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…Inaugurates $3.05bn Anti-Poverty, Development Programmes
ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, said his administration remains resolute to guarantee the safety of domestic and international investments, declaring that Nigeria, under his leadership, is ready and open for business.
This, he said, is further guaranteed by the ongoing optimisation of legal, physical, and financial frameworks to protect capital, guarantee returns, and eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks in the system.
The president gave his perspective during the official launch of the Sales Office and Experience Centre for the landmark Abuja City Walk Development project.
The president, who was represented by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, described the project as a tangible manifestation of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We are not just opening a building. We are unveiling the window to a multi-billion-dollar future. We are presenting a tangible manifestation of our Renewed Hope Agenda, sculpted in concrete, innovation, and unwavering determination,” he stated.
He recalled an earlier promise he made to Nigerians on a radical economic transformation and infrastructure renewal, saying, “The City Walk Experience Centre stands as proof that our administration does not just make promises, we execute them with determination.”
On the viability of the project, President Tinubu noted that “the Abuja City Walk is a shining symbol of what can be achieved when political will meets private sector expertise and capital.
“By granting this corridor a Free Trade Zone status, we have further eliminated trade friction, laying down a fertile environment for regional commerce, medical tourism, premium retail, and high-end hospitality”, he added.
He lauded the commitment of the FCT Administration led by the Minister, Nyesom Wike, in the realisation of the project, stating that “for 20 years, the Abuja Technology Village corridor lay dormant.
“Today, through aggressive land administration reforms and the eradication of bureaucratic inertia, it is being transformed into a bustling construction hub,” he pointed out.
The president noted that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, his administration was gradually putting a permanent end to the era of land speculation and abandoned mega-projects in Abuja.
According to him, “We have made it clear that land is an asset for rapid development, not an instrument for developmental retrogression and speculative hoarding.
“Through this development, we are pushing the boundaries of architectural and engineering possibility in Africa.
This magnificent project also underscores our deep conviction that sustainable national development cannot be carried out by the government alone.”
He charged the FCT Administration and partners in the project to maintain the intense momentum, insisting that the launch of the sales office and experience centre must translate immediately into accelerated brick-and-mortar execution onsite.
Earlier in his remarks, Minister of FCT said the formal launch of the Abuja City Walk project was a realisation of one of the cardinal objectives of administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to attract foreign direct investment and create employment opportunities for Nigerians.
Wike noted that while it is government’s responsibility to provide the enabling environment for investments to thrive and create employment opportunities, citizens must play their part by supporting government policies and programmes to ensure continuity and sustainability.
In an overview of the project, the Executive Director, Link Development, Dr Kassim Gidado, said the occasion represented the beginning of a bold vision, dedicated realisation of a huge project milestone, and the cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu. Dr. Gidado explained that the centre was designed to provide, among other facilities, recreational spots, educational institutions, conducive residential accommodation, worship centres, shopping malls, a free trade zone and a green corridor, all targeted to create a city within the city of Abuja.
On behalf of the partners, he expressed the deep appreciation of all stakeholders to the president and the FCT management for the realisation of the Abuja City Walk project, designed to be among the best and iconic investment destinations around the world.
For his part, Peter John Young, CEO of BroadGate Development Group and Project Manager of Abuja City Walk, said the project would usher in a new era of global urban design.
He assured that the firm would work with the government of Nigeria to deliver its envisioned destination for the Abuja Walk city, which has the potential to redefine urban development in Africa.
According to Neil Serridge, Deputy Director at Benoy and Master Planner for the project, the company considered it a privilege to embark on the massive development, which will feature architectural masterpieces and landmark infrastructure.
The high-point of the occasion was the guided tour of the Experience Centre by the vice president and other dignitaries.
TinubuInaugurates$3.05bnAnti-Poverty, Development Programmes
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday unveiled five landmark social and development programmes worth about $3.05 billion to accelerate poverty reduction, strengthen community resilience and deepen investment in human capital.
Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, inaugurated the programmes at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The initiatives comprise the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Additional Financing (NGCARES AF) and the Solutions for Internally Displaced and Host Communities (SOLID). Others are the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE-GOV, HOPE-PHC and HOPE-EDU). “This is not just a set of programmes; these are promises kept.
“Today, we act on our pledge by protecting the vulnerable, empowering communities and building the human capital that will carry Nigeria forward,” Tinubu said.
He said the programmes formed a single national strategy to translate recent macroeconomic gains into improved livelihoods through investments in livelihoods, healthcare, education, social protection and support for displaced communities.
Tinubu said the NG-CARES would receive about $1.25 billion in additional World Bank financing to support smallholder farmers and small businesses, while SOLID would deploy $300 million to assist internally displaced persons and host communities.
He said the $1.5 billion HOPE package would strengthen primary healthcare, foundational education, teacher support, and governance reforms in public education nationwide.
“These five programmes are one coordinated national strategy for poverty reduction, human capital development and community resilience,” he said.
Tinubu said Nigeria’s economic reforms had strengthened the foundation for inclusive growth, citing rising foreign reserves, declining inflation and improved economic performance.
“These are not abstract figures; they are the foundation for the next phase of our national development,” he added. He added that expanded cash transfers had reached 15 million vulnerable households.
The president urged federal, state and local governments, development partners and implementing agencies to ensure effective implementation, stressing that delivery and accountability would determine the programmes’ success.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, described the interventions as a whole-of-government response to poverty, the cost-of-living crisis and human capital challenges.
“These programmes represent another milestone in translating the Renewed Hope Agenda into concrete interventions that directly touch the lives of poor and vulnerable Nigerians,” Bagudu said.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said the $570 million HOPE-PHC programme would improve primary healthcare services for about 40 million Nigerians, especially women, children and adolescents.
He said the programme would reduce maternal and under-five mortality, strengthen primary healthcare facilities and improve service delivery through performance- based financing.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the $562 million HOPE-EDU programme would benefit nearly 30 million pupils, support 500,000 teachers and strengthen 65,000 public schools across the country.
World Bank Country Director, Matthew Verghis, said the programmes demonstrated that Nigeria’s greatest asset remained its people, adding that the institution would continue supporting reforms that improve education, healthcare and social protection.
Also speaking, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, said the interventions would help vulnerable and displaced Nigerians transition from emergency relief to resilience and productive livelihoods.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the National Assembly also pledged full support for the implementation of the programmes.
The event was witnessed by governors, ministers, development partners, top government officials and stakeholders from the relevant sectors.
