Abuja Open for Business: Minister Wike Vows to Protect Investors, Target Speculators

Abuja is "open for business," declared Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, on Wednesday. He assured local and foreign investors that the Federal Capital Territory Administration would protect genuine investments while taking action against land speculators, fraudulent developers, and businesses that violate development regulations.

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The Federal Capital Territory is open for business. The FCT Administration is ready to partner with investors who possess the technical capacity, financial strength, experience and integrity required to deliver successful projects.

Wike spoke at the Abuja Business and Investment Expo 3.0, organized by the Abuja Investments Company Limited. He highlighted the administration's ongoing infrastructure drive and reforms in land administration, stating they are positioning the nation's capital as Nigeria's leading investment destination and one of Africa's most competitive business cities. "The FCT Administration is ready to partner with investors who possess the technical capacity, financial strength, experience and integrity required to deliver successful projects," Wike said. He added that the administration would continue to provide necessary infrastructure, but investors must fulfill their obligations, meet standards, and deliver projects on time.

However, Wike warned that the administration would not compromise the Abuja Master Plan. "Ease of doing business does not mean the absence of regulation," he stated. Every investor and developer must respect the Master Plan, environmental standards, building regulations, tax obligations, and development approval terms. "We will support and protect genuine investors, but we will not protect land speculators, fraudulent developers or businesses that disregard the law," he asserted.

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We will support and protect genuine investors, but we will not protect land speculators, fraudulent developers or businesses that disregard the law. Our commitment is to an investment environment that is both business-friendly and properly regulated.

Wike also highlighted reforms, noting the FCT ranked fourth nationally in the 2025 Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council’s Subnational Ease of Doing Business Assessment with a 61 percent score. "However, we are not satisfied with being fourth. Our objective is to make the Federal Capital Territory the leading destination," he concluded.

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The reforms being implemented by the FCT Administration are already producing measurable results. In the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business assessment conducted by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, the Federal Capital Territory was ranked fourth nationally, with a performance score of 61 per cent. However, we are not satisfied with being fourth. Our objective is to make the Federal Capital Territory the leading destination.