The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern warning to the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, cautioning him against the unauthorized naming of roads and streets within the Abuja city centre.
In a report by Daily Trust on Thursday, October 9, 2025, Wike made the declaration during the official flag-off ceremony for the construction of new road networks in the Guzape District, a project that also extends into parts of the AIT neighbourhoods within the Asokoro cadastral zone.
According to the minister, the act of naming major roads and streets constructed and financed by the FCT Administration after private individuals, without the necessary approvals, is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated.
He stated that only individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the nation’s growth or the development of the FCT deserve such honour, stressing that the process of immortalising names through street naming must be based on merit and public service.
Wike further clarified that the practice of allowing private citizens to pay a fee to have streets named after them should be limited to satellite towns, where the Abuja Municipal Area Council is directly responsible for providing infrastructure and local services.
In his words, “We cannot be doing roads and even infrastructure, and you wake up in the morning, I don’t know who writes to you, before I wake up, you name the street and the roads that we are doing with our money.”
The minister ordered Maikalangu to refund any funds collected from individuals who had paid for streets to be named in their honour within the city centre, insisting that the Federal Capital Territory Administration must maintain control over such administrative decisions.
“You don’t just name an important street after somebody when you don’t know where the money is coming from. You will not do that again,” Wike said, underscoring his resolve to ensure accountability and proper governance within the capital city.
The minister’s warning comes amid ongoing efforts to standardize urban planning and restore order to administrative processes in Abuja, particularly in areas where overlapping jurisdiction between the FCTA and area councils has caused controversy. See, More, Here>>>
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