In this feature, Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka, Our Managing Editor writes that, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is set for a major facelift. Days after receiving national recognition, from the First Lady, for embracing the Renewed Hope Green Agenda, the FCT Administration (FCTA) has declared an “emergency” restoration of the abandoned Life Camp Recreational Park. Minister Nyesom Wike says the move is to return dignity, leisure, and security to Abuja residents, from new parks and fireworks to demolished criminal hideouts and new road links.
The FCTA, has announced comprehensive plans to remodel and restore the long-abandoned Life Camp Recreational Park along Jeremiah Useni Way in Abuja. The announcement came on Monday, according to a release signed by Rabi Musa Umar, Deputy Director of Press, in the Office of the FCT Minister, following an on-the-spot assessment of the facility.
Leading the inspection, the Minister of the FCT, Chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, said the decision was driven by the administration’s resolve to expand green spaces and deliver world-class recreational infrastructure for residents of the nation’s capital.
The timing of the announcement follows high praise from Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady of the Federal Republic, who earlier in the day presented the FCTA with a Certificate of Commendation for keying into the Renewed Hope Green Area Challenge.
“You are aware today that the First Lady of the Federation has given a commendation to the FCT Administration for keying into the Renewed Hope initiatives of the green area challenges,” Wike told journalists at the site.
“We made a promise to her today that this award will motivate us to key in as agents of the Renewed Hope initiative. To showcase that we are serious about it, I promised that we are going to turn around the recreation center at Life Camp which has been abandoned,” he added.
Expressing concern over years of neglect, the Minister described the park’s natural beauty and prime topography as assets that were wasted, pledging that the revamp would meet standards obtainable in advanced countries. According to him, the remodeled Life Camp Park will feature modern sporting facilities, relaxation centers, aesthetic landscapes, and eco-friendly amenities designed for family outings, daily fitness, and community leisure.
“Citizens want a good life, and the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is desirous of giving back hope to our people who have lost hope. So, what we intend to do here now is to bring it back, give it modern facilities so that people within this area can come here, carry out their daily sporting activities, relax, and do other things like the way it is done in well-advanced countries,” he said.
The Minister declared the project an emergency, with a target completion period of one year, to ensure residents do not have to travel long distances for quality recreation. To guarantee quality, he directed the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, to invite Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and other top construction firms to submit competing, world-class designs.
Building on the success of the recently commissioned Abuja City Gate recreational upgrade, Wike also announced a new annual tradition: an official New Year’s Eve fireworks display at the City Gate starting this December, by saying: “We want Abuja to align with major global cities that celebrate the transition into the new year with public gatherings and light shows.
In a related development, Wike ordered the immediate clearance of illegal shanties and identified security flashpoints along the Kukwaba rail corridor near Karmajiji, describing them as threats to the city center. The directive followed an emergency security meeting at his Life Camp residence and a joint inspection with heads of security agencies in the FCT over the weekend.
“We have seen where insecurity is breeding, and we cannot allow it to reach a stage where it becomes difficult to control. We have to stop it now. What I saw is a threat to the city,” he said, while directing the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, to work with the Department of Development Control to demolish the illegal settlements and ensure there is no re-occupation of the rail corridor.
The Minister also ordered the immediate extension of the 2.4km Arterial Road S1 under construction in Kaura District to link directly with Arterial Road S20, Oladipo Diya Way, saying the extension will open up the district and boost real estate and economic activity.
Flagged off in September 2025, the road project includes a three-span bridge and is slated for completion in December. Wike assured of prompt funding to contractors, noting that: “Anywhere they see road now, you can see buildings coming up. That creates jobs for people.”
