During a recent event, President Bola Tinubu humorously expressed his eagerness to welcome Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to the All Progressives Congress (APC) whenever he decides to join the party.
The President made these remarks at the inauguration of Arterial Road N16 (Shehu Shagari Way), which connects Ring Road 1 (Nnamdi Azikiwe Way) to Arterial Road N20 (Wole Soyinka Way), along with accompanying interchanges and feeder roads in Maitama District, Abuja.
Commending Wike for his dedication and collaborative governance approach, Tinubu stated, “He could not achieve this alone without your full cooperation as a team builder and player. You have proved that teamwork is the hallmark of good leadership.”
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, noted that Tinubu acknowledged the support of traditional rulers and local communities in ensuring the smooth relocation of residents affected by the development.
“I commend the Minister for relocating the local communities affected by the development, with peace and good compensation. The government has played its part, and I urge you to protect this infrastructure and use it wisely,” he said.
As the crowd applauded, President Tinubu humorously addressed Wike’s political alignment: “He’s not a member of my party, not yet. But the day he changes his mind and registers with the Progressives, we will welcome him because we will enjoy him singing as ’e dey sweet us.’”
Tinubu described the project as more than just a road, emphasizing its significance to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. “What was once a missing link is now a modern, functional, and durable infrastructure, an artery fully realized through the leadership of the FCT Administration under the Honourable Minister, Barrister Wike,” he said.
He noted that the corridor had remained underdeveloped for years despite being an integral part of the Abuja Master Plan. “This road will ease traffic congestion around Central Abuja and improve connectivity to developing districts such as Katampe, Jahi, and Bwari. It will stimulate housing and business growth while serving as a foundation for future city integration,” he added.
President Tinubu reiterated the importance of infrastructure development for Nigeria’s progress, stating, “Infrastructure is the bedrock of national competitiveness, growth, social integration, and economic opportunity. There is no way industrialization will flourish without good roads. We invest in roads, rail, power, healthcare, education, and digital infrastructure. We can only unlock Nigeria’s full potential through this coordinated and integrated development. I promise you, we will.”
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to delivering results despite political distractions, the President declared, “We will continue to build and serve the people, no matter how much the lesser minds pursue their politics.”
In his remarks, Wike commended the President for restoring public trust in government and boosting contractor confidence, which has led to the accelerated completion of key infrastructure projects in the FCT. “This road was awarded by the administration. It is not one of those projects we inherited,” he emphasized, noting that the Federal Executive Council approved the project in September 2023 and flagged it off the following month.
Wike acknowledged his initial skepticism about the contractor, CGC Nigeria Limited, but praised their performance on another project. “Companies and contractors are competing among themselves to have jobs awarded to them, and they are ready to mobilize to the site without the government paying them for the initial mobilization. That is confidence-building, and that’s what you’ve created,” he told the President.
He added, “No contract that you have awarded under the city was abandoned. By the time you do your third anniversary next year, you will see that virtually all the contracts you awarded under you as President will have been completed, to the glory of God.”
Wike also noted that the visible impact of the Tinubu administration had neutralized opposition efforts under the ‘coalition’ movement. “Your good works have defeated the coalition. I have instructed my people to ensure that every national television station must hook into the inauguration of projects. They will see what is happening on national television every day on every channel. They have no choice but to watch Mr. President for the next 17 days,” he said.
Presenting a technical brief, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, explained that the completed Arterial Road N16 starts from Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway (Ring Road One) near Transcorp Hilton and extends to Arterial Road N20 (Wole Soyinka Way).
“The corridor integrates Maitama, Katampe, Utako, Jahi, and surrounding districts, providing critical linkages for residents and commercial users,” he said.
He added that the 3.7-kilometer road was delivered with complete engineering infrastructure, including underground surface water drainage systems, box and pipe culverts of various sizes, foul sewer and water supply networks, telecommunication ducts, and modern street lighting systems.
