By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the decision of the FCT Administration to revoke land allocations at the Abuja Technology Village and parts of the University of Abuja, saying the move was necessary to pave the way for the ambitious Abuja City Walk project.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike said the supposed investors of the Abuja Technology Village had failed to meet development obligations despite the government providing infrastructure for over 20 years. Instead, he alleged, they engaged in land-grabbing and illegal leasing.
“The FCTA provided the infrastructure for more than 20 years, and nothing has been done. You go there, they have rented out the place, you see where NNPC tankers are parked, and they collect money. So many people are now claiming to have C of Os. I said okay, I must resolve this problem. There is nothing called Abuja Technology Village,” Wike declared.
He noted that the new Abuja City Walk project, inspired by the Dubai City Walk, had recently secured a memorandum of understanding with a private investor and would deliver world-class infrastructure to the capital city.
To curb further land abuse, Wike announced a new FCTA policy that introduces clear timelines for land development, warning that any land not developed within the stipulated period would revert to the administration.
On the University of Abuja controversy, the minister said the institution had failed to develop its land despite occupying it for several years. He dismissed claims that much of the 4,000 hectares left for the school was rocky terrain, stressing that the land was still adequate for its needs.
He also revealed that key projects such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) academy were now springing up on the reclaimed lands.
Highlighting strides in infrastructure revenue, Wike disclosed that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, barely a month after reopening, had already generated over N1.2 billion for the government, compared to the N50 million previously remitted annually by its former managers.