Challenges Facing Abuja's Millennium Tower Project, Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that the FCT Administration may not finish the long-delayed Millennium Tower project. He pointed out that the contractor is asking for a huge sum to complete the project.

Mr Wike spoke after visiting some construction sites in Abuja on Thursday. He revealed that the contractor wants between N300 billion and N400 billion to finish the Millennium Tower.

The minister explained that the FCT Administration cannot afford that massive amount without stopping other important projects in Abuja.

He called the Millennium Tower project a national monument with great potential for tourism. This project was initiated during the time of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Wike said, "You know the Millennium Tower is a national project, and I believe that it’s one project the government should reconsider because it should be a tourist center project."

He added, "However, the capital involved is too huge for the FCTA to have it in its statutory budget. Committing the FCTA’s limited resources to the tower would completely paralyse other critical infrastructure developments across the city."

Wike reminded everyone that the project started under the Obasanjo administration. He noted that the contractor is demanding no less than N300 billion to N400 billion to complete the work.

He questioned, "If you look at it, how do we carry such a project? It means that every other project in Abuja will have to be abandoned."

To address the issue, Mr Wike mentioned that he has started discussions with President Bola Tinubu. They want to find a way to stop the Millennium Tower from being an abandoned structure.

He said, "We are still talking to the President that we should reconsider it as a national project. So, that’s where we are."

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Millennium Tower was meant to be a key part of Abuja's skyline. It is designed to include a cultural center, museum, and large tourist facilities.

But after many years since it was first planned, its future now depends on the intervention from the presidency.