As the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) prepares for multiple project inaugurations to mark President Bola Tinubu’s second year in office on May 29, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is not only inspecting ongoing works but also spotlighting the issue of land hoarding by public institutions.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday after inspecting the 15-kilometre OSEX Road leading to Wassa—currently under construction by CGC Construction and terminating at the EFCC Academy—Wike expressed satisfaction with the project’s pace and quality. However, he raised serious concerns over the large expanse of land acquired by the University of Abuja.
Wike criticized what he described as “land grabbing in the name of education,” questioning the need for the university to hold over 1,000 hectares of undeveloped land. “We’ve visited universities across the country. Just grabbing land doesn’t make a university—it’s about infrastructure and quality,” he said. “What future are we talking about?” he added, dismissing the idea that the land might be intended for long-term expansion.
The Minister warned that public institutions holding undeveloped land could risk forfeiture. “Before you know it, they begin to lease it out. If you don’t develop it, the government will take it back and give it to those who will,” he stated.
Wike also called out the Nigerian Police for failing to develop plots allocated to them years ago. When asked if the FCTA would reclaim such lands, he responded, “Don’t jump the gun. Let the Director of Lands come to me. We’ll invite the university and the Police and ask why the areas remain undeveloped.”
He concluded by affirming that President Tinubu will be proud of the completed projects. “This is what it means to keep promises,” he said.
