Senate revisits $18bn Abuja centenary city project

The Senate on Tuesday revisited the stalled $18 billion Centenary City project in the Federal Capital Territory, raising a committee to investigate why it had not been completed.

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, working with a consortium of firms, was the initiator of the project, designed to deliver a complete city, besides Abuja, to rival any of its kind elsewhere in the world.

It was planned to be an economic hub that could create over 190,000 construction jobs; 250million permanent well-paying jobs; and providing accommodation for over 200,000 residents.

It was also designated as a free trade zone under the supervision of the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NIPZA), among other regulatory bodies, including the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

But, in 2017, the House of Representatives, following an investigation, faulted the process for the award of the project, saying that it breached extant laws.

A House Committee on the FCT, which investigated the project, had ordered it stopped and recommended the prosecutor Sen. Anyim over his role in the deal.

Nigerian Tribune recalls that Anyim, a former President of the Senate, had also lost his bid before an Abuja Federal High Court to stop the House from carrying out any punitive measures against him.

However, on Tuesday, the Senate revisited the matter following a motion moved by Sen. Ashiru Oyelola (APC, Kwara).

The Senate resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to “urgently investigate the factors impeding the completion of the Centenary’s City Abuja project.”

The Senate specifically mandated the committee “to review the original public-private partnership agreement and recommend amendments, if necessary, to facilitate smooth and expeditious completion of the project within a defined timeframe.

It also urged the Federal Government “to prioritise the revival of the Abuja Centenary City project by providing appropriate support, resolving regulatory issues, and addressing any other impediments, given its beneficial potential to the economy and people of Nigeria after 10 years of stalled progress.”

The motion tagged; “Urgent Need to revive and complete the stalled Centenary Abuja Project,” drew the attention of the Senate to the fact that the original estimated investment for the Abuja Centenary Economic City project was $18.5bn as of 2014, equivalent to the size of Nigeria’s national budget at today’s exchange rate.”

While arguing his motion, Oyelola cited the $6 billion Eko Atlantic City development project in Lagos as an example of the vision of the Centenary City.