The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused successive administrations of neglecting the interests of youths and women in the FCT for decades, saying President Bola Tinubu broke the trend by establishing dedicated secretariats for the two groups.
Speaking during an interactive session with FCT youths in Abuja on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Wike said the creation of the FCT Youth Secretariat and Women Affairs Secretariat marked a major institutional milestone for the territory, which was created in 1976 but operated for decades without dedicated structures for youths and women.
The minister challenged young people to assess political leaders based on measurable achievements rather than social media narratives and campaign promises.
“The FCT was created in 1976. What was the position of the youths and women then? Was there any establishment of a youth secretariat? Was there any establishment of a Women Secretariat? What forum was given to the youths and women to be included in the administration?” he asked.
Wike said previous governments had opportunities to address the concerns of youths but failed to create institutions that would guarantee their participation in governance.
“If these youth and women secretariats had been created then, probably most of the things you are talking about today would not have been raised again. Somebody has now come to lay a foundation to take care of those things that were not previously cared for,” Wike said.
The minister urged the youths to distinguish between leaders who merely make promises and those willing to take difficult decisions in the public interest.
“This is not social media. This is not about telling lies or being a content developer. We are being practical. It is time for us to stop giving fish lies and begin to be realistic,” he added.
Wike also defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy, describing the policy as a courageous decision that previous leaders avoided despite acknowledging its unsustainability.
The former two-term governor of Rivers State argued that ending the subsidy had increased allocations to states and local governments, providing more resources for development projects and improved public services.
Highlighting the education sector, Wike said the absence of prolonged university strikes in the past three years showed that government reforms were producing results.
“For the past three years, have we had any strike in our universities? No. Why is that not something we should recognise? Money has remained available to the sub-nationals. States and local governments now have more money,” he said.
The minister stressed that meaningful reforms require courage and patience, noting that difficult decisions often attract criticism before yielding long-term benefits.
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During the session, youth representatives presented proposals on education, employment, scholarships, skills acquisition, transportation and the protection of indigenous communities.
The President of the FCT Youth Network, Isaac David, said youth organisations had developed an FCT Youth Development Policy in collaboration with international organisations, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.
David appealed to the minister to support the establishment of an FCT Education Trust Fund to mobilise additional resources for education through contributions from corporate organisations and development partners.
David also urged youths to support Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 by obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards.
Another youth leader, Destiny Yamawo, called for increased funding for the FCT Scholarship Board to accommodate more beneficiaries, including students seeking foreign scholarships.
Yamawo also appealed for improved welfare for teachers under the Universal Basic Education system and urged the government to adequately compensate indigenous communities affected by the ongoing review of the FCT master plan.
The President of the Indigenous Youths of the FCT, Hassan Aliyu, appealed to Wike to approve pending scholarship applications for FCT indigenes and provide dedicated buses for students attending conferences and leadership programmes.
Leaders of the youth wings of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Muslim community also commended Wike’s infrastructure and urban renewal projects, while expressing their readiness to work with the administration to implement programmes that would improve opportunities for young people across the six area councils.
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