremonially flag off Collector Road C01 at the Institution and Research District, Abuja
FCTA PRESS RELEASE
PRESIDENT TINUBU FLAGS OFF CONSTRUCTION OF COLLECTOR ROAD CO1 IN ABUJA’S INSTITUTION AND RESEARCH DISTRICT
...AS FCT MINISTER VOWS CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE FCT
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has officially flagged off
the construction of Collector Road CO1 in the Institution and Research District
of the Federal Capital Territory, designed to connect premier academic,
legal, and research institutions in the nation’s capital to the
wider city network.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, June 23,
2026, President Tinubu described the strategic road project, spanning
from the Nile University area to Ring Road III as a critical connection between
learning, law, and the future of the nation's capital.
He explained that the new infrastructure development extends from
the recently completed corridor that links the Body of Benchers, Nile
University, and Baze University in the Institution and Research District,
which is also scheduled for official commissioning as part of the
administration's anniversary celebrations.
“The first phase of this corridor connecting the Body of Benchers, Nile
and Baze Universities is done and ready for commissioning. Today we begin the
next phase to Ring Road III to complete the loop. That is how we build a city
with a plan, not a city of abandoned pieces. Infrastructure must be continuous
if it must be useful” President Tinubu stated.
He noted that the Institution and Research District was designed to
be the intellectual heart of Abuja, filled with growing universities, law
chambers, and innovation hubs, and stressed that Collector Road
CO1, when completed, will reduce travel time, ease traffic
congestion, and accelerate education and enterprise across the entire area by
linking it directly to the wider city network.
He charged the contractors and engineers to deliver the road with
speed and uncompromising quality and specifically urged them to
employ local Nigerian youths and artisans, emphasizing that infrastructure
becomes a true source of national wealth when it is used to transfer critical
skills to the local workforce.
He also appealed to the students, staff, and management of Nile
University, Baze University, and the Body of Benchers to endure temporary
traffic disruptions and follow the guidance of site engineers, explaining that
a short discomfort now would guarantee permanent access, safety, and dignity
for decades to come.
President Tinubu also praised the Minister of the FCT,
Barrister Nyesom Wike, CON, commending his unmatched energy and his ability to
transform the FCT Administration into a highly efficient delivery agency.
He said, “Wike, your energy is unmatched. You took over a capital with
many stalled projects and turned the FCTA into a delivery agency. “Mr.
Projects” is not a slogan, it is a record. You have revived sleeping roads,
built new interchanges, and brought development to satellite towns. You have
domesticated the Renewed Hope Agenda; street by street, district by district.
The transformation of Abuja under your watch is bold, visible, and worthy of
commendation. Well done, Minister Wike”.
He equally commended the Minister of State, Dr. Mariya
Mahmoud, alongside the entire management of the FCTA and the Federal Capital
Development Authority for working as a cohesive team to ensure all modern
projects stand the test of time.
In his remarks at the event, the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike,
revealed that the Collector Road C01 was prioritized after the
Chairman of the Body of Benchers made an urgent plea during the last Call to
Bar ceremony, citing severe traffic congestion. He stated that the
FCTA immediately stepped in to construct the corridor to enhance traffic
movement for university students and legal practitioners attending major
ceremonies.
The FCT Minister provided a timeline for the project, sharing that the
lead contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), had
given assurances that the road will be fully completed by January next
year.
He promised that the FCTA would fulfill its part of the partnership
by ensuring timely payments to match the contractor's swift execution. He
also commended CCECC's consistent reliability, pointing to their recent
completion of the Bill Clinton Road in Tungan Madaki within just
seven to eight months.
Addressing public concerns regarding the political
calendar, Barr. Wike firmly reassured residents that upcoming
elections would not slow down the pace of governance or lead to abandoned
infrastructure in the FCT.
He said, "Mr. President has given us the directive. "All
must be done, whether politics is around the corner or not. We must complete
every assignment; we must fulfill all the promises we have made to the
people of our city."
He added that residents should not worry about project abandonment, noting that the administration remains tireless and will "continue to work while we prepare for the inauguration of the president, in his second tenure, in office."
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State, FCT, Dr Mariya
Mahmoud, who was represented by the Head of FCTA Civil Service, Nancy Sabanti
Nathan, thanked President Tinubu for his consistent support to the FCT
Administration and the National Assembly for approving the necessary resources
that make such project possible.
Acting Executive Secretary, FCDA, Engr Richard Yunana Dauda, while providing the technical details of the project, explained that the scope of the current project involved the construction of collector CO1, from the Nile University to Ring Road III, as well as an extension of the recently completed section, from Baze University Junction to Nile University with a total length of about 6 kilometers. He added that the section from the Baze University Junction to Nile University will be dualized.
Engr Dauda said that the scope of work includes side kerbs, earthworks, surface water drainage systems, construction of box and pipe culverts of various sizes, about 8 in number, asphalt-paved road walks, 2 bridges one of 3 spans and the other of 4 spans, over rivers, in addition to street lighting.
Mr Henry Shao, Executive Director,
CCECC, expressed gratitude to the FCT Minister for his trust, leadership and
support. He promised to work with the FCDA team, the host community and all
other stakeholders, pledging to deliver to standard and on time.
MORE PICTURES AND CAPTIONS
Left to Right: APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda; FCT Minister, Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike; CCECC Executive Director, Mr Henry Shao; Head of Service, FCTA, Mrs Nancy Nathan Sabanti at the Flag off of Collector Road C01, at the Institution and Research District, Abuja
Aerial view of newly flagged off Collector Road C01, at the Institution and Research District, Abuja
APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda (First from Right) in a handshake with CCECC Executive Director, Mr Henry Shao, while FCT Minister, Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike (in the middle) watches, during the flag-off of the construction of Collector Road C01 in the Institution and Research District of Abuja, on Tuesday.
RABI MUSA UMAR
DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PRESS
(OFFICE OF THE HON. MINISTER)
FCTA/ODP/PR/864
23/06/2026
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