President Goodluck Jonathan has assured that the Federal Government will continue to accord priority status to the development of Abuja as a city designed to showcase Nigeria to the World.
The President, who gave this assurance while commissioning the Wuye Ultra-Modern Market, Wuye District, Abuja on Thursday, said he does not have any doubt, that the present team of FCT leadership will continue to justify the confidence reposed in them.
According to the President, “I am informed that the Ultra-Modern Market was developed in collaboration with All Purpose Shelter Limited, a Nigerian company. I therefore, commend the FCT Administration for once again deploying the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project delivery model to accomplish this feat”.
His words: “This kind of partnerships does not only conserve resources but also is very important in ensuring people’s ownership of development projects, efficient maintenance culture and sustainability”.
Jonathan noted that the “Land Swap Initiative of the FCT Administration is one of such partnerships, which my Administration is committed to deliver. As more and more people come into the Territory, we need to keep pace with the demand for infrastructure and utilities to accommodate them”.
The President reiterated that since inception, the programme has registered an unprecedented increase in infrastructural projects and foreign investments.
He emphasized that our doors will remain open to capable private sector indigenous and foreign investors to come and join hands with the government so that we can build Abuja together.
President Jonathan commended the efforts of the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, together with his team for their exemplary leadership, teamwork and diligence in the pursuit of the vision of building a capital that will rank among the best 20 Capital Cities in the World by the year 2020.
Speaking earlier, the FCT Minister, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed CON, noted that President Goodluck Jonathan’s presence to commission the fourth Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) market initiated by the FCTA, is a grand gesture and testimony of his Administration’s continuous support of, and solidarity with the FCT Administration in its stride towards building a capital city that will rank among the best 20 advanced cities by the year 2020.
Mohammed stated that the Wuye Ultra-Modern Market is a significant landmark on the journey of the FCT Administration towards providing the requisite physical and social infrastructure to the populace of the Territory.
The Minister remarked that what the World is witnessing today is anther success story by the FCT Administration under the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project execution model.
“We hope this will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and enhancement of commercial activities within Wuye District in particular and FCT at large,” he added.
Mohammed revealed that the Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), which is the investment arm of the FCTA is charged with the responsibility of facilitating the inflow of investments to the FCT.
The Minister further revealed that in property development, AICL has recently facilitated over N500 billion worth of investments including the development of the $1.2bn World Trade Centre investment project.
Mohammed disclosed that the AICL is developing new markets such as the Dubai International Market, Guzape Shopping Complex, Area 3 Shopping Complex and Garki Executive Office Suite.
On the Wuye Market Project, the Minister also disclosed that the FCTA’s principal role was the provision of land and primary infrastructure while the developer provided project finance and the technical capacity for the project implementation.
He stressed that the developer is to manage the facility for the duration of the reversionary period of thirteen (13) years, after which it would be transferred back to AICL to manage on behalf of the FCT Administration.
