Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the N39 billion renovation of the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, revealing that the newly upgraded facility has already generated N650 million revenue just three weeks after its official commissioning.
Speaking at a media parley in Abuja on Thursday, Wike dismissed criticism over the cost of the renovation project and its renaming after President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the investment has yielded rapid and tangible returns.
“That place was commissioned on June 10, and the revenue made is N650 million in just three weeks,” Wike disclosed.
“In fact, there’s no space. As I speak, it has been booked up to 2027.”
Before its renovation, the conference centre was earning a mere N50 million annually, the minister revealed.
“Now let me tell you how this country works. The man they gave it (conference centre) to was paying N50 million to the FCT every year,” he said.
“And now, people are rushing that place.”
The minister emphasised the transformation of the facility, noting that nearly every component of the old structure was overhauled.
“The only thing that we didn’t do in that structure was to bring the whole thing down,” he said.
Wike added that the newly refurbished centre had already hosted high-profile events, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) heads of state summit, with glowing feedback from diplomats.
Recall that the FCT Administration came under fire for the project’s hefty price tag and Wike’s decision to rename the facility after President Tinubu. But the minister defended the move, questioning the outrage over the naming.
“And now you’re saying, why did I name it after Tinubu? Who should I name it after? Who is more qualified?” he asked.
Wike also addressed the backlash he faced for temporarily shutting down the centre during the renovation, stating that political pressure and criticism did not deter him from proceeding with necessary reforms.
“The country we’re in is a place that if you begin to pay attention to frivolities, you won’t achieve anything,” he said.
