President Bola Tinubu declared yesterday that the era of neglecting the suburban areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has come to an end under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President made this declaration in Kurudu, Abuja, during the official commissioning of a massive 194-kilometre water supply network.
The infrastructure project links several major satellite towns, including Karu, Orozo, Jikwoyi, and Kurudu, bringing treated and potable water directly to residents.
Tinubu, who was represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, described the Renewed Hope Agenda as a sacred covenant with Nigerians.
📢 Stay Updated — Join Our WhatsApp Channel
💬 Be Part of Our WhatsApp Community
Join our WhatsApp Channel for curated updates, breaking stories, and exclusive insights from our newsroom.
📲 Join 👉 NRTC WhatsApp Channel
He emphasised that governance must move past theoretical exercises in city centres while peripheral communities lack basic infrastructure.
Reflecting on the launch of the Greater Abuja Water Supply Project a year ago, the President recalled issuing a clear directive that water distribution loops must extend beyond elite districts into the satellite towns where the heartbeat of Abuja’s working-class population resides.
“We are here not just to cut a ribbon, but to breathe life into a fundamental human right that has eluded this bustling community for far too long,” the President stated.
READ ALSO: Tinubu wins APC presidential ticket
“Today, we declare that the era of neglect for our satellite towns is officially over.”
He explained that when FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, presented the proposal for the Karu Water Supply Project, it received immediate approval because denying people clean water amounts to denying them health, dignity, and economic progress.
To ensure swift execution, the federal government bypassed traditional bureaucratic delays to approve funding on time, enabling the contractor, CGC Nigeria Limited, to deliver promptly.
He lauded the FCT Minister’s executive capacity across transport, healthcare, education, housing, and infrastructure.
Tinubu added: “Leadership is not measured by the eloquence of television commentary or the bitterness of empty rhetoric, but by its tangible and verifiable impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. Thank you, ‘Mr Projects,’ for your leadership.”
The President noted with regret that despite the rapid population growth in Karu over the decades, previous administrations left only unfulfilled promises, leaving residents dependent on unsafe boreholes and water vendors.
He emphasised that his administration “does not trade in promises” but in results.
He also charged the beneficiary communities to take ownership of the newly commissioned infrastructure.
“This infrastructure belongs to you. It was built with your commonwealth and designed for your well-being,” the President urged.
“I therefore urge you to safeguard these installations against vandalism and illegal connections. Do not look the other way if unscrupulous elements try to compromise what has taken years of effort and resources to deliver.”
Furthermore, the President announced that similar interventions are currently being replicated in Bwari and other Area Councils, reaffirming his absolute commitment to urban renewal and rural integration.
In his remarks, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike expressed deep gratitude to the President for his unwavering support of people-oriented projects across the nation’s capital.
READ ALSO: Tinubu signs into law amended Electricity Act Bill
Wike reiterated that the completion of the Karu water project stems directly from the presidential mandate to aggressively extend critical infrastructure to all satellite towns.
Corroborating the Minister, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Bunkure, thanked both the President and Vice President for their tireless efforts in driving the ongoing transformation of the FCT’s infrastructural landscape.
Providing a technical overview of the project, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, explained that the network utilises an existing reservoir tank in the area.
It connects over 1,000 distribution lines to systematically service Karu, Jikwoyi, Kurudu, and adjacent communities, marking a significant milestone in the provision of safe, potable water to the FCT suburbs.
