Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has said engineering services in the Wasa District of Abuja will be completed by August 2026 to facilitate the relocation of the Apo mechanic village traders to the informal sector hub.
Wike spoke during the comprehensive inspection tour of critical infrastructure projects across the city centre to check the level of progress for the historic 50th anniversary of the FCT.
During the tour, the Minister visited several high-priority sites being handled by the Chinese Geoengineering Construction (CGC), including the Arterial Road N16 in Katampe District, the main carriageways of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) spanning from Ring Road I to Ring Road II, and the access road to the informal sector in Wasa District.
He expressed high satisfaction with the quality of work, noting that the OSEX and the N16 (Gishiri) road projects will be delivered to mark the President’s third anniversary in office in May 2026, while the 3-kilometre access road.
“We went to Gishiri Village area in Katampe, which we believe is one of the roads that will be inaugurated in the third year of Mr President’s anniversary. And then we went to OSEX, you can see the bridges are ongoing, and then we went to the access road network for the informal sector in Wasa District, where the Apo traders will move in. The CGC is handling the three major jobs, and we are quite impressed.
“The Wasa access road will be completed by August, while the OSEX area will be done as part of the third anniversary in May. I’m quite impressed with the quality of work by CGC. So, we are happy with what we are doing.
He reflected on the 50-year journey of the FCT and noted that while the achievement is massive, the administration intends to observe a low-key celebration of the milestone with a focus on results rather than pageantry.
“You know a lot has changed in terms of the provision of infrastructure…We are 50 years; we’ve done well but we want to mark it on a low key. It’s a jubilee year for us. Mr. President is two years plus in office and he has changed the landscape of Abuja. We are also following the Abuja masterplan, and I think we have really done well in terms of the provision of infrastructure”, the Minister stated.
The Minister who also addressed the recent industrial action by the FCTA workers’ union (JUAC), confirmed that the scheduled strike was called off, following a successful meeting with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the union’s leadership.
He emphasized that the resolution was a product of transparency, noting that once the Labour Congress saw things for themselves, it became clear that the administration and workers shared the same goals.
“At the end of the day, there is no winner or loser,” the Minister said. “It is for the interest of all and Abuja to progress. I’m happy the Labour Congress directed them to go back to work, and as you can see, that has been done”, he stated.
