Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended the ₦39 billion price tag for the renovation of Abuja’s International Conference Centre, saying critics of the project “don’t have good taste.”
Speaking on Friday at the commissioning of a newly completed carriageway in the capital, Wike addressed growing concerns over the hefty cost of the refurbishment, which has sparked backlash from opposition figures and members of the public.
“The only thing in that International Conference Centre that was not changed is just the block work. Everything in that Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre was changed,” he said.
The conference centre, originally built in 1991 for ₦240 million during former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, was recently renamed after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following its renovation. Critics, including ex-lawmaker Shehu Sani, have argued the edifice should have been named after Babangida, not Tinubu.
Wike dismissed these concerns, pointing out inconsistencies in naming conventions across national monuments: “Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport was not built by Nnamdi Azikwe. Moshood Abiola International Stadium was not built by Moshood Abiola.”
He also pushed back against cost comparisons between 1991 and now: “What was the exchange rate in 1991? Compare the exchange rate to what we have in 2025.”
Wike insisted the refurbished centre represents national pride: “Nigeria as the Giant of Africa must not only show that it is the Giant of Africa; people must see what makes you to be the Giant of Africa.”
Reaffirming his loyalty to President Tinubu, Wike said he had no regrets about the project: “If you did not do well to defend your boss when you have the opportunity, it is your business. I am here and I will defend my boss. I have done it and I have no regret at all.”
