”Pay Your Ground Rent And Taxes To Enjoy More Infrastructure”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on residents and business owners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to fulfill their civic responsibilities by paying their taxes, ground rents, and land fees to enable government deliver world-class infrastructure projects in the nation’s capital.
The President made this call on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, during the official commissioning of the full-scope development of Arterial Road N5 (Obafemi Awolowo Way), stretching from Life Camp Junction to Ring Road III in the Dape District of Abuja.
Represented at the occasion by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu emphasized that citizen compliance through tax payment is the economic engine that empowers the government to carry out development projects.
He said, “To the residents and business owners enjoying this transformation, I urge you to meet your obligations. Pay your taxes. Clear your land fees and ground rents. Your compliance gives the FCT Administration the strength to build more roads like this one”.
Reflecting on the progress made since the commissioning of the Gwarinpa I District section of the Arterial Road N5 in June 2025, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration commitment to breaking the old cycle of abandoned projects and preventing them from becoming permanent budget lines.
While noting that the newly completed N5 corridor has successfully eliminated the notorious traffic bottleneck at Life Camp Junction and established a fluid, high-speed connection between key districts including Dape, Karmo, Gwarinpa I, Kado and Idu, among others, President Tinubu praised the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, whom he described as ‘the engine of execution’, for his relentless political will and accountability.
He also commended the construction firm, Julius Berger Plc, for delivering the project within a strict 15-month timeline and charged traditional rulers, community leaders, and local youths to act as custodians of the new infrastructure and protect it from vandalism.
Speaking earlier at the event, the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike disclosed that the commissioning exercise marks the completion of the Dape District section of the Arterial Road N5, following last year’s commissioning of the Gwarinpa section.
The FCT Minister highlighted the rapid increase in infrastructure delivery under the Renewed Hope Agenda in the FCT, stressing impressive year-on-year progress in the number of completed works being inaugurated.
He said project commissioning in the FCT surged from 9 days during the first anniversary in 2024 to 19 days in 2025 and now an unprecedented 31-day streak for the third anniversary, proving that the Renewed Hope Agenda is fully alive in the FCT.
The Minister, who also noted that infrastructure development is no longer concentrated solely in the Abuja city center, seized the opportunity to appeal to the President to personally visit the Kwali Area Council to commission the 15-kilometer Gomani-to-Yangoji road featuring two river bridges, even as he projected that the Bwari-to-Kubwa road, under construction, would also be ready for commissioning before the end of the year.
Addressing a group carrying placards who were demonstrating over the purported acquisition of land by the government for the road project, the Minister reaffirmed that the FCT Administration has duly paid full compensation to all affected property owners along the road corridors, irrespective of indigenous status. He clarified that compensation was legally mandated for structures directly impacted by the right-of-way, not entire communities.
“We must stand firm and do what is right”, the Minister asserted, emphasizing that the administration will not succumb to blackmail while executing critical public infrastructure.
In her remarks, the FCT Minister of State Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as another milestone under the Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that it reflects the president’s determination to improve connectivity, stimulate economic growth, and enhance the quality of life of residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
Dr. Mahmoud used the occasion to pay a glowing tribute to the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, for his purposeful leadership and unwavering commitment to transforming Abuja through the delivery of critical infrastructure that is opening up communities and creating new opportunities for residents.
In the project overview, Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, Engr Richard Yunana Dauda, stated that the Arterial Road N5, Life Camp Junction to the Ring Road 3, project was awarded to Julius Berger in September, 2024. He revealed that the road traverses several districts, starting from the Central Business District, and passing through the NNPC towers, traversing through Wuse District, in phase one, and continues through Utako and Jabi phase two, right into Gwarimpa and Dape Districts in Phase Three.
The Executive Secretary expressed hope that the commissioned road would open up the area for development, while improving circulation and interconnection within the adjoining districts of Dape, Gwarimpa, Idu and Mbora. He added that the road would also improve security and enhance the socioeconomic lives of the residents in the area.
In his remarks, the Managing Director, Julius Berger PLC, Engr. Peer Lubasch said the firm worked around the clock to complete the project within the agreed time frame and in accordance with the highest engineering standards. He thanked the FCT Minister for the opportunity given to his company.
