Abuja City Walk: How I recovered technology village from land grabbers – Wike
FCT Minister Reveals Recovery of Technology Village Land from Land Grabbers
Abuja, Nigeria – Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), announced on Thursday the successful reclamation of land designated for a technology village in Abuja that had been illegally occupied by land grabbers.
During the official launch of the “Sales of Office/Experience Centre: The Abuja City Walk Development,” Wike detailed how the perpetrators had forged documents to assert ownership of the land, subsequently subletting it to unsuspecting individuals.
Wike noted the site has been earmarked for the technology village for over three decades. He expressed gratitude to the attendees, highlighting the project’s alignment with efforts to attract investors to the country.
“Your Excellency, I want to extend my sincere thanks for your presence at this important event,” Wike stated. “This project reflects our commitment to development, and it was brought to my attention by the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Emem Usoro. She introduced me to development partners interested in replicating a model similar to Dubai City Walk right here in Abuja.”
Wike recounted that initial skepticism about the project was quelled after meeting the partners. “When they first came, they were eager to leave, but I insisted we reconvene to demonstrate our seriousness,” he said.
The minister described the process of holding the partners accountable. “As chairman of the committee, I established a memorandum of understanding with clear timelines for achieving milestones. If they could not meet these timelines, we would reconsider our investment,” Wike added.
He emphasized the importance of overcoming bureaucratic hurdles to drive development in the FCT, declaring the site to be government property despite the illegal claims. “I stood firm and made it clear that this land is intended for development,” Wike concluded.