The National Assembly has showered accolades on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, for what lawmakers described as a “remarkable and transformational” performance in repositioning Nigeria’s capital.
The commendation came as Wike appeared before the Senate and House Committees on FCT to defend the proposed N1.78 trillion FCT Statutory Budget for the 2025 fiscal year.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Ibrahim Bomai, led the praise, hailing Wike’s rapid impact since assuming office alongside Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud.
“This is the first time FCT is proposing to generate about N1.7 trillion,” Bomai noted. “What FCT has presented is one of the best budgets so far. Also, the N608 billion projected Internally Generated Revenue for 2025 also shows a significant improvement.”
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP), equally impressed, likened the capital’s development to major African cities.
“What we see in Abuja today compares with Johannesburg and Cairo,” Ningi observed, while calling on the minister to intensify efforts in securing the territory.
Senator Mohammed Ndume (Borno South, APC) echoed similar sentiments: “Everybody that knows where Abuja was two years ago and what it is now, knows that you have done well. Even yesterday my friend told me that Wike is doing fine, and I said no, it is the Senate that is doing fine because without approving his budget, he cannot do anything.”
Ndume pledged the Senate’s unwavering support to ensure continued progress.
Commending Wike’s fiscal discipline, Senator Osita Ozunaso (Imo West, APC) said the proposed budget’s structure reflects a bold shift in priorities.
“You have reduced the personnel cost in the 2025 proposed budget by N21 billion from the amount allocated in 2024. Secondly, you have more capital expenditure than recurrent. This is commendable,” he said.
In a resounding endorsement, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North, APC) described Wike as one of the “best-performing ministers under the APC-led administration.”
“What Wike has done is worth noting and commendation,” Oshiomhole declared. “He is implementing specific programmes to bring life to rural communities. That is the most potent statement to decongest the city—by taking development to the people where they live.”
Senator Ireti Kingibe (FCT, LP), a frequent critic of Wike’s leadership style, struck a rare conciliatory tone.
“Visible performance is undisputable,” she said, acknowledging the minister’s growing footprint in the territory.
Over at the House of Representatives, Chairman of the Committee on FCT, Hon. Muktar Betara, lauded Wike for driving the capital’s ongoing transformation.
Several other lawmakers also joined in affirming the minister’s dedication to delivering the dividends of democracy in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
Defending the proposed budget, Wike appealed to lawmakers for swift approval.
According to him, N1.28 trillion—representing 72.3 percent of the budget—is earmarked for capital projects, while N494.1 billion (27.7 percent) is for recurrent expenditure.
The budget presentation not only spotlighted a promising fiscal trajectory for the FCT but also reinforced Wike’s growing reputation as a results-driven administrator shaping the future of Abuja.
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