By Sarah NEGEDU
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, said the FCT has become a working example of how governance should function when political leadership is deliberate, accountable and development-driven.
Wike made the remarks while delivering the 2026 Distinguished Personality Lecture at the University of Abuja, where he argued that Abuja’s recent infrastructural turnaround demonstrates what is possible when decisions are backed by commitment rather than rhetoric.
The minister who spoke on the theme “The Impact of Political Leadership on Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between Dividends of Democracy and Good Governance,” said the FCT is uniquely positioned to serve as a national benchmark because it is the one jurisdiction where government has no excuse for failure.
According to him, the Administration’s focus in the past two years has been to show, through concrete results, that governance can be predictable, disciplined and measurable.
“The FCT is more than a capital city; it is a national statement. If you want to show how governance should work, the FCT must serve as the laboratory. The dividends of democracy are not speeches or promises; they must be felt daily by citizens in visible, functional, and enduring ways.”
He explained that infrastructure forms the clearest bridge between democratic expectations and government performance, noting that people are unlikely to trust political institutions when they cannot see evidence of progress around them.
In his words, “Our problem has never been ideas or capacity. It has been the failure of leadership to act with discipline, courage, and a commitment to the public good.”
Wike told the audience that several projects recently completed or revived in Abuja, including arterial roads, inner-city corridors and work across satellite towns, were undertaken to restore the original planning logic of the capital and demonstrate that government can work at the pace citizens expect.
He said each project is intended to send a message that public funds must translate to public value.
According to him, leadership must be judged by outcomes, not political debate. He argued that Abuja’s experience proves that development responds directly to decisions, and not to the volume of political conversations. “Where infrastructure is transparently planned and faithfully executed, it builds trust,” he said.
The minister also touched on broader national reforms, noting that difficult policy decisions such as the removal of fuel subsidy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reflect the kind of political will required to redirect national resources.
He advised that governance in Nigeria must shift from promises to performance, and from political convenience to institutional discipline.
He maintained that the primary responsibility of leaders is to ensure that development is not selective, and that citizens in every part of the FCT should feel the impact of government.
Wike also added that the long-term goal is to entrench a governance culture where planning is consistent, enforcement is firm, and public institutions function without sentiment.
The chairman of the lecture and former Coordinating Director of the EFCC, Prof. Aminu Gusau, said the minister’s presentation reinforces the need for Nigeria to evaluate leaders strictly by the results they deliver.
Gusau, who is currently a visiting professor at the University of Kansas, told the audience that the FCT example underscores why leadership must be assessed by what is completed, what is working and what has changed for citizens, not by political style or public popularity.
“Leadership becomes tangible when citizens can see completed roads, revived projects, improved lighting, strengthened regulation, and enhanced order in public administration,” he said.
He added that continuity in executing projects across different administrations remains essential if the country is to close its infrastructure gap.
The lecture, attended by academics, policymakers, students and civil society groups, continued the Yakubu Gowon University’s tradition of interrogating governance through scholarly engagement and public accountability.
