Wike and the Transformation of FCT Road

 The 28-day project inauguration exercise by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike marked one of the most remarkable periods of infrastructure delivery in Abuja’s history. Yet, despite the visible progress, many neglected communities continue to appeal for rehabilitation of their deteriorating roads. Olawale Ajimotokan reports

When Hajia Farida Jalal leaves her home in Kubwa before sunrise to buy foodstuffs at Sokale Market in Dutse, her biggest challenge is not the early hour—it is the road.

Deep potholes along NEPA Road and adjoining streets have turned what should be a short commute into a daily ordeal. Transport fares have climbed as commercial tricycle operators and taxi drivers pass the cost of damaged vehicles on to passengers. At night, the poor roads become even more frightening, with residents fearing criminals who exploit the darkness and slow-moving traffic.

Yet, only a few kilometres away, newly completed highways and dual carriageways are transforming travel across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), illustrating both the remarkable progress achieved under the current administration and the work that still lies ahead.

The ongoing expansion and rehabilitation of Abuja’s road network provide visible evidence of the capital city’s steady physical growth over the past five decades.

In the last three years, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has awarded contracts covering about 317 kilometres of roads, with approximately 221 kilometres already completed. The recently concluded 28-day project commissioning exercise, organised to commemorate President Bola Tinubu’s third anniversary in office, showcased these achievements across the city centre, satellite towns and rural communities.

Even some of Wike’s political critics have acknowledged the pace of infrastructure delivery, particularly the road projects that have improved connectivity while opening up economic opportunities for residents and indigenous communities across the FCT.

The inauguration, which began on June 9, featured 31 projects, including roads, water infrastructure, urban renewal initiatives and a judicial complex spread across the six Area Councils. Urban planners and residents alike agree that the projects will significantly improve mobility, ease traffic congestion, stimulate economic activities and further position Abuja as a modern capital city.

Perhaps nowhere is the impact more evident than in the rural communities. For decades, isolated farming settlements in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Kwali, Abaji, Gwagwalada, Bwari and Kuje endured impassable roads that restricted access to healthcare, schools and markets. During the rainy season, many communities were effectively cut off, leaving farmers to watch helplessly as harvested crops spoiled before reaching buyers. That narrative is gradually changing.

The construction and rehabilitation of strategic roads across the Area Councils have opened new economic corridors linking remote communities with urban markets, reducing travel time and improving livelihoods for thousands of residents. Among the flagship projects is the 15-kilometre Apo-Wassa Road, also known as the Outer Southern Expressway, stretching from Ring Road I near Gudu Cemetery to Ring Road II at Kabusa-Junction.

Widely regarded as the crown jewel of the administration’s road programme, the 10-lane highway was abandoned for years before construction resumed. Today, it has significantly improved connectivity while opening vast areas for commercial and residential development in communities such as Apo-Burum, Sheretti, Kabusa, Waru-Pozema and Lokogoma.

Kuje Area Council has also witnessed one of the most dramatic transformations. The reconstructed 11-kilometre Kuje Road (FCT 105), linking the International Airport Expressway to Kuje township, has replaced what was once a notoriously difficult route. Before its rehabilitation, the road was plagued by potholes and insecurity, with commuters regularly facing long travel times and security concerns. The new six-lane highway has eased movement, strengthened agricultural and commercial activities, improved security and increased property values.

Complementing the project is the dualisation of the 17-kilometre Kuje-Gwagwalada Road, which now provides a direct link between the two Area Councils without forcing motorists onto the busy Airport Expressway before connecting to communities along the Abuja-Lokoja corridor.

The projects reflect Wike’s vision of developing satellite towns into self-sustaining urban centres where residents can live, work and conduct business without depending entirely on the city centre.

Other strategic road projects include the extension of Obafemi Awolowo Way (Arterial Road N5) from Life Camp Junction to Ring Road III through Dape District, a project that has eased traffic around Dape, Idu, Kado, Karmo, Gwarimpa, Jabi and neighbouring communities.

Additional projects include the Bill Clinton Drive–Tungan Madaki Access Road; Collector Road CN2 linking Katampe and Mabushi; Arterial Road N16 to Ring Road II connecting Jahi and Gwarimpa; the Karu Interchange to Customs Clinic Junction; Collector Roads 01 and 02 in Mabushi; the Gomani–Dafa–Yangoji Road; access roads in Wassa District and Karsana; the rehabilitated Old Keffi Road; and roads in Gaduwa District.

For the Etsu Kwali, Luka Nizassan III, the completion of the Gomani–Dafa–Yangoji Road represents more than new asphalt. He described it as the fulfilment of a long-standing aspiration for his people. “We feel so delighted that this part of the Area Council is benefiting from government intervention. There is nothing happier than making demands and seeing those demands fulfilled”, the traditional ruler stated.

According to him, the road is historically significant, having served as one of the oldest routes in the former Abuja Emirate during the colonial era when tax collectors travelled through the area.

Yet, despite these accomplishments, the FCT’s road infrastructure story remains unfinished. Across many satellite communities, residents continue to navigate roads that have deteriorated beyond routine maintenance.

In Kubwa, roads such as NEPA Road, Aso Savings Bank Road and Shelter Farm Road remain riddled with potholes. Jalal says the poor roads have not only increased transport costs but also created security concerns, as criminals exploit the difficult terrain to attack commuters during the early morning and late evening.

Favour Aikhionbare, who commutes daily between Kubwa and Area 1 where she works as a hotel receptionist, says the roads become almost impassable during the rainy season. “We have complained countless times to the Bwari Area Council, but all we receive are promises that never materialise,” she says.

For Seye Akindele, another resident, the financial burden is equally severe. The deteriorating roads, he says, have led to frequent vehicle repairs and rising maintenance costs.

The situation is hardly different in Nyanya, one of Abuja’s largest gateway communities, where thousands of workers commute daily into the city.

Although strategically located along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway, most of Nyanya’s internal roads remain in poor condition. Roads linking the General Hospital, the Police Mobile Force Squadron, the Divisional Police Headquarters and the Vehicle Inspection Office are riddled with potholes and damaged surfaces.

Hospital Road, which connects to Kashi-Nyanya Road, is particularly problematic. Every Wednesday, market activities reduce the already narrow road to a near standstill, worsening traffic congestion. Sani Anka, a member of the local vigilance group, says residents have repeatedly appealed for intervention.

“I don’t even know where to begin. The roads are so bad that one wonders whether anyone in government cares. Heavy rains make many of them impassable, while blocked drains flood homes. Unfortunately, we are remembered only during election campaigns,” he says.

Another resident, Kunle Ayotola, recounts surviving a motorcycle accident after the rider struck a deep crater on Area B Last Road, throwing him into the path of an approaching vehicle.

Elsewhere, residents of Life Camp and Kafe District are appealing for repairs to the road stretching from Life Camp Roundabout through Stellamarris School to Kafe District, which house over 100 mass housing estates; while those in Pegi, Kuje Area Council, argue that poor roads are worsening insecurity.

For years, residents say kidnappers and armed robbers have taken advantage of the difficult terrain and abandoned road projects to target motorists. Morgan, who has lived in Pegi for over a decade, says the Kuje-Dafara Road remains incomplete, while several inner roads have collapsed because of poor construction.

As a result, many residents rely on a notorious bush track that has become synonymous with robbery and kidnapping. “We are appealing to the minister to remember Pegi. Bad roads are making insecurity worse, and many residents are afraid to return home after dark,” he says.

The scale of road construction undertaken by the FCT Administration has undoubtedly altered Abuja’s transportation landscape and accelerated development in many communities.

But as the experiences of residents in Kubwa, Nyanya, Life Camp and Pegi demonstrate, the transformation remains a work in progress. For thousands of commuters and families still trapped by crumbling roads, the next phase of infrastructure development cannot come soon enough.