The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Muhammad Musa Bello says the Abuja Land Swap policy is expected to save the administration nearly one trillion Naira which the FCTA would have required to procure comprehensive districts infrastructures in the 13 districts earmarked under the land swap programme.
The Minister stated this when he flagged off the commencement of a project under the Abuja Land swap policy in Gwagwa district phase IV, signalling the full resumption of the initiative, barely six years after its suspension by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He said the administration adopted the land swap programmes when it became obvious that the FCT administration could not develop the FCT using its annual budgetary allocation.
In particular, Bello officially handed over the site to Gwagwa Concession Ltd, and other principal partners of the project that include Julius Berger PLC and UBA as financiers, for the comprehensive infrastructure development under the FCT Land Swap programme.
Recall that the land swap scheme
designed to bridge the infrastructure deficit in the FCT, was initiated by the previous administration in 2012, before it was suspended at the inception of the present administration in 2015.
According to the Minister, the resumption of the initiative would pave way for the provision of the desired infrastructure in the areas earmarked for the development.
Bello said the project which is coming under the land swap initiative was developed as a means of accelerating infrastructure development in the FCT.
“This is one in the series of the projects that we are going to flag off before the end of our administration.
“The FCTA is going to be very tough on ensuring the protection of the interest of the State, people and private partners”, he stated.
He explained that the government grants land to private investors, through public-private partnerships, to boost infrastructural provision in the city.
According to him, investors are expected to within a 10-year development plan, facilitate the provision of infrastructure development in the given site, encouragement of real estate development in line with the standard set by the FCTA.
He added that the initiative will help to resolve the issue of compensation and resettlement of indigenous people.
He noted that government alone cannot fund infrastructural provision in FCT, as the cost of development runs into trillions.
Calling on the partners involved in the agreement to heed the terms and conditions of the arrangement, the Minister however reiterated the determination of the FCTA to ensure the protection of interest of all stakeholders under the land swap policy.
Earlier, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu said a project is a milestone event which is a testament to the administration commitment to the provision of critical infrastructure for FCT residents in line with the Presidential mandates for the Administration.
Dr Aliyu further explained that the project is also a bold step by the FCT Administration towards resolving the burdensome challenge of infrastructure funding through budgetary allocations.
She added that the FCT Administration decided to explore private sector funding options as witnessed today, in exchange for land as a resource, for the development of district infrastructure, amongst other Public, Private, Partnership (PPP) initiatives.
Similarly, the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola explained that the return to the land swap initiative followed the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to the Ministers to ensure the continuation of existing ongoing projects.
He said it is a capital intensive project by a private company in line with the land swap policy, aimed at assisting the FCTA to accelerate the development of the FCT.
