Wike halts conversion of Abuja green areas to car lots

August 20, 2026 2:23 am

Deborah Musa, Deborah Tolu-Kolawole and Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis, Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has directed the immediate stoppage of the use of green areas, parks and gardens in the nation’s capital as car dealership lots, as stakeholders and the House of Representatives spokesman called for urgent action to address recurring flooding in Abuja.

Wike, who expressed concern over the conversion of areas designated for recreation into car lots, directed the relevant authorities to ensure that all unauthorised use of such spaces was stopped.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the minister specifically decried the use of areas designated for parks and recreation as car dealerships.

“Minister, who decried the use of areas designated for parks and recreation like the Millennium Park and others as car lots, directed that all unauthorised use of such areas will be closely monitored to ensure compliance,” the statement said.

The statement added that the directive was part of efforts by the FCT Administration to address the flooding being experienced in some parts of the Federal Capital City.

It added that the minister had also directed an investigation into some civil servants allegedly responsible for granting illegal approvals for the use of green areas as car dealership lots.

“This is part of the efforts of the FCT Administration to manage flooding being experienced in some parts of the Federal Capital City.

“Consequently, a task force has been set up to enforce this directive.

“Also, the minister has directed the investigation of some civil servants responsible for granting illegal approvals authorising the use of green areas as car dealership lots,” the statement said.

Olayinka added that the affected officials, particularly directors in the Departments of Parks and Recreation, Environmental Protection, Traffic Management and Urban Affairs, had been summoned by the FCT Head of Service, Nancy Sabanti Nathan.

FCT demolishes structures

The PUNCH reported that on Tuesday, the FCTA commenced the demolition of houses and other structures built on designated water channels in Abuja.

The FCT minister, after inspecting flood-affected areas in Maitama District, ordered the immediate demolition of all structures built on natural waterways and flood channels across the Federal Capital Territory.

The minister’s declaration followed a heavy downpour in Abuja on Saturday, which flooded several parts of the FCT, disrupting vehicular movement, trapping motorists and forcing some businesses to temporarily shut as floodwater overwhelmed roads and drainage channels.

Wuse 2 in the city centre, as well as parts of Durumi, Gaduwa and Gudu districts, were among the areas badly affected by the flood.

Several motorists were stranded on flooded roads for hours, with some vehicles reportedly developing mechanical faults, while residential and business properties were also affected.

The flooding also submerged several mansions in Maitama Extension, with residents attributing the incident to indiscriminate construction along waterways and blocked drainage channels.

1979 masterplan review

Amid the development, the FCT Stakeholders Forum for Development called on the FCTA to take urgent measures to address the recurring flooding in Abuja, including the desilting of drainage channels, enforcement against encroachment and a comprehensive review of the territory’s 1979 Master Plan.

The forum, comprising landlords, business owners and investors in the FCT, made the demand on Wednesday at a press conference in Abuja, where it expressed concern over the recent flooding that affected several parts of the nation’s capital.

Speaking on behalf of the group, its chairman, Chief David Kente, said the recent floods had submerged homes, cut off roads and disrupted livelihoods, stressing that the situation required immediate intervention.

“Flooding is no longer an isolated incident. Communities that never experienced such levels of inundation are now vulnerable. Homes have been submerged, roads cut off, and livelihoods disrupted,” he said.

Kente said the forum conducted an independent fact-finding assessment of affected areas and found that the flooding was the result of a combination of factors, including rapid urban expansion, blocked drainage systems and indiscriminate waste disposal.

He also noted that the removal of drainage covers by scavengers had contributed to the blockage of waterways.

While some critics have linked the flooding to alleged violations of the Abuja Master Plan, the FSTF said the problem predated the current administration of the FCT Minister, Wike.

According to the forum, Abuja had experienced flooding under previous administrations, making it necessary to address the problem as a long-standing urban planning and environmental challenge rather than attributing it solely to the present administration.

The group, however, argued that the 1979 Abuja Master Plan required urgent review, noting that the document no longer adequately reflected the population growth and infrastructural demands of the capital.

“The 1979 Master Plan is outdated. The document that guides development in the FCT no longer reflects the demographic and infrastructural realities of a capital city of over 3.5 million people. It requires urgent review and modernisation,” Kente said.

The forum’s position comes amid heightened attention to flood preparedness across the country.

The National Emergency Management Agency activated its National Emergency Operations Centre earlier in August to strengthen monitoring, data collection and coordination of responses to flooding during the 2026 rainy season.

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency had also identified the FCT among states with a high flash-flood risk in its early-August outlook, citing factors including rainfall intensity, soil moisture, terrain and drainage capacity.

The Federal Ministry of Environment also operates a flood early-warning system covering Abuja and other locations to monitor rainfall and flood risks.

Kente said the FSTF was nevertheless passing a vote of confidence in Wike’s administration, citing ongoing road construction, urban renewal and other infrastructure projects across the territory.

He described Wike as “Mr Project” and said the administration’s infrastructure drive could contribute to Abuja’s economic development if accompanied by effective environmental planning.

The forum, however, urged the minister to ensure that infrastructure development did not worsen existing environmental challenges.

“We appeal to the Honourable Minister to take immediate and decisive action to address flooding in the FCT. This must include desilting of drainages, enforcement against encroachment, and a comprehensive review of the 1979 Master Plan,” Kente said.

Reps spokesman defends Wike

The Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, on Tuesday night defended Wike against criticism over the recent flooding in parts of Abuja, saying residents must also take responsibility for activities that contribute to the problem.

Agbese, a Labour Party lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, made the position known in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja.

The lawmaker said it was unfair to blame Wike for the flooding, arguing that the FCTA had embarked on several infrastructure projects aimed at improving roads, drainage, transportation and other critical facilities across the territory.

He said, “Blaming Wike for the flood in the FCT is like the Israelites blaming Moses for helping them to the Promised Land.

“At some point, we must appreciate transformative leadership and understand that government cannot solve every problem without the cooperation of the people.”

Agbese said the administration had extended infrastructure development beyond the Abuja city centre to satellite towns, noting that 221 kilometres of roads out of 317 kilometres awarded in satellite towns had been completed since the President Bola Tinubu administration came into office.

He also cited the Gwarimpa-Jahi Interchange, Airport-Kuje Road, Kuje-Gwagwalada Road and sections of the Outer Southern Expressway among major projects completed and inaugurated by the FCT Administration.

The lawmaker described Wike as “a prophet who is not honoured at home,” saying the minister’s performance had received recognition while some residents continued to focus on isolated challenges.

“Wike is like the Biblical prophet who is not honoured at home. At a time the man is being celebrated globally, some persons are still calling him names. We should be able to acknowledge the good works being done while also demanding that areas requiring improvement are addressed,” he said.

Agbese said flooding should be regarded as a shared responsibility, particularly in a rapidly expanding city such as Abuja, where population growth, construction and other human activities were putting pressure on drainage systems and natural waterways.

He specifically blamed indiscriminate dumping of refuse for worsening flooding in some parts of the FCT, saying residents often blocked drainage channels and waterways with waste before heavy rainfall.

“Residents also have a role to play. You cannot dump refuse into waterways and drainage channels and then turn around to blame the minister when the rain comes, and the water has nowhere to pass,” Agbese said.

He urged residents to stop using drainage channels and waterways as dumping grounds and to report blocked or encroached waterways to the relevant authorities.

Agbese said the ultimate objective should be to build an FCT capable of coping with the pressures of population growth, extreme weather and increased human activity, rather than turning every challenge into an avenue for political blame.

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