Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday decried the growing security and health challenges facing Nigeria’s capital city, calling for coordinated national support to address them effectively.
Wike made the remarks while defending the FCT’s over ₦1 trillion statutory budget before the Senate in Abuja.
According to the Minister, the FCT’s unique status—hosting the Presidency, National Assembly, and numerous foreign diplomatic missions—makes it unlike any other state and ill-suited for complete autonomy.
“You cannot talk about autonomy in a city where the President resides, where the Inspector-General of Police, the National Security Adviser, and every corporate head of the country operates from. The security of this city is not something we can handle alone,” Wike stated.
On the issue of insecurity, he emphasized that the FCT Administration has intensified collaboration with key federal security agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force.
“This city requires a robust security architecture because of its national significance. We’ve begun serious collaboration with national security agencies. We can’t afford to fail in this area,” he added.
Wike expressed concern over the absence of functional surveillance infrastructure such as Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) systems in the city, attributing the situation to political interference and administrative hurdles.
“The FCT is not like any other state. You don’t have a House of Assembly here; our laws are made by the National Assembly. This setup is by design and cannot be wished away,” he said.
To address the multifaceted challenges of the capital, Wike called for a multi-sectoral summit involving stakeholders in security, health, and urban governance to craft a unified roadmap for the FCT.
“The issues we face here are complex and cannot be solved in isolation. We need a coordinated approach that brings all stakeholders to the table,” the Minister urged.
On healthcare, Wike revealed that the FCT Administration had concluded procurement processes for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scanners to enhance diagnostics in government-owned hospitals within the territory.
“As of yesterday, we completed procurement for MRI and CT scan machines. These will soon be delivered to our hospitals. It’s part of our ongoing efforts to improve access to quality medical care in the FCT,” he said.
