FAVOUR ISHEMBER, Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Federal Capital Territory residents and business owners to meet their civic duties through tax payments, land charges, and ground rent. He said compliance will give the FCT Administration resources to deliver more infrastructure across Abuja.
Tinubu spoke on Wednesday while inaugurating the fully completed Arterial Road N5, also called Obafemi Awolowo Way. The stretch runs from Life Camp Junction to Ring Road III in Dape District, Abuja. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented him at the event.
Represented by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu said:“To residents and business owners enjoying this transformation, I urge you to meet your obligations. Pay your taxes. Clear your land fees and ground rents. Your compliance gives the FCT Administration the strength to build more roads like this one”. He stressed that infrastructure must be built through a partnership between the government and citizens.
He described the new road as a key economic corridor that will cut traffic jams, improve connections, and attract investments in the capital.
Tinubu recalled commissioning the Gwarinpa I District section in June 2025. He said his administration pledged to finish the remaining part and has now delivered. “On that day, we made a pledge to you. We promised not to leave this vital artery half-done. Because the Renewed Hope Agenda is not about abandoned projects, it is about delivery from start to finish. And so today, we are back. We are back to close the circle. We are back to commission the Dape District Section of Arterial Road N5, from Life Camp Junction to Ring Road III,” he stated.
The project was conceived, funded, and executed under his administration. It was awarded to Julius Berger Plc in October 2024 with a strict 15-month deadline. “We conceived it, we funded it, and we delivered it. In the past, projects like this became permanent budget lines ten, fifteen years of excuses. Not under this administration,” Tinubu declared.
He hailed FCT Minister Barr. Nyesom Wike, as the administration’s “Engine of Execution,” and commended Julius Berger for quality work on schedule. “Minister Wike, you and your team have shown what happens when political will meets accountability. We fund projects to see results, not to listen to grammar,” he added.
The N5 corridor will reduce travel time and link Dape, Karmo, Gwarinpa I, Kado, Idu, and Mbora districts seamlessly. It also opens direct access to the Idu Industrial District to lower logistics costs, draw investors, and create jobs. “Beyond that, this road opens a direct gateway to the Idu Industrial District. That means lower logistics costs for businesses, new investment, and more jobs for our people,” he said.
Tinubu urged traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents to guard public assets against vandalism and maintain drainage systems and streetlights.
In his remarks, FCT Minister, Barr Nyesom Wike said the commissioning was day two of a 31-day inauguration program marking Tinubu’s third year in office. He compared delivery timelines: 9 days of commissioning in year one on June 24, 2024, 19 days in year two, and now 31 days in year three.
He credited Tinubu’s political backing and said development has now reached Abuja’s satellite towns for the first time. “For the first time, development has been taken to the satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory. This is unprecedented. Before this period, satellite towns did not know what they call the government. Today, they can feel the impact and presence of government,” Wike said.
He noted Julius Berger finished the Gwarinpa section in 7 months and insisted all property owners affected by demolitions were compensated. “We paid. If you are saying that because you are from that place and development has passed and the government did not dash you money, we don’t dash money when we are carrying out development,” he said. He also dismissed protests at the event.
In her vote of thanks, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, Minister of State for FCT, called the project another Renewed Hope milestone showing Tinubu’s commitment to connectivity, economic growth, and better living standards.
She praised Wike’s leadership and thanked traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents of Life Camp, Dape District, and nearby areas for cooperation. She expressed confidence the road will improve transport, boost trade, and support sustainable urban growth.
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