The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has justified the ₦39 billion expenditure on renovating the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja.
Speaking on Friday during the commissioning of the newly constructed Left-Hand Service Carriageway in the capital city, Wike noted that the extensive renovation involved replacing all components of the facility, except the blockwork.
The minister highlighted that while the ICC originally cost ₦240 million to build in 1991 under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, the rising cost of materials necessitated the ₦39 billion renovation.
President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the refurbished facility on June 10, 2025, with Wike renaming it the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
However, the decision sparked criticism from opposition figures, including former federal lawmaker Shehu Sani, who argued that the ICC should have been renamed after Babangida instead of Tinubu. Others expressed concerns about the renovation cost, deeming it excessive.
In response, Wike dismissed the criticism, stating that those questioning the expenditure “lack good taste.”
“The only thing in that International Conference Centre that was not changed is just the block work. Everything in that Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre was changed,” the FCT minister said in a direct response to his critics
“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.
“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,” he added.
Wike also knocked those who said the centre was built with ₦240m in 1991 but refurbished with ₦39bn in 2025. “What was the exchange rate in 1991?” he queried. “Compare the exchange rate to what we have in 2025.”
“We have taste, we want the best for the country and the president has given the best for the country.
“If you did not do well to defend your boss when you have 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 even as he censured those who felt the project was a misplaced priority.