As the Federal Capital Territory gears up for a flurry of project inaugurations to mark President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second year in office on May 29, FCT Minister Barrister Nyesom Wike is not only inspecting projects—he’s also raising uncomfortable questions about land hoarding by public institutions.
During a project inspection tour on Thursday, the minister took a detour from the usual praise of contractors to voice strong concerns over what he described as “land grabbing in the name of education.” Standing on a dusty stretch of road leading to the EFCC Academy, flanked by construction workers and the media, Wike was visibly unimpressed with the size of land acquired by the University of Abuja.
“You can’t deny development where a university will go and take over 1,000 hectares of land—for what purpose?” Wike asked. “We’ve been to universities across the country. Just grabbing land is not what makes a university; it is infrastructure and quality.”
The minister’s inspection, which included the 15-kilometre OSEX Road leading to Wassa being handled by CGC Construction, showed significant progress. Contractors, he said, have promised delivery by the end of May, ahead of the President’s anniversary celebration.
“We are very happy with what we are seeing and the quality of jobs. Mr. President will be happy too when he comes to inaugurate them. This is what it means to keep promises made,” Wike said.
But while the contractors earned the minister’s commendation, institutions like the University of Abuja and the Nigeria Police were put on notice over undeveloped parcels of land allocated to them years ago.
“What future are we talking about?” Wike fired back when asked if the land might be for long-term expansion. “Before you know it, they will begin to lease it out. If you don’t develop it, the government will take it back and give it to those who will.”
Pressed on whether the administration would reclaim the land, the minister said, “Don’t jump the gun. Let the Director of Lands come to me. We’ll invite the university and the police and ask why they’ve not developed the area.”
