By Philip Yatai

Mr Nyesom Wike, Minister of the FCT says the FCT Administration has pegged the cost of issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (C- of-O) at N5 million.

Wike made the pronouncement at a meeting he held with estate developers in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said payment could be made within four months of land allocation after which the C-of-O would be handed over to the applicant.

He added that he would seek the approval of President Bola Tinubu to link applicants’ National Identification Number to C-of-Os before issuance.

Wike said the era where three or more persons were allocated the same plot of land with fake C-of-O was over.

“Allocation of land to three or more persons will no longer be allowed because the C-of-O enables you to do business.

“When we make the right decision, some people will be happy, and some will not. The rich will kick against some of our decisions, but anything that will help our people must be done,’’ Wike said.

He promised to ensure orderliness and sanity in land administration system and processes in the FCT.

The minister expressed worries that workers’ salaries at the FCT Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority gulped N8.9 billion monthly.

Wike said he had saved N110 billion for the FCT barely three months into office and assured that the funds would be attached to specific projects.

Wike inaugurated a taskforce on the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for housing estates and the recovery of land use contravention fees on Nov. 14.

He explained that the measure was to ensure that each unit in the housing estates had its separate C-of-O. (NAN)

Edited by Alli Hakeem

By Philip Yatai

Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, said on Tuesday in Abuja  that the FCT Administration had secured funding from SUKUK to complete the Abuja Millennium Tower and Cultural Centre.

Wike made the declaration while inspecting various project sites in Abuja and assured that part of the fund would be used to complete other on-going projects.

He said SUKUK management had agreed to fund projects outside its coverage areas, mainly roads and bridges.

The Millennium Tower located in the Central Area of Abuja, is a multifunctional edifice with facilities for cultural exposition, tourism, socialisation, recreation, hospitality, and commercial activities.

The contractor on the project is Salini Construction Nigeria Ltd.

The project, conceived in 2005 had reached 40 per cent completion, but was abandoned because of paucity of funds.

Upon completion, it is expected to self-finance itself from revenues generated from commercial activities.

“As I speak with you, we have more than N70 billion to N100 billion that we shall access, and we are going to attach the fund to specific projects.

“We have also submitted a supplementary budget for 2023 and President Bola Tinubu has approved it and will transmit it to the National Assembly.

“We are asking that we should be allowed to spend N61 billion and we want to use that money for specific projects so that by May 29 these projects are completed,’’ he said.

The minister assured that no project would be abandoned under his watch and expressed joy that residents were witnessing the completion of abandoned projects.

Wike expressed optimism that when completed, the Millennium Tower would change the landscape of Abuja and boost its tourism potential.

He assured contractors handling FCT projects that they would be paid before the end of the month.

Wike equally assured residents of the territory that all on-going projects would be completed before May 29, 2024.

The Millennium Tower and Cultural Centre project is one of a number of projects in the Central District of Abuja.

At 170 metres (560 ft.), it is the tallest artificial structure in Abuja.

The tower was designed by Mr Manfredi Nicoletti an Italian architect who died on Oct. 29, 2017 in Rome.

The tower includes the Nigerian Cultural Centre, an eight-storey, low rise, pyramid-shaped edifice.

Construction of the tower started in 2006 and was suspended in 2014.

The site is severed by a main road so the two structures will be linked via an underground arcade.

The tower consists of three cylindrical concrete pillar-like structures of varying heights and linked together near its first peak using a disc-shaped section.

The disc-shaped section is intended to house an observation deck and a viewing restaurant on two floors.

Around the pillars of the tower, three transparent stainless steel wings wrap around the base and gradually open outwards in a fan-like fashion as they extend up the height of the tower. (NAN)

Edited by Alli Hakeem

By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike has promised to complete the abandoned construction of the official residence of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria .

Wike made the pledge in Abuja on Tuesday, after inspecting the project being handled by Julius Berger.

The minister commended Julius Berger for the commitment toward completing the project by moving to site without the necessary mobilisation from the government.

He said that although the contractor had insisted that the contract sum be revised from N7 billion to N15 billion because of rising cost of materials, President Bola Tinubu’s administration is determined to complete the project.

He promised to make the needed funds available before December to ensure completion of the project, adding that he has already secured the approval of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

“When we came here last time, you promised us that you will be able to complete this project in the next eight months.

“Even though we have not mobilised you, I know that you have confidence in us, let me assure you that we will mobilise you before December God willing.

“Then, you have to rush to see that this is completed before May 29, 2024.

“Put everything you have so that we can achieve this; so that all the stories about abandoned projects will be a thing of the past,” Wike said.

Earlier, Mr Shehu Ahmed, Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), said that the project as captured in the Abuja Master Plan was awarded in 2010 with 20 months completion period.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that although the project had reached 80 per cent completion, no fresh work has been done on the site since 2013.

FCDA abandoned the project due to lack of funds and refusal of the 7th Senate to accept the increase of the contract sum by N9 billion.

The Director of Public Building, FCDA, Mr Adebowale Ademo, explained that the main building has three different living rooms on the ground floor, and also the Vice President Private Room and conveniences.

He added that the building plan also made provisions for the Second Lady Private Lounge, a Chapel, Mosque, and dormitory for security personnel.

“The entrance has a screen-in facility for guests that will be coming into the premises,” he added.

The representative of Julius Berger, Mr Oliver Berger, assured Wike of timely completion of the project. (NAN)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has taken steps to review the Abuja land swap initiative and investigate the sale of federal government houses in the FCT.

Wike disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday, when he asked the Task Force on the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for mass housing to review the initiative.

The minister also asked the task force to ascertain the sales of federal government houses in the federal capital, Abuja, and present the current position of things.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the minister had on Nov. 14, inaugurated a Task Force on the issuance of C of O for mass housing and the recovery of land use contravention fees.

The minister, who asked the task force to conclude the assignment within one month, extended the completion period to two months considering the additional tasks.

The land swap initiative means engaging the private sector to provide infrastructure in exchange for land.

The goal is essentially to open up new districts in the FCT by constructing and completing access roads to the districts.

Wike said that stakeholders have raised a lot of concerns about the initiative, stressing the need to review it.

He directed the task force to review the agreements and other documents with relevant information about the initiative.

“We want to get details of the land swap initiative and the sale of federal government houses in the Federal Capital Territory.

“There are so many complaints that some houses are abandoned, while some are sold.

“Let us know the houses that were sold and where are the documents? Let them show us the receipt of payments.

“Not only the federal government houses but also the houses built and abandoned in the city.

“With the additional responsibility, the task force will now last for two months instead of the one month earlier given,” Wike said.

The task force is chaired by Mr Michael Chinda, Senior Special Assistant to Wike on Lands, Urban and Regional Planning, with the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, Mr Shehu Ahmad, as the Secretary.

Other members of the taskforce include the Director, Department of Development Control; Director, Department of Land Administration; and the Director, Department of Surveying and Mapping.

Others are the Director, Department of Mass Housing; Director of AGIS, and Director, Department of Urban and Regional Planning. (NAN)

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Philip Yatai

The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has inaugurated Local Government Implementation Committees for the World Bank-supported Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project.

The Mandate Secretary of the Secretariat, Mr Lawan Geidam, inaugurated the committees for each of the six Areas Councils of the FCT, in Abuja on Friday.

Geidam said that the goal of the committees was to foster a sense of ownership and encourage community participation in aspects of the project being implemented at community and household levels.

He explained that the committee would be made up of the Chairmen of the Area Councils as chairmen, with the Head of Departments of Works, Agriculture and Environment as members.

Other members include facilitators who are subject specialists and relevant non-governmental organisations.

According to him, the committee will be responsible for overall supervision of the project at the local government level.

Geidam said, “The committee will also act as liaison to the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) and Secretariat, Departments and Agencies and provide support to stakeholder analysis and identification for implementation activities.

“Facilitate the implementation of the watershed management strategies and report to the SPMU on the Area Council’s progress towards meeting intervention targets.

“They will also supervise maintenance of intervention works.”

He explained that the ACReSAL Project was a community-based initiative funded by the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, and Water Resources.

He said that the project was specifically designed to tackle the challenge of landscape degradation and promote effective watershed management.

This, he said, would build community resilience to climate change and bolster agricultural production for enhanced livelihood in the 19 northern states of Nigeria and the FCT.

Geidam said that  FCT became actively involved in the project in 2022, under the guidance of the Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU).

He said that FCT had met all the necessary prerequisites to access the World ACReSAL Project funds.

“We anticipate that the remaining five-year duration of this project will bring about significant enhancements, not only in our environment but also in the livelihoods of our communities.

“I urge you all, especially the Chairmen of the six Area Councils, to see this project as a golden opportunity to enrich the lives of your people,” Geidam said.

Earlier, the Project Coordinator, FCT ACReSAL, Mrs Caroline Opara, said that inaugurating the committee was crucial considering the community approach to the implementation of the programme.

Opara said that the committee, inaugurated for each of the Area Councils, would ensure inclusiveness and effective implementation of the project and sustainability of the intervention made in any community.

She said that some of the interventions to be made in the communities include provision of solar powered boreholes, standalone solar light, farmer-led irrigation, and reclamation of degraded forest reserves among others.

“Your support. is therefore, highly needed for the successful implementation of the ACReSAL project across communities in the FCT,” Opara said.

The National Coordinator of the project, Mr Abdulhamid Umar, said a $700 million loan was secured from the world bank in 2021 for the ACReSAL project and became effective in 2022.

Umar, however, said that no state would access the facility without providing their own counterpart fund.

He said that the FCT had paid N334 million as a counter fund and urged the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to settle the balance, adding that the minimum was N500 million while the maximum was N1 billion.

He said that so far, the project had accessed over N11 billion from the implementing states as counterpart funds. (NAN)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Ahmed Ubandoma

The National Social Protection Forum (NSPF), has called for closer collaboration with the National Social Safety-Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), to enhance coordination in the implementation of the National Social Safety Net programme.

Dr Taiwo Benson, the National Coordinator of the group stated this during a courtesy visit to the National Coordinator of NASSCO, on Thursday in Abuja.

The engagement was facilitated by Save the Children International (SCI), to canvass support for implementation and institutionalisation of Social Protection Cross-Learning Summit (SPECS) as Bi-Annual Event.

Benson said the group had undertaken several media advocacy on the social register.

”We have been engaged in several media advocacy on the National Social Register (NSR) having been involved in independently monitoring the development of the NSR.

”Cash transfer programme as Third-Party Monitors (TPM) with support from the World Bank and Save the Children.

“NSPF is a coalition of Social Protection Civil Society Organisations and Partners in Nigeria comprising over 140 organisations working on social protection in all the states of the federation and the FCT.

“The forum was established in 2029 and its primary objective is to engage in proactive engagements with all actors involved in poverty reduction in Nigeria.

”Worthy of mention is the national dialogue on the poverty situation in Nigeria as well as the launch of the Social Protection to End Poverty campaign” he said.

He said that most of the successes recorded by the forum were made possible through collaboration with the SCI and support from Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK Aid as critical partners.

The SCI Programme Manager, Dalila Nkhoma, said the organisation was geared towards expanding its social protection to ensure inclusive development.

Nkhoma said the project was being implemented with support from Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO).

According to her, the SCI is focusing on strengthening advocacy and capacity to achieve a durable system of social protection services.

”So, through the advocacy component of our project, we are working with civil society organisations as partners to promote citizens’ engagement, and ensure social accountability in the design and implementation of social protection in Nigeria,” she said.

While emphasising the importance of citizens’ engagement in social protection through civil society partnership, Nkhoma said involvement of civil society organisations would bring about social accountability in governance.

She urged the NASSCO to join forces to ensure institutionalisation of the Social Protection Cross-Learning Summit as an annual event where stakeholders would converge to brainstorm for better understanding.

”The summit will provide a platform for other partners to come together, exchange ideas, understand the roles and responsibilities and to know how to implement social protection policy.

”As well as to define and understand the governance structure and coordination to bring about policy coherence and policy coordination”.

Response, the National Coordinator, NASSCO, Mr AbdulAziz Danladi, said that President Bola Tinubu’s administration considered civil society organisations as partners in the Nigerian project.

He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to reduce poverty through the “Renewed Hope Agenda”.

”So, Social Protection is an important instrument in reducing poverty and we are going to work together with civil society organizations and other partners to ensure that poverty is eliminated before the end of the administration,” he said.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to support efforts towards the actualisation of the Social Protection Cross-Learning Summit.

He further assured deepened collaboration with relevant stakeholders to fast track effective coordination of all Social-Net Programme in the country. (NAN)

Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali

By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has sought partnership with Daewoo for the construction of five-star hotel to boost tourism in the federal capital city, Abuja.

Wike called for the partnership when the Chairman, Daewoo Engineering and Construction, Mr Jung Won-ju visited him in Abuja on Thursday.

The minister said that the partnership with the South Korean company in the area of luxury hotels would support the development of the city and make it an attractive tourist centre.

He noted that currently, the only five-star hotel in the city is Transcorp Hilton with not much competition, adding that more luxury hotels were needed in the city.

“If we want to invest in tourism and we want to build a five-star hotel, what role can you play’?

“To assure you that we are ready, we are not going to give you land to sell.

“We will give you land and then we will ask you how many years do you think it will take you to be able to develop this five-star hotel,” he said.

Wike added that he would liaise with the Korean Ambassador to schedule a visit to the country and the construction company, to finalise details of the project for immediate action.

He assured Won-ju that there would be no impediments to the project, and that the land, the approvals, and other requirements would be taken care of by the FCT Administration.

“We will make sure that before the end of the year, we are able to visit Korea, particularly Daewoo.

“So, we will write to the ambassador of Korea to let him know, and then write to you, so we will be able to fine-tune it.

“That way I will be happy that there is something we can take home,” the minister said.

Responding, Won-Ju thanked Wike for the warm reception and promised to expedite actions on the partnership between Daewoo and the FCT.

“We are ready to overcome every challenge, and our Managing Director in Nigeria, Mr Taewon Jung will fully support the realisation of the partnership as soon as possible.

“We are willing to comply with your demands and your guidance,” the chairman said. (NAN)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

By Philip Yatai

The Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) says it has provided business development and support services to 4,224 women entrepreneurs in the past five years.

Mr Chudi Ugwuada-Ezirigwe, the acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, disclosed this during an end of year media briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

Ugwuada-Ezirigwe said that as a matter of policy, 70 per cent of the agency’s services, activities, and programmes were targeted at women and youths.

He said that the support was in line with the agency’s mandate to create wealth and alleviate poverty.

He added that considering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as key drivers of economic growth and development, the agency also created 13,678 jobs and funded 4,761 businesses within the period under review.

He added that the agency equally created 3,868 enterprises, sensitised and promoted 9,557 entrepreneurs, grew 7,327 enterprises, and built the capacities of 1,962 entrepreneurs in FCT.

Ugwuada-Ezirigwe also said that the AEA has provided 1,460 entrepreneurs with requisite business development, and support services.

“These services range across subjects that have to do with mentorship, coaching and indeed regulatory support of different types.

“We have conducted a number of rural outreach programmes to provide business support services to a total of 3,691 entrepreneurs and their businesses in the six Area Councils.

“For us as an agency of the FCT Administration, we pride ourselves to say that as a matter of policy, 70 per cent of our services are targeted at the rural areas cutting across the six Area Councils of the FCT,” he said.

He also said that the agency had fostered dialogue and interactive sessions between SME’s and regulatory organisations through its one-stop shop.

He said that 16 regulatory agencies, including Standard Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and Federal Internal Revenue Services among others were stationed at the agency offering services.

“What it means is that if you enter the agency’s complex, you can start and finish your business registration without having to go to CAC or pay any lawyer or attorney,” he added.

The acting MD said that the agency would strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem, synergy, coordination and enhance access to investment and sectoral intervention. (NAN)

Edited by Emanuel Yashim

By Joan Nwagwu

The Organised Labour has explained why it suspended the nationwide indefinite strike that commenced on Nov. 14.

Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), explained the action in a statement he jointly signed by Mr Nuhu Toro, Secretary General, Trade Union Congress(TUC), on Wednesday in Abuja.

“The NEC in session had a thorough review of the offers presented by the Federal Government through the National Security Adviser(NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

“We found the offers credible and decided to reconsider our action,” he said.

It would be recalled that the organised labour earlier met with the NSA and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong.

“After the meeting, we directed all affiliates and State councils of both the NLC and TUC to demobilise, cease any further escalation of the indefinite strike action.

“We fully resume work tomorrow, Thursday, the 16th day of November, 2023,” he said.

He added that a resolution was reached to suspend the ongoing nationwide strike, which commenced on the 14th November, 2023.

According to Ugboaja, the suspension is intended to facilitate further discussions after the federal government had met crucial demands.

“We expect the government to address the distressing abduction and brutalisation of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, and others.

“These incidents occurred in the hands of the Police and Gov. Hope Uzodimma’s thugs in Owerri, in Imo, on the 1st day of November, 2023,” he recalled.

He noted that an apology was tendered on behalf of the government by the NSA, who promised to coordinate the investigation.

He added that some of the perpetrators had been arrested while others would be fished out and prosecuted.

Ugboaja said that a high-powered investigation was currently being carried out and the leadership of labour centres would be briefed continuously as progress is being made.

He commended all affiliates and state councils for their unwavering commitment and tenacity that made the strike a success.

“Once again, we convey our appreciation for your cooperation, resilience and determination in ensuring the success of the indefinite nationwide strike.

“We encourage you to remain vigilant as we await the fulfilment of the remaining agreements,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Ephraims Sheyin