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…
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Leadership 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 MoreIWD: FCT widows showcase empowerment skills
Widows in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from 21 clusters at the weekend showcased some of the skills they acquired from the empowerment by the Women Affairs Minister to the Helpline Social Support Initiative (HSSI), Abuja. The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by the Chairman, Board of Directors, Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Princess Dr. Joan Jummai Idonije, said Nigeria has over two million out of the 258 million widows worldwide. She said widows are not on the margin of society, they…
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 MoreRe-imagining The North: Liberty Symposium opens today
…As Northern leaders gather to chart new future Aminu Imam All roads lead to Abuja today, as policymakers, business leaders, media executives, academics, security experts and development stakeholders converge for the 2nd Liberty Symposium, a high-level gathering aimed at crafting a new development roadmap for Northern Nigeria. The symposium, convened by Liberty Media Group scheduled for today Tuesday, at the iconic Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, is expected to ignite critical conversations on governance, economic transformation, security, constitutional reforms and the strategic role of the media in shaping the region’s future.…
Read MoreFCT: Brother chains sister for 4yrs over business dispute
A woman has been rescued from alleged captivity in the Mpape area of Maitama Extension, Abuja, after reportedly spending four years chained inside a locked room by her brother following a dispute over a business venture. According to eyewitnesses, the woman and her brother had jointly established a cement business. However, a disagreement allegedly arose over ownership and profits, leading to claims that the brother declared her mentally unstable and confined her in order to prevent her from asserting her stake in the enterprise. The shocking situation reportedly came to…
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 MoreAlleged FCT land-grabbing: Sowore leads hundreds in protest against Wike
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, yesterday led hundreds of protesters through parts of Abuja in a demonstration against alleged land grabbing in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The protesters accused the administration of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, of revoking and reallocating legally acquired lands to political allies and associates. Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the demonstrators demanded the protection of public spaces, particularly Jabi Lake and Jabi Park, warning against attempts to privatize or encroach on the areas. Some of the banners displayed inscriptions…
Read More‘How el-Rufa’i revoked Gowon’s Abuja land’ – Bishop Kukah
Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has revealed how former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasir el-Rufa’i, revoked a plot of land belonging to former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, in Abuja. Kukah spoke yesterday in Abuja, while reviewing Gowon’s autobiography: ‘My Life of Duty and Allegiance’, published by Havilah Group. The cleric, known for his interventions on national issues and reflections on Nigeria’s political history, used the occasion to recount some of the difficulties Gowon faced after leaving office, including his years in exile following…
Read MoreSenate approves ₦2.2tr FCT Budget for 2026
The 10th Senate has passed the 2026 Statutory Appropriation Bill for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), approving a total expenditure of ₦2.285 trillion for the development and administration of the nation’s capital. The passage was sequel to the presentation and consideration of the harmonised report of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on the FCT. The report was presented by the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Austin Akobundu, on behalf of the Chairman, Senator Ibrahim Bomai. In his presentation, Senator Akobundu, who noted the committees recommended…
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