Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the completion of the long-abandoned Millennium Tower, saying the estimated cost of reviving the project has risen to between N300 billion and N400 billion, far beyond the financial capacity of the FCT Administration.

Wike, who spoke during in an interview with journalists in Abuja, described the iconic tower as a national project that should be funded by the Federal Government rather than through the FCT’s statutory budget.

Responding to a question on when residents could expect the completion of the landmark structure, the minister said the scale of funding required would make it impracticable for the FCT Administration to execute the project without sacrificing other critical infrastructure across the nation’s capital.

“The Millennium Tower is a national project, and I believe it is one project that government should reconsider. It should be treated as a national tourist centre project, and the capital involved is too huge for the FCT to accommodate within its statutory budget,” Wike said.

The minister recalled that the project was initiated during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo but has remained uncompleted for years despite its significance as one of Abuja’s flagship monuments.

According to him, discussions have continued with the contractor handling the project, whose latest cost estimates indicate that completing the tower would require between N300 billion and N400 billion.

“We have discussed with the contractor. Remember, the project was awarded during the Obasanjo administration. As I speak to you, the contractor is talking about not less than N300 billion to N400 billion,” he said.

Wike argued that committing such an enormous sum from the FCT’s annual budget would inevitably halt ongoing road construction, water supply schemes, district development, schools and other infrastructure projects currently being undertaken across the territory.

“If we embark on that project from the FCT budget, it means every other project in Abuja will have to be abandoned,” he added.

The minister disclosed that he had already opened discussions with President Tinubu on the need to reclassify the Millennium Tower as a national project deserving of direct federal funding.

He expressed optimism that the Federal Government would give favourable consideration to the proposal, noting that the tower, when completed, has the potential to become a major tourism and national heritage asset capable of boosting Abuja’s profile as Nigeria’s capital city.

The Millennium Tower was conceived as a symbolic national monument and a major tourism destination in the Federal Capital Territory. However, despite successive administrations expressing commitment to its completion, the project has remained stalled for years due largely to funding constraints and escalating construction costs.

Wike’s latest intervention underscores growing concerns over the viability of completing the landmark through the FCT Administration’s budget alone, even as the territory continues to finance extensive infrastructure renewal programmes under the Tinubu administration. (The Guardian)