PRESS RELEASE
FG Flags off N1.2 Trrillion Infrastructure and
Housing Project in Abuja
Investors to spend N64B for Resettlement of
Abuja natives
History was made on Thursday as the Federal
Government flagged off the biggest and most
ambitious urban developmental project in the
country for the provision of infrastructure and
quality housing in eight districts simultaneously
under the land for infrastructure swap initiative at
a whopping cost of N1.2 trillion ($6 Billion).
Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo while
performing the ground-breaking ceremony on
behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan at the
Waru District, Abuja commended the Minister of
FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed for his ingenuity to
provide engineering infrastructure initiative in
partnership with the private sector within the
context of the Land Use Act to serve as a
solution to the public funding challenges.
Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed in his
welcome address at the ceremony explained that
the $6 Billion private capital to be deployed by the
developers for the comprehensive development of
the eight districts within two sector centres
comprise of infrastructure investment amounting
to $2.4 Billion and secondary investment in
residential, commercial, multi-purpose, institutional
and active recreation development to the tune of
$3.6 Billion.
According to him, the amount excludes the cost
of over N4 Billion so far expended by the
investors to produce the necessary critical
documentation for the districts, namely the survey
data, the detailed land use plans, the final
engineering designs and the bills of engineering
measurement and evaluation (BEME). This is a
significant saving for the FCTA.
Concerning resettlement and compensation of
Abuja original inhabitants in the area, the Minister
said the investors are committing the sum of N64
Billion for the funding of infrastructure and
housing for the Project Affected Persons at Gude
Resettlement district. He addecd that so far, the
survey, planning and engineering designs of this
resettlement district have already commenced.
Senator Bala Mohammed said that with the
injection of $6 Billion of investment, the huge
benefits accruable to Nigeria, and the FCT in
particular, cannot be overemphasized. The Land
Swap initiative, he stressed, would create over
25,000 plots of land, provide housing for more
than one million residents and create over 500,000
new jobs.
He said that 15 core investors were currently
participating in the project while six of them have
concluded on all aspects of the technical and
financial negotiations including the execution of
the necessary Agreement, which was done on the
23rdof September 2014. The six investors are
Urban Shelter Infrastructure Limited;System
Property Development Company Limited; Afri-
International Projects Limited; BGD Properties
Limited; Gilmor Engineering Company Limited; and
AM-PM Global Network Limited.
The Minister pointed out that eight ( other
investors have concluded all aspects of
preliminary technical works and are awaiting final
negotiation leading to the execution of the
relevant Agreement. These are:Dangote Group;
Ketti East Infrastructure Limited;Bolmus Nigeria
Limited;Deep Earth Nigeria Limited; Dayspring
Limited; Haitong Limited; Rosehill Group; and
Waru-Pozema District Infrastructure Limited.
The FCT Minister expressed delight that the
Administration succeeded in attracting the best of
Nigerian investors including the richest person in
Africa and the richest black woman in the world
as well as prominent construction and property
development companies to key into the initiative.
He explained that the total land area designated
for the Land Swap investment is 3,886 hectares
which represents less than 0.50% of the Federal
Capital Territory and less than 15% of the Federal
Capital City. He said that within the next four to
six years upon the completion of the project, the
Abuja infrastructure stock would increase by more
than 27%. He pointed out that the 15 Land Swap
investors are providing a total of 464km of new
Roads, seven Bridges, 696km of Street Lighting
lines and 334km of Telecommunication Ducts.
Other components include 2,566km of Electricity
Distribution lines, 643km of Water Distribution
lines, 626km of Foul Water drains, 672km of
Storm Water drains and 226 Culverts.
Speaking further, Vice President Sambo said the
Federal Government is not unmindful of the plight
of the affected original inhabitants in the Federal
Capital Territory.
“We recognize their accommodating spirit and
ability to live in peace and harmony with all
Nigerians that are residing in and trooping into
Abuja for work, politics, businesses or other
legitimate activities. I am happy that the FCT
Administration had, for the first time, provided a
realistic platform for synergy amongst the major
stakeholders to tackle issues of compensation and
resettlement of the affected original inhabitants in
the land-swap districts. It is my hope that this
synergy will mark the beginning of a permanent
solution to compensation and resettlement issues
of the original inhabitants in Abuja,” he stressed.
The Vice President Sambo stated that the project
is a testimony to the impact of the present
administration’s commitment in transforming
governance, in order to attract private sector
investment in public infrastructure.
He recalled that the founding fathers of FCT
through the Abuja Master Plan envisaged a
territory that would be built in 25 years with 79
districts, nine Sector Centers and 11 Satellite
towns with a maximum of 3.2 million population.
He however observed that today, the population of
FCT stands at approximately five million, with only
11 districts completed in 38 years while the
population of the Territory is projected to rise to
about 10 million by 2025.
Nosike Ogbuenyi
SA Media to Minister FCT