The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the controversial ₦39 billion spent on the renovation of the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja, describing the project as comprehensive and necessary for Nigeria’s global stature.
Speaking on Friday during the commissioning of the newly completed Left-Hand Service Carriageway, Wike said every component of the facility was replaced except the block structure. He added that critics of the cost “don’t have good taste” and dismissed comparisons with the ₦240 million originally used to construct the centre in 1991.
“The only thing in that International Conference Centre that was not changed was the block work. Everything in that Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre was changed,” Wike said. “What was the exchange rate in 1991? Compare that to what we have today in 2025.”
President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the refurbished ICC on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, and Wike renamed the edifice the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre. This move sparked criticism, with some arguing the centre should have been named after former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, who oversaw its original construction.
Wike defended the renaming, citing precedents. “Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was not built by Nnamdi Azikiwe. Moshood Abiola Stadium was not built by Moshood Abiola,” he stated.
He also took a swipe at critics who claimed the ICC renovation was a wasteful expenditure. “Nigeria must show why it is the Giant of Africa. Nobody who loves this country would criticise the International Conference Centre,” he said. “If you didn’t defend your boss when you had the opportunity, that’s your business. I have done it and I have no regret at all.”
However, Wike’s justification came just days after human rights lawyer and public affairs commentator, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, launched a sweeping critique of the minister’s approach to infrastructure in Abuja.
Speaking on PreciousEnyiTV on June 11, 2025, Prof. Odinkalu accused Wike of mismanaging FCT infrastructure to benefit political allies, particularly Senator Duda Bja. “Go to Senator Duda’s house on Ebitu Ukiwe Street in Jabi—he’s redone his house, repainted, raised the fence like a prison with contract money,” Odinkalu claimed, alleging inflated contracts are being funneled to cronies while residential areas like Jabi and working-class districts are left neglected.
He also questioned the ₦39 billion ICC renovation and the ₦21 billion earmarked for the Vice President’s residence upgrade. “Any Nigerian who believes ₦39 billion is needed to renovate the Conference Centre needs their faculties examined,” Odinkalu said, urging that such funds be redirected to critical sectors like healthcare and education.
Citing conditions at the Federal Medical Centre in Abuja—where patients allegedly sleep on the floor—Odinkalu decried what he described as misplaced priorities. He also mocked Wike’s constant media presence, saying, “Excessive press briefings and billboards with old chubby pictures are signs of joblessness and insecurity unbecoming of a public official.”
Extending his criticism to the broader administration, Odinkalu slammed the creation of the Ministry of Blue Economy as duplicative and unnecessary, saying it lacks a clear distinction from the Ministry of Water Resources.
He further accused Wike of replicating his controversial governance style from Rivers State in Abuja. According to him, the flyover projects in Rumuola, Waterlines, and Garrison were “conduit pipes” for fund diversion—an approach now being mirrored in the capital as a financial build-up toward 2027 elections.
Odinkalu didn’t spare the electoral umpire either. “INEC’s bias is killing our elections,” he declared, calling the commission’s leadership “bandits” and asserting that Nigerians’ votes are being rendered meaningless.
On the economy, Odinkalu painted a grim picture. “Yam, tomatoes, crayfish—people can’t afford them. They claim poverty has reduced from 38% to 50%? That’s statistical nonsense. The markets tell a different story,” he said.
Despite the fiery criticism, Odinkalu maintained a restrained posture on civic action, saying, “I have one vote like any Nigerian. It’s not my business to tell people what to do,” while urging citizens to unite around shared hardship and demand accountability from leaders.
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