The transformation currently taking place across the Federal Capital Territory is a clear demonstration of what purposeful leadership can achieve. Under the leadership of the Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, the territory has witnessed an unprecedented wave of infrastructure development, including the construction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, water projects, public buildings, and other critical facilities aimed at improving the quality of life for residents. While the government has the constitutional responsibility to provide infrastructure and essential public services, citizens also have corresponding responsibilities. Development is…
Read MoreCategory: Opinion
FCT @ 50: Renewed Hope, Purposeful Leadership and the Socio-Economic Transformation of Abuja
By Dr. Jumai Ahmadu As the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) marks fifty years of its creation, Abuja stands today as a compelling symbol of national unity, strategic planning, and purposeful governance. From a modest vision conceived in 1976, the nation’s capital has evolved into one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities. Yet, perhaps no period in its recent history has witnessed the scale, speed, and geographical spread of infrastructure delivery recorded under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Agenda, implemented in the FCT by the Minister of…
Read MoreProject Breathe Clean Air Abuja: How Clean Cooking Is Transforming Lives Across Six Area Councils
By Dr. Jumai Ahmadu Across communities in the FCT, a quiet but significant transformation is taking place in thousands of homes. Kitchens once filled with smoke from firewood, charcoal and kerosene are gradually giving way to cleaner, safer and healthier cooking with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Through the ‘Project Breathe Clean Air Abuja’, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), working through the Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), in partnership with IHS Nigeria (Towers of Strength), has successfully distributed more than 10,000 cooking gas cylinders to vulnerable households across the six…
Read MoreFrom the Grassroots Up: Why Bottom-Up Policy Formulation Is Delivering Better Results in the FCT
By Dr. Jumai Ahmadu One of the greatest challenges of public policy in developing countries is not necessarily the shortage of resources but the disconnect between government decisions and the actual needs of the people. For many years, development planning in Nigeria largely followed a top-down approach in which government officials designed projects from their offices and expected communities to accept and utilise them. While this model produced some successes, it also resulted in numerous projects that failed to achieve their intended objectives because the beneficiaries were not sufficiently involved…
Read MoreLeadership Beyond the Office: Why presence on the ground matters
By Dr. Jumai Ahmadu In every organization, whether public or private, leadership ultimately revolves around one fundamental question: how can leaders ensure that plans are translated into results? For decades, leadership has been associated with the image of executives seated behind large desks, reviewing reports, attending meetings, and issuing directives. While these functions remain important, experience has consistently shown that some of the most impactful leaders are those who spend considerable time beyond the confines of their offices, engaging directly with operations, people, and projects. The difference between these two…
Read MoreHow Rural Infrastructure is Transforming Lives Across the FCT
By Jumai Ahmadu While much attention has been given to the remarkable transformation taking place within the city centre of Abuja, perhaps one of the most impactful achievements of the current Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) under the leadership of the Minister, Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, is the unprecedented expansion of infrastructure into rural communities and area councils. For decades, many farming communities across Abaji, Kwali, Kuje, Bwari, Gwagwalada, and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) struggled with poor road networks that limited access to markets, healthcare facilities, schools, and…
Read MoreWike’s Abuja revolution: Three years of unprecedented transformation
By Dr. Jumai Ahmadu By every visible and measurable indicator, the FCT under the leadership of the Minister, Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, is undergoing one of the most ambitious transformations in its history. In less than three years, Abuja has witnessed a scale of infrastructural development, governance reforms, urban renewal, and institutional expansion that many residents and stakeholders say is unmatched since the creation of the Federal Capital Territory in 1976. From the city centre to satellite towns and Area Councils, the evidence of transformation is impossible to ignore. Roads…
Read MoreInvesting in boys for stronger families, communities
By Dr. Jumai Ahmadu This is a clarion call for increased attention and deliberate investment in the development of the boy child as a critical pathway to building stronger families, safer communities, and a more balanced society. While the global focus on empowering and protecting the girl child remains necessary and commendable, society must also intentionally pay closer attention to the emotional, moral, social, and psychological well-being of boys. The future security, dignity, and success of the girl child are closely tied to the kind of boys society nurtures today.A…
Read MoreYobe: Gubernatorial nepotism and politics of 2027 succession
By Mohammad Imam Yobe State of Nigeria is administratively divided into three senatorial districts or geopolitical zones, known as Zones A, B, and C, which are used for both political representation and administrative convenience. Zone A (Yobe East), Zone B (Yobe South) and Zone C (Yobe North). Presently, of those racing to succeed Gov. Mai Mala Buni, the major emerging 2027 gubernatorial aspirants for Yobe state include Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai (Zone B), Abubakar D. Aliyu (Zone B), and Musa Mustapha (Zone A). Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai, represents Yobe South…
Read More“Mannir, Be Patient”- Reflections on Patience, Gratitude, and What Truly Matters
Mannir Musa Patience-sabr-in Islam is more than simply waiting. It is perseverance with purpose: continuing to do what is right even when circumstances are difficult.It means exercising restraint when anger might be easier, showing gratitude in the face of hardship,and holding on to hope when the path ahead appears uncertain. Admittedly, this is easier said than done. In a world that constantly urges us to pursue bigger and shinier things, it is easy to forget that happiness is not always found in accumulation. Often, it lies in gratitude-in recognising and…
Read More