Abuja One of World’s Fastest Growing Cities, Says FCT Minister

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello has described Abuja as one of the world’s fastest-growing cities while the FCT is the fastest-growing sub-national in the country.

He made the submission at the maiden retreat organised for the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Board members and the executive management committee at Suleija, Niger State.

The minister, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Bashir Mai-Bornu, said that reality demands more work from the FCDA as it copes with the rapid expansion of the city and the ever-changing structure and dynamics of the society.

He also urged strategic stakeholders to evolve modalities that will incorporate key areas that will strengthen development of the city and expedite ways of correcting the grey areas impeding the implementation of the Abuja master-plan.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary FCDA, Shehu Ahmad, said despite the challenges of distortion and illegal structures across the territory, efforts were ongoing to meet up with the requirements of developing the nation’s capital.

He described the retreat as an avenue of provoking discussions on how to correct illegalities being faced by the FCDA in meeting up with the Abuja master plan.

“We organised the retreat as a means to sensitise members of the FCDA board as well as the executive management committee with other stakeholders to interact on the issue of Abuja master plan implementation,” Ahmad said.

He stressed that the retreat, coming at a time a new administration is about to come on board, will provoke discussions across all areas that needed urgent interventions that will allow stakeholders to reappraise issues in context and present a better position.

“The FCDA has not delivered up to its mandate, going by the FCT Act Decree No. 6 of 1976 in pursuit of the dream of our founding fathers to build a befitting capital city – Abuja, that can rank equal among the best in the world. We will continue to explore ways to meet up,” Ahmad said.