The Minister of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has cautioned Area Council Chairmen against the growing trend of illegal naming of streets constructed by the administration after themselves or others without government approval.
The Minister gave the warning while flagging off key roads in Guzape District (AO9) and the Asokoro AIT Neighbourhood (AO4) in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Wike, who said government is investing heavily in road infrastructure in the nation’s capital, described such acts by the council chairmen or individuals as “funny, fraudulent, and unacceptable.”
He warned that those responsible for such unauthorised street naming should refund the money they collected from unsuspecting individuals.
According to the Minister, “We cannot be doing roads with taxpayers’ money only for people to wake up and name them after themselves or their associates. That is not possible.
“From now on, streets in the FCT will only be named after people who have genuinely contributed to the development of the area. You can go and name roads in the satellite towns, but not in the city centre. Government must know who streets are being named after.”
Wike said the FCT Administration (FCTA) would introduce a strict policy framework to regulate street naming in Abuja, stressing that the practice must align with the capital’s master plan and honour those who have rendered meritorious service to the nation.
He said the projects were part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to ensure equitable development and improved urban connectivity across the FCT.
“Mr President intends to make sure every part of Abuja has good roads and infrastructure,” Wike said. “Those who have lived here for years without access roads can now say Tinubu has made an impact. This is Renewed Hope in action”, he stated.
He commended the contractor handling the project, Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company, for their record of performance and charged them to deliver quality work on schedule.
He added, “I have confidence in your ability to deliver these projects on time,” he said. “Please employ our youths and women during this process so they can have food on the table for their families.”
The Minister also directed the Mandate Secretary for Education to document and publicly display all ongoing and completed school rehabilitation projects across the FCT as part of what he called “Operation Show Your Report Card.”
“We came in August 2023. Nigerians deserve to see what we have done so far, the schools we’ve completed, those ongoing, and those about to be flagged off. If the Secretary fails to produce that record, someone else will take the job,” Wike stated.
For her part, the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, said the provision of engineering infrastructure in Guzape AO9 and the AIT Neighbourhood in Asokoro AO4 would greatly enhance connectivity between districts and open up new areas for development.
“Beyond opening up these districts for development, the road networks and associated infrastructure will enhance connectivity, reduce travel time, and decongest adjoining routes,” she said.
Mahmoud commended members of the National Assembly for their consistent support in budgetary appropriations and hailed Wike for his “dynamic and purposeful leadership” in driving infrastructural transformation in the nation’s capital.
The newly flagged-off roads are expected to ease traffic congestion, improve access, and enhance property value within the Guzape and Asokoro districts, further reinforcing Abuja’s transformation under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.