Wike’s Smart City Drive Will Redefine Abuja, Says Ex-APC Presidential Hopeful

A former All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Moses Ayom, has said the commitment of President Bola Tinubu and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, to the actualising the Abuja Smart City Vision will redefine Nigeria’s capital.

Ayom, said this while commending the president and the minister for embarking on the smart city vision.

His commendation followed Wike’s presentation at the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum in Dubai, where the FCT minister unveiled the Abuja Smart City Vision to an international audience of city leaders, investors, and policy experts.

Wike told participants that Abuja’s Smart City drive focuses on five key pillars: Urban Mobility, Sustainability, Public Safety, Digital Governance, and Economic Empowerment, backed by international collaborations and private sector partnerships.

Ayom, the chief executive officer of the Hongye Group, told journalists in Abuja that the administration’s bold urbanisation plan, being implemented through the FCT Minister, represents a major catalyst for the socio-economic renewal of Abuja.

He noted that the Tinubu-led government’s resolve to turn Abuja into a modern, inclusive, and technology-driven city would not only boost infrastructure but also attract global investment, ease housing pressure, and spur the country’s climate targets.

“The commitment being shown by President Tinubu and Minister Wike gives me renewed hope that our dream of building Africa’s largest Green Smart City in Ketti will soon be a reality,” he said.

Ayom added that with the opening of new districts and renewed infrastructural expansion, issues of traffic congestion, housing deficit and environmental decay will soon be a thing of the past.

A member of the 2016 Presidential Trade Mission to China alongside industrialist Aliko Dangote, Ayom described the Ketti Smart City project as a model for sustainable development in Africa.

According to him, the district will integrate smart technology, renewable energy, and green infrastructure, with digital governance systems that enhance public safety, efficiency, and citizen engagement.

“When completed, Ketti will rival global smart cities like Dubai, Shenzhen, and Milton Keynes,” he stated, adding that “It will create jobs, attract technology-driven enterprises, and drastically reduce housing costs through innovative public-private partnerships.”

Wike informed the summit of ongoing initiatives with Japan’s JICA on Smart Water Metering, Chinese investors on Intelligent Traffic Light Systems, and the development of major projects like the Abuja City Walk and Abuja Industrial Park.

“These partnerships demonstrate our resolve to build a modern city that leverages technology and collaboration to improve quality of life,” Wike said.

The Asia Pacific Cities Summit, an initiative of the Brisbane City Council, is one of the world’s most diverse gatherings of city leaders, entrepreneurs, and young professionals, providing a platform for cross-continental trade and investment partnerships.

The district, located along the Airport Road corridor, will also host a PGA-standard golf course, global hotel brands, and mixed-use housing for low- and medium-income residents.

Ayom stressed that the remarkable public-private partnership driving the push for smart cities around Abuja has been boosted by the fact that Haitong has entered into strategic partnership with the Federal Housing AUthority (FHA) and the Abuja Investment Company Limited to ensure a significant reduction of the housing deficit, which estimates put at over 20 million.

Beyond infrastructure, the project aims to foster economic empowerment, promote sustainable living, and position Abuja as a benchmark.