President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially commissioned the extensively renovated Abuja International Conference Centre, now bearing his name, sparking mixed reactions nationwide. The high-profile unveiling took place in the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday, drawing top dignitaries such as FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and a host of other prominent officials.
During the ceremony, Minister Wike defended the decision to rename the edifice after President Tinubu. He credited the President’s decisive leadership as the catalyst behind the facility’s transformation, which had long been an eyesore.
“This centre was constructed in 1991 under a military regime and had remained in a state of decay for decades,” Wike said during his remarks. “When the President visited last year to commission the ECOWAS Parliament, he was visibly appalled by the state of the venue. He demanded change and in just eight months, this is the result.”
The newly christened Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Wike asserted, now meets global standards and is a symbol of Nigeria’s renewed commitment to excellence.
But the N39 billion price tag attached to the project has raised eyebrows, especially amid widespread economic hardship and surging inflation. Wike, however, remained firm in defending the cost, revealing at a prior press briefing that the renovation was greenlit by President Tinubu himself.
“The total cost is N39 billion, not N39 million,” Wike emphasized. “We can’t continue to settle for substandard infrastructure. Nigeria is Africa’s giant, we must act like it.”
Built during General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, the conference centre had fallen into disrepair and underuse, despite its strategic importance. According to Wike, 70–80% of the renovation was completed as of March, with construction giant Julius Berger assuring full delivery by May.
As the country grapples with deepening economic woes, this project and its renaming, has ignited a national debate about priorities, leadership, and legacy in governance.
