Wike explains revocation of technology village, UniAbuja lands

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the recent revocation of land allocations at the Abuja Technology Village and University of Abuja, citing neglect, misuse, and the need for transformational development.

Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike said the lands designated for the Abuja Technology Village had remained undeveloped for over two decades, despite the government providing infrastructure.

Instead of fulfilling the development agreement, he accused the allottees of engaging in land speculation and rental activities.

“They turned it into a money-making venture.

“NNPC tankers are parked there for a fee, and different people are claiming to have Certificates of Occupancy.

“For 20 years, no single block has been laid.

“There is nothing called Abuja Technology Village,” he stated.

Wike explained that the revocation was necessary to make way for the Abuja City Walk project — a world-class urban development inspired by the Dubai City Walk — for which a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with a private investor.

To tackle land speculation, the minister announced a new policy mandating strict development timelines.

Any plot not developed within the specified period will automatically revert to the FCTA.

Addressing the revocation of a portion of the University of Abuja land, Wike said the institution had failed to develop the area for years and emphasized that the remaining 4,000 hectares were sufficient for its needs.

He dismissed concerns about the land’s rocky terrain, stating that major projects like the EFCC academy were already underway on the reclaimed plots.

In a separate development, the minister revealed that the recently reopened Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre has generated over N1.2 billion in just one month — a sharp contrast to the N50 million annual revenue previously generated under private management.