The Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA), has come under intense fire over its decision to spend ₦39 billion on the renovation of the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja – only to rename the fully functional facility after President Bola Tinubu.
Critics have condemned the move as an extravagant waste of public funds and a disturbing sign of a growing personality cult surrounding the President.
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), and prominent activist Aisha Yesufu were among those who slammed the initiative, describing it as a misplacement of priorities at a time when public education and healthcare in the capital are under severe stress.
CUPP, in a strongly worded statement, described the move as “a costly quest for immortality” and “a brazen display of self-glorification”, pointing out that the ICC was already in good shape and had hosted global summits and major national events since it was built in 1991 at a cost of ₦240 million under General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
HURIWA accused the President and his cabinet of indulging in “vanity projects” while essential services suffer. “This renaming is immoral, baseless, and lacks historic merit”, the group declared. It called for an immediate reversal of the decision.
The newly refurbished centre, now renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre (ICC), is among a growing list of public institutions and infrastructure recently renamed after the President, including a federal polytechnic, a military barracks, and a technology complex.
Activist, A’isha Yesufu, also decried the gesture, stating that a government serious about development would focus on public welfare rather than political branding.
CUPP National Secretary, Peter Ameh, said: “This is not how legacies are built, Real leadership builds schools that educate, hospitals that heal, and industries that employ – not monuments to ego”.
He added: “At a time when FCT schoolchildren have been out of school for months and health centres have shut down, this administration is celebrating the renaming of a conference hall”.
Despite the backlash, President Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio have praised construction giant, Julius Berger for completing the rehabilitation on schedule, commending the company’s “commitment to excellence”.
However, transparency concerns persist. The FCTA has yet to publish a detailed cost breakdown or procurement record for the renovation, fuelling suspicion of inflated contracts and political favouritism.
Opposition voices and civil society organisations are calling for a probe into the renovation project and urging the Tinubu administration to redirect attention to more impactful projects.
“This is not legacy-building”, said CUPP’s Peter Ameh. “It’s legacy-branding. And it’s coming at too great a cost”.
