First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for transforming Abuja’s City Gate into a modern recreational and environmental hub, while urging state governments to involve young people more actively in environmental conservation.
Mrs Tinubu gave the commendation during a ceremony organised to recognise the FCT Administration’s environmental achievements under the Renewed Hope Green Initiative.
She expressed admiration for the revamped City Gate, describing the transformation as remarkable and saying it reflects the impact of deliberate investment in environmental renewal.
“When I saw what he did with the City Gate, my God, unbelievable, unbelievable. I want to thank him. He’s done very well,” she said.
The First Lady revealed that a ₦50 million prize had been earmarked under the Green Challenge to encourage states to rehabilitate abandoned public spaces and illegal dumpsites, but regretted that no state participated in the initiative.
She therefore called on state governments to embrace environmental programmes and create opportunities for young people to contribute to protecting and beautifying their communities.
Drawing from her personal experience, Mrs Tinubu recalled being a member of the Youth Environmental Programme for West Africa during her days at the College of Education, saying the experience exposed her to environmental advocacy across the sub-region.
Responding, Wike disclosed that the City Gate project was inspired by repeated encouragement from the First Lady, who challenged him to improve the aesthetics of Nigeria’s capital.
According to him, Mrs Tinubu questioned why Abuja had not matched the standard of city entrances seen in other countries despite frequent official trips abroad.
He said she later followed up on the conversation after noticing that work had yet to begin, prompting the FCT Administration to engage the original designers of the City Gate to develop a new concept for the site.
Wike noted that the project has transformed the area into a vibrant public space that now attracts residents and visitors, particularly in the evenings.
The minister also announced plans to replicate the initiative in other parts of the capital, including the Life Camp district, where an existing green area will be redesigned into a modern recreational centre.
He described environmental sustainability as central to urban development, stressing that clean surroundings and well-maintained green spaces are hallmarks of world-class cities.
Wike thanked the First Lady for recognising the FCT’s efforts, saying her guidance encouraged the administration to improve the capital’s public spaces.
He added that leadership requires listening to constructive suggestions and acting on them to achieve meaningful development.
