Why FCTA couldn’t complete Millennium Tower project – Wike

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration in Nigeria has been unable to complete the long-abandoned Millennium Tower project because the contractor is demanding an exorbitant sum of between N300 billion and N400 billion for its completion. Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, revealed this after inspecting ongoing projects in Abuja.

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You know the Millennium Tower is a national project and I believe that it’s one project the government should reconsider because it should be a tourist centre project.

Wike explained that the FCT Administration cannot afford such a staggering cost without abandoning other essential projects across the nation's capital. He described the Millennium Tower, initially awarded during former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration, as a national monument with significant tourism potential. However, he stressed that its funding requirements are far too capital-intensive for the FCTA's statutory budget.

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However, the capital involved is too huge for the FCTA to have it in its statutory budget. Committing the FCTA’s limited resources to the tower would completely paralyze other critical infrastructure developments across the city.

"Committing the FCTA’s limited resources to the tower would completely paralyze other critical infrastructure developments across the city," Wike stated. He recalled that the project was awarded under the Obasanjo regime, and the contractor's current demand is "not less than N300 billion to N400 billion."

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Remember that the project was awarded under the Obasanjo regime. As I speak to you, it’s not less than N300 billion to N400 billion that the contractor is talking about.

The minister disclosed that he has begun discussions with President Bola Tinubu to address the issue and prevent the iconic structure from remaining an "abandoned eyesore." "We are still talking to the President that we should reconsider it as a national project. So, that’s where we are," Wike added. The Millennium Tower was envisioned as a central feature of Abuja's skyline, intended to house a cultural center, museum, and extensive tourist facilities. Its future now depends on presidential intervention.

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If you look at it, how do we carry out such a project? It means that every other project in Abuja will have to be abandoned.