President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday, said the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has earned his confidence through what he described as visible, timely delivery of critical infrastructure projects across the nation’s capital.

Speaking while commissioning the 10.5-kilometre access road network to the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in Karsana West, Abuja, Tinubu said the transformation taking place in the FCT reflects a government committed to fulfilling its promises.

Tinubu, represented by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, praised Wike for treating deadlines as a duty and converting abandoned projects into completed infrastructure, noting that the minister’s performance has justified the confidence reposed in him.

“I gave that assignment to a minister who treats deadlines as duties. I told the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, that civil servants, families and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach. ‘Open Karsana, and open it now.’ He took that brief, set the pace and delivered.

“Minister Wike, the difference in the FCT is visible because you do the work and let the result speak. You have earned my trust, and you have my commendation,” the President said.

Tinubu said the newly completed roads linking the Renewed Hope City and Estates to the Outer Northern Expressway were more than infrastructure projects, describing them as evidence that the Renewed Hope Agenda is producing tangible results.

According to him, the completion of Arterial Roads N11, N16, N40, and Special Important Local Street 03 has opened up thousands of affordable housing units, making them more accessible, safer, and more attractive for residents and investors.

“We are here today to commission access. Access to homes. Access to work. Access to a future that the Renewed Hope Agenda promised.”

“This is not groundbreaking. This is a road you can drive on today,” he said.

The President recalled that at the groundbreaking ceremony for the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in Karsana, he directed that road and engineering infrastructure be provided first to unlock the district for development.

“Housing without access is a blueprint without a building. For too long, Abuja’s story was ‘awarded and abandoned’. Today, we are ending that story with roads that open, not ones that stall,” he added.

Tinubu also commended the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, and engineers and officials of the FCTA for ensuring the project met quality standards and was completed on schedule.

He also praised Lubrik Construction Company, which handled the project, saying the contractor fulfilled its obligations after the Federal Executive Council approved the contract in February 2025.

The President reiterated his administration’s commitment to prompt payment for contractors who deliver quality work within agreed timelines.

“Under this administration, contractors who deliver will be paid without delay. That is the bargain. In return, you must deliver on time and to specification. We will not accept excuses for missed deadlines, and we will not accept substandard work,” he said.

Tinubu urged residents to protect infrastructure by keeping drainage channels clear, preventing vandalism of public facilities and avoiding encroachment on road corridors.

He stressed that the Renewed Hope Agenda is built on identifying challenges, funding solutions, supervising execution and completing projects, adding that this approach is rebuilding public confidence in government.

According to him, “Renewed Hope is not a slogan. It is a method we practice: identify the bottleneck, fund the solution, supervise the work and finish what we started.”

The President then formally commissioned the access roads, saying the project would enhance mobility, housing delivery, security and socio-economic development in the Federal Capital Territory.

Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, recalled that Karsana was inaccessible when Tinubu performed the groundbreaking for the Renewed Hope Estate in 2024.

“For those of us who were here that day, I was imagining how anybody would come and live in this area because there was no road,” he said.

The minister disclosed that developers had feared their investments would become worthless without access roads, but he assured them the government would intervene.

“I told them, ‘It is Renewed Hope. Go home and sleep. We must construct the road in this Karsana district.’ Today, it is a different story.”

Wike said the project became possible because the Federal Government ensured prompt payment, while the contractor fulfilled its obligation by delivering on schedule.

He also announced that the FCT Administration would, next Wednesday, July 8, flag off the construction of the Kaba-Kagini-Zaudna road, following a recent request by residents over its deplorable condition.

In her remarks, FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as another milestone in the implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the roads would boost economic activity, improve connectivity and expand access to affordable housing across the territory.

While celebrating the successful completion of the access roads, Mahmoud called on residents and stakeholders to take collective ownership of public infrastructure by protecting and preserving it for the benefit of present and future generations. (The Nation)