The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, says the Federal Capital Territory Administration will address rural-urban disparities in the nation’s capital by extending development beyond urban centers to rural areas.
During a recent inspection tour of ongoing road projects in the Kwali Area Council, Wike said “development cannot solely focus on urban hubs” and stressed the need to bring infrastructure and economic opportunities to the rural populace.
“We must extend development to rural areas to mitigate rural-urban migration,” Wike said, acknowledging the challenges faced by farmers in transporting their produce to urban markets due to a lack of adequate infrastructure.
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Wike’s visit included an inspection of the Yangoji-Sukuku Ebo road, being handled by Gilmor Engineering Limited, and the Kwali Unity Bank road, under construction by another contractor.
The minister urged the contractors to expedite the work and meet project timelines, saying the Bola Tinubu administration is committed to inclusive development.
“This will make them (rural dwellers) have a feeling that there is government in FCT, particularly when they have a project to show that the government has impacted their lives,” Wike said.
He cited the ongoing Kwali bridge project as a testament to the government’s dedication to rural development, promising its completion by December 2024.
“I want to appeal to the contractor, especially Gilmore, I know that they have a lot of jobs at hand, but again they should expedite action so that they will be able to finish as they promise,” Wike added.
In his remark, Eli-Goldhar, Managing Director of Gilmor Engineering Limited, assured the minister that the Yangoji-Sukuku Ebo-road project would be completed before December as promised.