Wike Vows To End Darkness In Abuja, Launches Streetlight Project

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, said he is determined to light up Abuja within the next seven months, despite recurring vandalism that has kept the streets in near-total darkness.

Speaking during the official commencement of the FCT Streetlight Modernisation Project on Thursday, Wike described the initiative as one of the most difficult yet most important projects embarked upon by his administration since assuming office in August 2023.

He said. “Today’s event is a very difficult one. Difficult in the sense that this is a very important project, but it has given us a lot of headache, not in the conceptualisation, but in how it will work.

“Every time you hear sabotage: cables have been removed, poles vandalised, and the government keeps paying for maintenance without seeing results. This has been a nightmare for me.”

The minister recalled how, in 2024, he accompanied President Bola Tinubu to Beijing, China, where agreements were signed with two major firms—China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), to provide sustainable water supply in satellite towns and to power a new streetlight system across Abuja.

According to him, what makes the new model different is the built-in security and surveillance features that will make it difficult for criminals to vandalise or steal installations.

The two companies will be responsible for maintaining the facilities for the next four to five years at no extra cost to the government.

“For once, we will not be seeing files every week asking for money for streetlight maintenance. Those days are gone. This time, the companies will maintain everything themselves. And with security features embedded, it will no longer be business as usual for criminals and their collaborators,” Wike stressed.

He acknowledged that the reforms would anger vested interests, political contractors, corrupt insiders, and cable dealers who benefit from the status quo, but insisted that leadership demands tough decisions.

“They will call us names. They will say it is because of ethnicity, religion, or politics. They will send people to social media, radio, and even CNN. Let them fabricate whatever they want; we don’t care. What matters is that this project will be done, and it will be done well,” he said.

The minister emphasised that a well-lit Abuja is critical to tackling insecurity, creating jobs, and projecting the capital city as a world-class hub, especially ahead of its 50th anniversary in February 2026.

“Abuja cannot host international events like the Commonwealth when the entire city is in darkness. By the grace of God, in the next seven months, this city will be transformed. Anybody flying into Abuja will see light, not darkness,” Wike added.

On her part, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as a transformative step for safety, sustainability, and smart living.

“This project will not only improve security and safety for residents and businesses, it will also promote clean and renewable energy, reduce the city’s carbon footprint, and support the Administration’s Smart City Agenda,” Mahmoud said.

She praised Wike for his “unwavering leadership and vision” in driving sustainable infrastructural development across the Territory.