President Bola Tinubu yesterday said the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has earned his trust and commendation.
He also revealed that he directed the minister to construct access roads and other critical engineering infrastructure before asking Nigerians to move into the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in Karsana, Abuja, saying Wike delivered on the assignment without delay.
The president, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, made the disclosure during the commissioning of the 10.5-kilometre Access Roads to the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in Karsana West District.
Tinubu said the completion of the road network fulfilled the directive he issued during the groundbreaking ceremony for the housing project, stressing that no housing development could succeed without adequate supporting infrastructure.
“When I performed the groundbreaking for the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City here in Karsana, I gave one clear directive: provide the roads, provide the engineering infrastructure and unlock this district for development. Housing without access is a blueprint without a building,” he said.
He noted that the era of abandoned projects in the Federal Capital Territory was gradually becoming history under his administration.
“For too long, Abuja’s story was one of awarded and abandoned contracts. Today, we are changing that narrative with projects that are completed and ready for use,” the President stated.
Tinubu said he instructed Wike to immediately open up the district because civil servants, families and investors could not be expected to occupy houses they could not easily access.
“I gave that assignment to a minister who treats deadlines as duties. I told the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to open Karsana and open it immediately.
“He accepted the assignment, set the pace and delivered. When urgency meets quality, results follow, and that is what Nigerians are witnessing today,” he added.
According to the President, the newly completed Arterial Roads N11, N16, N40 and Special Important Local Street 03 have connected Karsana West to the Outer Northern Expressway, making thousands of affordable housing units accessible, secure and suitable for occupation.
He commended Wike for what he described as the remarkable transformation taking place across the FCT, saying the minister had converted abandoned projects into completed infrastructure.
“You took stalled corridors and made them active corridors. You brought the same urgency to Karsana that you brought to other districts and area councils. You measure contractors by results, not promises. Minister, you have earned my trust and my commendation,” Tinubu said.
The President also praised the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, alongside engineers and officials of the FCT Administration, for ensuring that the project met quality standards and was completed within schedule.
He equally applauded Lubrik Construction Company for delivering the project after the contract was awarded in February 2025, reiterating his administration’s commitment to paying contractors promptly once projects are executed according to specification and delivered on time.
Earlier, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike recalled that Karsana was virtually inaccessible when President Tinubu performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the Renewed Hope Estate in 2024.
“For those of us who were here that day, I wondered how anyone would agree to live in this area because there was no road at all,” he said.
Wike disclosed that developers had expressed concerns that their investments would be wasted if access roads were not provided, but assured them that the government would intervene.
“I told them, ‘It is Renewed Hope. Go home and sleep. We must construct the roads in Karsana.’ Today, the story has completely changed,” he stated.
The minister attributed the successful delivery of the project to the Federal Government’s policy of prompt payment to contractors and the commitment of the construction firm to meeting agreed timelines.
He also announced that the FCT Administration would on July 8 flag off the construction of the Kaba-Kagini-Zaudna Road following recent appeals by residents over the poor condition of the route.
In her remarks, the minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, described the commissioning as another significant milestone in the implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She said the newly completed roads would improve connectivity, stimulate economic activities and expand access to affordable housing across the Federal Capital Territory.
Mahmoud urged residents and other stakeholders to protect the infrastructure and ensure its preservation for the benefit of present and future generations.
