Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, declared on Friday that President Bola Tinubu's administration stands alone in Nigeria's history for commissioning 31 projects across just 28 days. He made the remarks while presiding over the opening of the reconstructed Arab/Bazango road in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, an event marking the president's third year in office.
"It's unprecedented in the history of this country where a president can commission projects for 28 days, commissioning and flagging off 31 projects," Wike said. The minister stressed that such a feat has never occurred before in Nigeria.
Wike noted that residents visibly celebrate when they witness such extraordinary governance in action. "When you see something that is not usual you will see the joy radiating on the faces of the people," he told reporters at the event.
He urged observers to check with locals about the road's transformation to understand their enthusiasm. "If they show you the picture of how this road was then, you can't stop them from rejoicing," the minister added.
The FCT chief connected the improved infrastructure to economic activity in the area. Commerce has flourished since the road became fully motorable, he explained, and traders now operate with greater ease and efficiency.
Wike defined governance in simple terms: commitment and people-centred action. "Governance is nothing difficult, government is about making the people feel positively impacted, and today the people of this area are feeling that impact," he said.
The minister highlighted the scale of road development under his leadership in the FCT. His administration awarded contracts for 317 kilometres of roads across satellite towns in the three years since Tinubu took office.
Progress on these roads is substantial, according to Wike's figures. Out of the 317 kilometres awarded, his team has completed 221 kilometres, with 96 kilometres still under construction.
Wike also referenced an earlier tally of major projects in the FCT administration. When he assumed office, 50 contracts and jobs had been commissioned under the FCDA, he noted.
"By the time we got to 26-27 [months into the administration], it became about 53 projects officially commissioned," the minister explained. He separated satellite town projects from other FCDA undertakings to provide clearer accounting.
The Arab/Bazango road completion exemplifies the administration's infrastructure push. The reconstructed thoroughfare now connects residents and traders more efficiently than before.
Wike's remarks underscored the administration's focus on visible, tangible delivery of services. He positioned the road projects as evidence of a government responsive to citizens' needs and capable of executing large-scale development programmes.
