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Wike Should Review Abuja Master Plan -UK-based Architect
A United Kingdom-based architect, Sam Orlu-Akwu, has called on the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, to set machinery in motion to review the Abuja Master Plan in line with international best practices.
He said going by professional standard, all master plans are subject to review every 25 years, pointing out that the Abuja is getting close to 50 years.
Orlu-Akwu spoke to journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport yesterday, on his arrival to Nigeria for the upcoming ‘The Built Environment’ conference.
The Rivers State-born architect said: “To address the myriad of growing urban challenges, Abuja requires an efficient, credible and equitable system of urban governance. l therefore call for a review of the Abuja Master plan.
“Going by professional standard, all Master Plans are subject to review every 25 years. Abuja is nearly 50 years now. Thus, the defence of the Abuja Master Plan among others, must also include the periodic reviews, and their formalisation as new rules to govern the implementation.
“The optimum population projection of 3.1 million targeted by the Abuja Master Plan has already been exceeded and is still soaring, thereby overstretching the infrastructure and services.
“In the original concept, the city was to be developed in four phases, but due to the skyrocketing demand for land by developers, specifically residential, a fifth phase was introduced.
“Also, in the Master Plan, the outermost limits of the city were the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) and Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) on the north and south of the city respectively. But many big districts have already been developed outside these limits.
“The areas that were originally considered as regions have been integrated into the City. There is every need to respond to the rapid growth of the city”.
He however, applauded Wike for the steps he has taken to actualise the Abuja Master Plan, adding that the minister had commenced the process of cleaning the rot that had engulfed the city over the years.
The Defence Headquarters has said the military is working assiduously to free the South East geo-political zone from the activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, gave the assurance while briefing newsmen on recent operations of the military on Thursday in Abuja.
According to him, the the sit-at-home order in the region still exists because some residents still obey the order out of fear.
He said that the troops of Operation Udoka had been carrying out decisive operations in the region.
“If they give them sit -at-home order, they will tell them go about your normal business, but the locals in some areas, for fear of being attacked or being killed, will stay at home.
“The commanders under that operation are doing their best to ensure that Southeast is free from IPOB/ESN,” he said.
Kangye also urged the public to trust the information released by the military on its activities instead of what was being released by any other group.
According to him, reports emanating from the military reflects the correct situation about counter-terrorism efforts in the country than those from outsiders.
“Something is happening in my house. I am the head of the house, I have children, I have wife and someone else is reporting what is happening in my house to me. Which one would be more correct?
“The one that I will tell you as the head of the house , or the one that the outside is reporting from outside?
“The one I think that will give you the correct information is that of the head of the house.
“So you, as a member of the media, that attends this meeting every week, you should be able to stand and correct what they are giving Nigerians,” he said.
Kangye said he was not going to counter the recent report of the Global Terrorism Index, urging the media to give the correct version of happenings in the country.
He said, “I’m not countering what they put out there, but as observers, I think you should be the better person that will give the correct version of what is happening in Nigeria,” he added. (NAN)
President Bola Tinubu has assured all 774 fellows under the newly launched National Health Fellows Programme of automatic employment after their one-year tenure.
“You are hired,” Tinubu declared during the programme’s launch at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday.
In April 2024, Tinubu approved the National Health Fellows Programme, a key initiative under his Renewed Hope Agenda to enhance accountability and efficiency in healthcare delivery.
The fellows, who have been undergoing training since February 27, 2025, under the Sector Wide Approach coordination office, will spend the next year monitoring Primary Healthcare Centres across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
The President’s announcement followed a call by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, for federal, state, and local governments to integrate the fellows into the workforce to advance Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.
Tinubu hailed the fellows as pioneers of a new era in primary healthcare as Pate highlighted their crucial role in supporting the FG’s plan to expand PHCs from 8,809 to 17,618 by 2027.
The Defence Headquarters has stated that reports from the Nigerian military provide a more accurate account of counter-terrorism efforts in the country than those from external sources.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, stated this on Thursday while fielding questions on the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, which was released on March 5.
The index ranked Nigeria sixth globally, with a score of 7.658, moving up from eighth place in 2023 and 2024. It also recorded 565 terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria in 2024.
Using a family analogy, Kangye argued that information from the family head should be deemed more credible than reports from outsiders.
“Something is happening in my house. I am the head of the house. I have children, I have a wife, and then Kuma Shi (someone else) is reporting what is happening in my house to me. Which one would be more correct? The one I tell you as the head of the house or the one Kuma Shi is reporting from outside?” he asked.
He urged the media to verify and correct any misleading narratives about Nigeria’s security situation, adding, “I’m not countering what they put out there, but as observers, you should be the ones to give the correct version of what is happening in Nigeria.”
On the sit-at-home order in the South East, Kangye noted that fear still keeps many residents indoors on Mondays.
He, however, reassured that the military is actively working to restore normalcy and rid the region of IPOB/ESN fighters.
“Who gave the order? IPOB/ESN criminals. Because of what was happening in the South East, Operation Udo Ka was set up—just like Operation Hadin Kai in the North East.
“The past three commanders in the region have been doing very well. They continue to encourage people to go about their normal business, but in some areas, locals stay home out of fear of being attacked. The commanders are working hard to free the South East from IPOB/ESN influence,” he said.