Pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy body: Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expresses deep concern over what it describes as the systematic and reckless erosion of the Abuja Masterplan by authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through the alleged conversion of designated public lands, green areas, and critical infrastructure spaces into private commercial and residential estates.

HURIWA states unequivocally that the ongoing developments in the Federal Capital Territory represent a dangerous deviation from the founding principles of Abuja as a planned, environmentally balanced, and publicly accessible capital city.

DESTRUCTION OF GREEN SPACES AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS:

The Association is alarmed by the increasing conversion of green areas across Abuja into built-up commercial and residential developments, accompanied by widespread tree felling activities.

These actions, HURIWA warns, are already producing visible environmental consequences, including rising urban heat levels, loss of ecological balance, increased flood risks, and long-term degradation of the city’s environmental sustainability.

HURIWA stresses that Abuja was designed with deliberate ecological zoning, and the continuous destruction of green buffers constitutes not only administrative negligence but a direct threat to public health and environmental security.

WUYE DISTRICT HOSPITAL LAND CONTROVERSY:

Of particular concern is the reported conversion of Plot 546, Cadastral Zone B03, Wuye District—a 3.171-hectare parcel of land originally designated in the Abuja Masterplan for a district hospital—into a private residential estate.

According to available information, the land, strategically located opposite the Wuye Ultra-Modern Market and beside a police station, has been fenced off and is currently under active construction by a private developer identified as Full Moon Estate Developers Ltd.

HURIWA notes that the land was originally intended to serve as a critical public health infrastructure site for the rapidly growing Wuye District, which currently lacks adequate government healthcare facilities.

The conversion of such a facility into private housing, the group argues, constitutes a direct violation of the Abuja Masterplan and a denial of essential public services to residents.

ALLEGATIONS OF PATRONAGE AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

HURIWA further expresses concern over emerging allegations suggesting that politically exposed persons and associates of top government officials may be beneficiaries of the ongoing land reallocations within the FCT.

While these allegations remain unverified, the organisation notes that public discourse has increasingly pointed to possible involvement of individuals linked to influential political officeholders, including claims involving associates of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

HURIWA emphasises that these claims, whether substantiated or not, raise serious questions of transparency, due process, and conflict of interest in land administration within the Federal Capital Territory.

SYSTEMIC ABUSE OF URBAN PLANNING PRINCIPLES:

The Association condemns what it describes as a troubling pattern of disregard for the Abuja Masterplan, where lands originally reserved for essential public infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and green spaces are being reassigned for private development purposes.

Urban planning experts have consistently maintained that such conversions undermine the structural integrity of the city and compromise equitable access to public services.

HURIWA warns that the continued erosion of designated land use allocations will ultimately distort Abuja’s original design, which was intended to ensure balanced development, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion.

COMMUNITY IMPACT AND PUBLIC DISPLACEMENT:

HURIWA also highlights the direct impact of these actions on affected communities. In Wuye District, residents have expressed disappointment over the loss of a long-anticipated district hospital, which they believed was finally going to be constructed.

The absence of such a facility, the group notes, leaves thousands of residents without accessible public healthcare services, forcing reliance on distant or expensive private alternatives.

This, HURIWA argues, reflects a broader governance failure that prioritises private interest over public welfare. Another notable abuse is the conversions of spaces meant for sports/playgrounds for Abuja children in the different residential areas into either motorparks or beer parlours.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND URBAN SUSTAINABILITY RISKS:

Beyond immediate land use concerns, HURIWA warns that the cumulative effect of deforestation, green space conversion, and unchecked urban expansion threatens Abuja’s long-term sustainability.

The organisation notes that cities globally are increasingly prioritising green infrastructure as a safeguard against climate change, while Abuja appears to be moving in the opposite direction.

CALL FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND INSTITUTIONAL INTERVENTION:

In light of these developments, HURIWA calls on the National Assembly of Nigeria to immediately intervene by:

• Halting all ongoing conversions of public lands and green areas in the FCT

• Launching a full parliamentary investigation into land use changes and approvals

• Reviewing compliance with the Abuja Masterplan and urban development regulations

• Summoning relevant FCTA officials to account for recent land reallocations

CALL FOR ANTI-CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION:

HURIWA further urges relevant anti-corruption agencies to commence urgent investigations into allegations of abuse of office, conflict of interest, and possible diversion of public assets for private benefit.

The organisation Insists that any individuals found culpable must be prosecuted, and all illegally converted lands must be reverted to their original public purposes.

RESTORATION AND PROTECTION OF PUBLIC ASSETS:

HURIWA demands the immediate suspension of all construction activities on disputed plots, including the Wuye District hospital site, pending the outcome of investigations.

It further calls fo’ the restoration of all diverted public lands, particularly those designated for healthcare, education, and environmental preservation. FCTA must provide sporting and playgrounds for children in the different residential areas in the city centre.

CONCLUSION: A CITY AT RISK:

HURIWA concludes that Abuja is at a critical crossroads. The continuous erosion of its Masterplan, if left unchecked, risks transforming Nigeria’s capital from a model planned city into a fragmented urban landscape driven by private interests rather than public good.

The organisation warns that the integrity of the Federal Capital Territory must not be sacrificed on the altar of political or commercial expediency.

Abuja, it emphasises, belongs to all Nigerians and must be protected as a national asset.

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