By Sarah NEGEDU
President Bola Tinubu has declared that housing projects must be backed by road and engineering infrastructure before Nigerians can move into them, saying homes without access roads serve little purpose.
According to the President, roads, drainage and other essential infrastructure must accompany housing developments to make them accessible, habitable and safe for the people.
The President who was speaking during the commissioning of the 10.5-kilometre access roads to the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in Karsana West District in Abuja on Friday, said the completion of the access roads to the estate has opened up thousands of affordable housing units for occupation and investment.
Tinubu who was represented by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the project fulfilled a directive he gave when he performed the groundbreaking for the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City, insisting that road and engineering infrastructure must precede residential development.
“When I performed the groundbreaking for the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City here in Karsana, I gave one clear directive: provide the roads, provide the engineering infrastructure, and unlock this district for development. Housing without access is a blueprint without a building.
“For too long, Abuja’s story was ‘awarded and abandoned’. Today, we are ending that story with roads that open, not ones that stall,” he said.
He said he specifically directed the Minister of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to open up the district without delay, stressing that civil servants, families and investors could not be expected to move into houses they could not easily access.
“I gave that assignment to a minister who treats deadlines as duties. I told the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, CON, that civil servants, families, and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach. ‘Open Karsana, and open it now.’ He took that brief, set the pace, and delivered. When urgency meets quality, results follow. That is what you are standing on today.”
The President said the newly completed Arterial Roads N11, N16, N40 and Special Important Local Street 03 now link Karsana West to the Outer Northern Expressway, reducing travel time, improving security and opening the area to housing and economic activities.
He commended Wike for what he described as the visible transformation of the Federal Capital Territory, saying the minister had turned stalled projects into completed infrastructure through a results-driven approach.
“You took stalled corridors and made them active corridors. You brought the same urgency to Karsana that you brought to other districts and the area councils. You measure contractors by output, not promises. That seriousness is why families here can now drive to homes that were once inaccessible. Minister, you have earned my trust and you have my commendation,” Tinubu said.
The President also praised the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, engineers and other officials of the FCT Administration for ensuring the project was delivered within specification and on schedule.
He equally commended the construction company for completing the project after it was awarded the contract in February 2025, assuring contractors that his administration would continue to reward timely and quality delivery.
“Under this administration, contractors who deliver will be paid without delay. That is the bargain. In return, you must deliver on time, and you must deliver to specification. We will not accept excuses for missed deadlines, and we will not accept substandard work,” he said.
Earlier, Wike recalled that Karsana had no access road when Tinubu performed the groundbreaking for the Renewed Hope housing project in 2024, making it difficult to imagine anyone living in the area.
He said concerns raised by developers over the lack of infrastructure prompted the FCT Administration to prioritise the construction of the road network, a promise he said had now been fulfilled.
“I said, ‘Well, the matter of fact is that it is Renewed Hope. Go home and sleep. We must construct the road in this Karsana district.’
“I thank God today, on the third-year anniversary of Mr. President, it’s a different story. It is a story where we have turned around this area, and look at how beautiful it is,” Wike said.
Wike attributed the timely completion of the project to improved funding and the commitment of the contractor to meeting agreed timelines.
“I thank God today that payment is no longer the problem, and finishing the work is not a problem. Both parties have fulfilled their own obligations,” he said.
The Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, described the commissioning of the access roads as another milestone in the implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the project would strengthen connectivity, stimulate economic activities and expand access to affordable housing across the Federal Capital Territory.
She commended Tinubu for what she described as his visionary leadership and praised Wike for driving the rapid delivery of infrastructure across Abuja.
Mahmoud also urged residents and other stakeholders to protect public infrastructure, stressing that preserving public assets was a shared responsibility that would guarantee lasting benefits for future generations.
