Wike assures timely review, upgrade of Abuja master plan

Stories by Stanley Onyekwere

To ensure that realisation of the review and upgrade of Integrated Urban Development Master Plan for Abuja, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike said it would be implemented in partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Wike, who made the assertion yesterday, when JICA team visited him in Abuja, promised that all the expectations from the FCT Administration for the implementation of the project would be made in due course.
He said: “For us, be assured that it is a project that we are committed to, and we will do all we can to see that the project comes to fruition.”
He also declared a stronger collaboration for the development of the FCT, including satellite towns and environs.
He however, commended the agency’s nutrition and open defecation projects, which he described as a huge success.
Furthermore, the minister advocated for the continuation of JICA intervention in education, particularly to improve the teaching of mathematics and other science subjects in FCT public schools.
Similarly, Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engineer Shehu Ahmad explained that review of the almost 45-year-old Abuja Master Plan was crucial to address current challenges in the capital city.
According to him: “We are talking about supporting facilities in terms of infrastructure, water supply, power supply, and storm water and wastewater drainage system.
“We are also looking at the need for a smart city for Abuja, so that the city will be one of the top cities of the world.
“Urban mobility has remained a challenge, and we are feeling that they should look into those areas to enhance it.”
He further noted that the population explosion in Abuja had equally created the need to look into creation of employment opportunities.
He also disclosed that the JICA team, with support from a technical team from critical departments of the FCTA and FCDA have begun collection of basic data for the formulation of the project’s inception report.
He added that an international conference will be convened to seek inputs from critical stakeholders once the inception report is approved.
Earlier in his remarks, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Nigeria,Mr Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, said that the open defecation, nutrition and urban development projects were few among the numerous projects being implemented by JICA in FCT.
Kazuyoshi opined that Capacity Development for Nutrition Improvement in FCT and the elimination of open defecation projects recorded a huge success.
He however, solicited for more collaboration with the FCTA to deepen the results-oriented project to impact on more communities of the FCT.
Also speaking, Infrastructure Management, Department, JICA, Mr. Nobukuyi Kobe noted that the goal was to ensure sustainability in line with relevant policies.
Kobe said Output 1 of the project was the formulation of regional infrastructure development strategy for the Federal Capital City and satellite towns, and integrated urban development plan from 2025 to 2050.
He added that Output 2, was an enhanced capacity of planning and implementation officers of FCTA.
He, however, said that FCTA would be expected to support in expediting correspondence with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He added that the FCTA is also expected to approve the reviewed and updated plan, along with the Urban and Regional Planning Act, as well as seamless collaboration of FCTA and FCDA.