ABUJA, Nigeria — Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has defended the N39 billion spent by the FCT administration on the renovation of the Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC), saying critics of the project “do not have good taste”.
Wike made the remarks on Friday, June 13, 2025, during the inauguration of a newly constructed left-hand service carriageway in the Nigerian capital, days after the refurbished facility — now renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre — was formally opened.
Responding to growing public criticism over the scale and cost of the project, Wike insisted the funds were well spent, citing the extent of the upgrades made to the structure.
“The only thing in that International Conference Centre that was not changed is just the block work,” Wike said.
“Everything in that Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre was changed.”
He added, “Nigeria, as the Giant of Africa, must not only show that it is the giant of Africa; people must see what makes you to be the giant of Africa. Nobody who loves this country would criticise the International Conference Centre.”
The project, first announced in March, quickly drew scrutiny over the reported N39 billion expenditure — particularly in comparison to the centre’s original construction cost of N240 million in 1991.
Wike dismissed the criticism as misleading, pointing to the devaluation of the naira and broader economic changes over time.
“What was the exchange rate in 1991? Compare the exchange rate to what we have in 2025,” Wike said.
“We have taste; we want the best for the country, and the president has given the best for the country.”
He also responded to objections raised over the decision to rename the centre after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rather than its original builders or other historical figures.
“They said we did not name the International Conference Centre after someone who built it. Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport was not built by Nnamdi Azikwe. Moshood Abiola International Stadium was not built by Moshood Abiola,” the minister argued.
Reiterating his loyalty to the current administration, Wike said his actions were motivated by a desire to defend and promote President Tinubu’s legacy.
“If you did not do well to defend your boss when you had the opportunity, it is your business. I am here, and I will defend my boss. I have done it, and I have no regret at all,” he said.
