Wike denies revoking UniAbuja land, defends FCT reforms

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has clarified that he did not revoke any land belonging to the University of Abuja, insisting the revocation of 7,000 out of the institution’s 11,000 hectares was carried out by the previous administration before he assumed office.

Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike said he merely acted on what had already been set in motion, stressing that the university’s claim to the vast land was untenable, given that several government agencies were already occupying parts of the same expanse.

“The former minister had revoked that land,” Wike said. “If it is your (University) own, how did these other people get the land?”

He questioned why a university would require 11,000 hectares while the FCT was under pressure to expand due to rising congestion. “Abuja is getting congested and we have to move outwards. I will do what is right. When I leave, whoever comes and decides to do otherwise, posterity will be the judge.”

Wike also addressed his broader land management reforms, revealing plans to seal properties belonging to defaulters who have refused to pay their ground rent, despite a grace period granted by President Bola Tinubu having elapsed.

“We are going to seal up all those properties. You can’t deny us the taxes we will use for development. You are talking about the health sector now; you are talking about education… Pay us the taxes that you should pay, but you said no,” he stated, dismissing fears of political backlash and vowing not to be deterred by “blackmail.”

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On the revocation of the Abuja Technology Village land, Wike explained that despite the FCTA providing infrastructure for over two decades, the area had failed to attract meaningful investment and had instead been turned into a commercial space for tanker parking and questionable land deals.

“For 20 years, the FCTA had provided infrastructure for people to come and invest but it did not happen. They have rented out the place… so many people are now claiming to have Cs of O. I said okay, I must resolve this problem. There is nothing called Abuja Technology Village,” he declared.

Wike also defended his administration’s heavy investment in roads and bridges, rejecting the suggestion that his projects were for show. He said the infrastructure push was in response to genuine complaints from residents about traffic and poor access routes.

To underscore that his government was not neglecting education, Wike offered to sponsor journalists on a one-month tour to witness what he called his “educational revolution” firsthand.

He further called for a special intervention fund for the FCT and criticized an unnamed Senator for prioritizing personal grievances over pressing development needs. “Instead of pushing for more funding, he was lamenting about not being invited for drinks,” Wike said.

Citing improved revenue under his leadership, the minister highlighted the turnaround of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, which he claimed had generated over N1.2 billion in just one month—an exponential rise from the N50 million earned annually under the previous “politicized” management.

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