No going back on infrastructure upgrade, says Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday reaffirmed commitment to the revival of critical infrastructure across key sectors to stimulate economic growth and national development.

He spoke at the inauguration of the rehabilitated International Conference Centre (ICC), which the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, renamed as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

The President described infrastructure renewal as the cornerstone of his Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA) and modern infrastructure as “the backbone of a thriving economy.”

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He said: “Through the RHA, we are determined to renew infrastructure across the key sectors of this country; transportation, healthcare, education, energy, and urban development.

“Because we understand that modern infrastructure is the backbone of a thriving economy in an inclusive and progressive society.”

The President noted that the transformation of the ICC is emblematic of a broader national vision to position Nigeria as a central hub for continental trade, diplomacy, and global partnership.

“The International Conference Centre is part of our country’s larger vision to become a hub for regional diplomacy, continental trade discussions, global partnerships, and many more thoughtful, well-outlined goals that reflect our Nigerian First philosophy,” Tinubu added.

He praised the FCT minister for delivering on his promise to rehabilitate the conference facility, the president urged Wike to remain focused in the face of criticism and public distractions.

“Don’t pay attention to the busybodies and the bystanders, whatever they say. Continue with your good work. You are a transformational leader; you have the foresight, the vision, and determination to succeed,” he told Wike.

Recounting his disappointment when he previously visited the ICC for the ECOWAS Parliament Conference, the president described the state of the facility then as “very dirty, disorganised, and as not habitable.”

According to him, he asked the FCT minister whether the condition of the building truly reflected Nigeria’s values and dignity.

“Have we sunk this low?” the President recalled asking, only to be assured by Wike that the facility would be transformed.

“And today, I am very happy,” Tinubu declared, praising the quality of the rehabilitation work.

“Today, we are not talking about renegotiation, we are talking about rehabilitation. We are talking about quality, commitment to detail and good work”, he said.

Commending the broader significance of the refurbishment, the President described it as a symbol of the national ethos of self-belief, progress, and renewal.

“Whatever might be wrong today is a sign of a good thing that we are correcting. We are reflecting, renewing our hope, and believing in ourselves — in what we can do, in what Nigeria can be: the greatest nation on earth”, he said.

Closing his remarks with a blend of humour and policy clarity, the President issued a firm directive on the upgraded edifice: “You must obey what the landlord says. You want to use this place, you got to pay for it.”

On arrival the President tour the facilities of the complex that was built in 1991.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the FCT minister for the renovation and the President for his approval to upgrade the facility to world-class standard.

Akpabio said: “The marvelous and performing minister of the FCT and his Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud.

“Mr. President, in law, we say the act speaks for itself. We came last year to inaugurate the first sitting of the ECOWAS Parliament. Parliamentarians came from all parts of West Africa. It was a monumental embarrassment. We managed to get a small generator working. This place was dark. This place was in a total state of disrepair.

“And you were shocked. You turned to me and said, “Is this what we are showcasing to West Africa? And then the Minister came and said, ‘I didn’t know it was like this’. Right there, he vowed to you that next time you set your feet in this international conference center, the story will be different.

“But permit me to commend the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, my dear brother. I don’t know which contractor handled this, but I can imagine it must be the usual. I’m just guessing because I saw their quality when I entered.

“Mr. President, the renovation, rehabilitation, and transformation that we are witnessing in the ICC is what we are bringing to this country, whether people like it or not. The Nigerian Parliament is very proud of you. We are proud of the fact that we do the budgeting, we give the approvals, and you do the execution. But you have put on your thinking cap and you are very determined to leave Nigeria better than you met it.

“It starts from here. I said it before in Lagos, and I will repeat myself, that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, and that is the step we are taking here.

“I understand that you have also honored the Nigerian Parliament, as one of the halls is named after another transformative Senate President, in the person of Senator Godswill Akpabio. May I tell you; we are very appreciative. The Parliament is appreciative.

“There is also another hall named after His Excellency, the Speaker of the House of Representatives. And then, just beside him, is another hall named after the current Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

“What are you trying to imply? You are trying to say that the three arms of government – the Executive, the Parliament and the Judiciary – are working together for the total transformation of Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And for this, I say thank you to you.”

Wike said the ‘Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre’ is a world-class structure requiring constant maintenance.

He noted that anybody that would use the renovated ICC must be ready to pay irrespective of his or her status.

The minister said: “Because of your leadership, you gave a marching order, this is not the quality to show that Nigeria is the Giant of Africa. Today, this Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre can match any other international conference centre anywhere. But what I want to appeal to Mr. President, because I know that pressure will come, how do we sustain this?

“I want to let everybody know – whether you are a Ministry or an agency, you want to use this? You have to pay something. That is the only way it can be sustained. There is nothing like my brother or my sister going to have a wedding. If you want to use such a beautiful place like this, then you must drop something.

“This place was being handled before by a politician. They gave it to a politician and he killed the place and when we tried to do work, the politician had to go to court to stop it from carrying out this rehabilitation that you are seeing today.

“So, if you are not the kind of person that you are, we would not have succeeded in doing this work. Pressure came from left, right and centre and you said go ahead and rehabilitate that place and we thank God for his leadership. Our problem is leadership. When you have the right leadership, things will get done and that is what you have shown today.”

At the ceremony were senior figures in government such as¬ Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau and Chief of Staff to the President (CoS) Femi Gbajabiamila, among others.

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