Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has promised to transform the newly completed Apo-Karshi Road into a major tourist attraction in Abuja, with plans to provide recreational facilities and other amenities around the corridor.
Wike gave the assurance yesterday during an inspection of the road, which was first awarded in 2010 but remained uncompleted for years due to the failure of the original contractor to deliver the project.
He attributed the eventual completion of the road to the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, who ordered the termination of the initial contract after the indigenous contractor failed to execute the project despite receiving full payment.
The minister said the President’s intervention enabled the FCT Administration to engage a more competent contractor to complete the project, stressing that the road’s strategic importance to residents made its delivery imperative.
“This road was awarded in 2010 to an indigenous contractor. We did all we could to persuade the contractor to ensure that the job was fully implemented, even though we had fully paid. But the contractor was not forthcoming,” he said.
Wike explained that after presenting the situation to Tinubu, the President directed that the original contract be terminated and re-awarded to a company with the capacity to complete the project.
He said the administration was undeterred by criticisms surrounding the cost of the new contract, maintaining that its priority was to deliver infrastructure that would improve the living conditions of residents.
“When this contract was awarded, some people were asking how we could award it at that amount. But we were not deterred. All we were concerned about was the happiness and comfort of the people,” he said.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction, describing the Apo-Karshi Road as one of the most widely publicised projects executed by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
He noted that the difficult terrain presented considerable engineering challenges, making the successful completion of the road a significant achievement.
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According to him, the public reactions generated by the project on social media showed that Nigerians were impressed by the scale of the construction and the engineering expertise involved.
Wike said the project was another demonstration of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to infrastructure development, urging Nigerians to evaluate the government based on its overall performance.
“Look at what is going on in Abuja today, the level of infrastructure and how it has turned out to be a tourist centre. I am happy that people are happy and that Nigerians have seen the infrastructure development being carried out by the Tinubu administration,” he said.
He also commended journalists for their role in bringing the project to public attention, noting that media reports had helped Nigerians appreciate the magnitude of work executed.
On the proposed commissioning, Wike said the FCT Administration was working to align the inauguration with the President’s schedule, considering that several other projects were also awaiting commissioning.
He disclosed that the administration had inspected projects at ISEX, the Southern Parkway and Kaura District, adding that between 10 and 12 projects were being considered for inauguration.
The minister expressed hope that Tinubu would commission the Apo-Karshi Road before the end of November, saying efforts would be made to ensure that the project was included in the President’s schedule.
On plans to establish public facilities and recreational amenities along the road, Wike said the administration would work with relevant departments to determine and provide the infrastructure needed to support its development as a tourist destination.
He, however, disclosed that he had rejected a proposal from the FCDA coordinator, explaining that the authority’s core responsibility was road construction, while the department responsible for tourism would determine the appropriate facilities.
“But be sure that I will make it happen as a tourist centre,” Wike assured.
