The Centre for Democratic Integrity and Leadership (CDIL) says the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has transformed land administration in Abuja, leading to the revocation of undeveloped plots.
The CSO spoke amid reports that the minister allocated thousands of hectares of land to his sons, Joaquin and Jordan.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, CDIL director, Kelvin Kuhwa, described the allegations as politically motivated.
According to CDIL, land administration has been brought under fresh scrutiny, with dormant allocations and illegal land grabs being revoked and reallocated to those who would utilise the land productively.
CDIL added that there is no prohibition against allocating land to a legitimate company based on who its directors may be, and that the proper processes were followed in the allocation of land to Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd, a company associated with Wike’s son.
The statement added: “From neglected roads and infrastructure decay to bureaucratic indifference and fiscal leakage, the FCT was a textbook example of government dysfunction. But under Wike’s stewardship, the nation’s capital has witnessed a rapid, visible and measurable reversal of these trends.
“He has revived the long-abandoned renovation of the International Conference Centre, now renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Conference Centre, and turned it into a world-class diplomatic hub. For years, the ICC stood in embarrassing decline, yet within months, it was not only fully rehabilitated but re-equipped to host high-level international summits with renewed prestige. This alone is a legacy-defining achievement.”;
DHIL added that in transportation, Wike has successfully delivered intra-city rail and bus terminals, a bold step in solving urban congestion, reducing informal motor park chaos, and enhancing public safety for commuters.
“Additionally, dozens of internal roads have been resurfaced, expanded, or completed, particularly in fast-growing but underserved areas like Lokogoma, Galadimawa, Jahi, and Karmo. These are communities that were excluded from the federal development map until Wike insisted on inclusive urban renewal. The roads in Guzape and Asokoro Extension, once impassable, now attract investors and residents due to deliberate planning and engineering discipline introduced under his watch.
“It is within this same reformist framework that land administration has been brought under fresh scrutiny. Prior to Mr. Wike’s appointment, dormant allocations and illegal land grabs were rampant across Abuja. In line with his vow to sanitise the system, the minister began revoking undeveloped allocations and reallocating them—legally—to those who would utilise the land productively.
“That some allocations were made to corporate entities — such as Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd — is neither criminal nor irregular. Joaq Farms is a registered business. Under existing legislation, there is no prohibition against allocating land to a legitimate company based on who its directors may be — so long as the proper processes are followed, which, by all available evidence, they were.”;
