Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has responded defiantly to mounting criticism over his decision to rename the Abuja International Conference Centre in honour of President Bola Tinubu, declaring that he stands by the move with “no regret at all.”
Speaking during the commissioning of the newly completed 15-kilometre left-hand service carriageway of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) Stage II, Wike dismissed those questioning the ₦39 billion price tag attached to the centre’s renovation and the renaming gesture.
“I have done it, and I have no regret at all,” the former Rivers State governor said during the event on Friday.
The refurbished centre was formally reopened on Tuesday and renamed Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, prompting widespread criticism from opposition figures and civil society who argued the project was an extravagant misplacement of priorities.
But Wike pushed back, questioning the logic behind the backlash. “They said that the centre was built with ₦240 million, but which year? 1991,” he queried. “What was the exchange rate in 1991 compared with today? Look at it, 1991, and we are now in 2025.”
Wike stressed that only the original structure of the building remained intact, while everything else had been overhauled. “The only thing that was not changed in that centre is just the block work. Everything in that centre was changed,” he explained.
Addressing those opposed to naming the centre after a sitting president, Wike cited precedents: “Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was not built by Azikiwe, and Moshood Abiola National Stadium was not built by Abiola.”
He insisted that the criticism was being driven by those who lacked national pride or aesthetic appreciation. “Nobody who loves this country will criticise the rehabilitation of the international conference centre,” he said, adding, “we deserve the best for the country, and Mr President has given us the best.”
According to the minister, Nigeria’s status as the “giant of Africa” must be visible in its infrastructure and public image. “People must see what makes the country the giant of Africa,” Wike concluded.
