By Charles Pemu 
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday officially reopened the renovated International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja, which has now been controversially renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre. During the ceremony, the President lauded FCT Minister Nyesom Wike as a “transformational leader,” urging him to “ignore busybodies and bystanders” and continue his work.
In a significant policy shift, President Tinubu charged all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to henceforth pay for the use of the newly upgraded facility to ensure its sustainable maintenance. This directive was echoed by Minister Wike, who stressed the need for strict financial discipline, declaring, “Whether you are a ministry or an agency, you must pay something to use this facility… No such thing as ‘my brother’ or ‘my sister’ wants to use it for a wedding. If you want to use a beautiful place like this, you must pay something.”
Wike explained the decision to rename the centre, originally opened in 1991, stating it was a direct result of President Tinubu’s decisive leadership. He recalled how Tinubu had personally instructed the rehabilitation after witnessing the facility’s deplorable state during a 2024 ECOWAS Parliament conference. “Many presidents have come here, but none said this was not what Nigeria needed because they lacked your courage and vision,” Wike asserted.
The President himself recounted his shock at the ICC’s previous condition, praising Julius Berger Nigeria Plc for delivering a high-quality renovation within just eight months of the centre’s closure. He reaffirmed his administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” commitment to revitalizing infrastructure across key sectors nationwide.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio also commended the FCT Administration for naming halls within the centre after the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, highlighting the collaborative spirit under President Tinubu’s leadership.