The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said that the International Conference Centre, Abuja, which cost ₦39 billion to refurbish and was renamed Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, has generated ₦700 million in three weeks.
Wike disclosed this at the Thanksgiving service for the completion of projects by the FCT administration on Sunday.
He said before the advent of the President Bola Tinubu administration, the centre was poorly managed, with low revenue accruing to the Federal Government annually.
“The Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, you know, there were people who were running it. They were paying the government ₦50 million every year.
“These are people who want to rescue Nigeria. When we went there, the President said, ‘Look, this is an eyesore,’ that this is not a quality, this is not a Nigeria we should prevent. And we shut the place down. And within six to seven months, we have rehabilitated the international control centre,” he said.
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Wike added, “But do you know the shocking thing? The man who was running it, from Adamawa, was paying the government ₦50 million a year.
“But in the three weeks that we just renovated it, we have made over 700 years. This is paying into the coffers of the government ₦50 million a year, but in three weeks, we have made over ₦700 million.
“The same people who will come and tell you they will rescue Nigeria — ₦700 million in three weeks! ”
The minister further stated that it was ironic that those who had the opportunity to serve but mismanaged the country were criticising Tinubu’s administration and claiming that they wanted to rescue Nigeria.
He added, “People had the opportunity to be in the government for several years — eight years, 20 years. People had an opportunity to bring facilities and infrastructure to their states. They didn’t do it.
“That time, Nigerians were not angry. It’s only now that they are not in office that Nigerians are angry. If I say, ‘Look, we want to rescue Nigeria. ’
What you should ask me is, ‘When you had the opportunity, what happened? ‘”
‘Projects Everywhere’
Wike said Nigerians could attest to the positive changes and developments in the FCT due to Tinubu’s decision to pull the FCT out from the Treasury Single Account.
He explained, “Before now, it was difficult for the FCT to access funds. Mr. President, in his wisdom, believed that we should pull out from the Single Treasury Account that had been debilitating the development of the FCT.
“Today, we can see projects because we are no longer operating under the Single Treasury Account. All this was done because Mr. President believes that we should be on our own, have access to commercial banks, and be able to pay back.
“If we want to do projects today, we will have access to commercial banks and use our revenue as collateral. And so, that is why you are seeing projects left, right, and centre.
The inauguration of the centre by Tinubu on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, was greeted with criticism by opposition leaders, some of whom faulted the amount spent on rehabilitating the facility.
However, Wike described them as people who “don’t have good taste”.
Speaking at the inauguration of the newly constructed Left-Hand Service Carriageway in Abuja, he said, “Nigeria, as the Giant of Africa, must not only show that it is the Giant of Africa; people must see what makes it the Giant of Africa. Nobody who loves this country would criticise the International Conference Centre.
Source: Channels TV
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