The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed that the newly inaugurated Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre has been fully booked until 2027, despite widespread criticism over the N39 billion spent on its renovation.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu officially reopened the refurbished centre—formerly known as the Abuja International Conference Centre—on June 10, 2025, as part of events marking his second year in office.
Following the unveiling, several critics, including former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, questioned the cost of the project, arguing that the funds could have been better allocated to critical areas such as education.
However, during the commissioning of the Kugbo Bus Terminal in Abuja on Thursday, Minister Wike defended the investment, stating that the centre’s high demand proves its value. “Nigerians pretend. They like good things, but act like they don’t,” Wike said. “That Conference Centre is fully booked till 2027. There’s no space—not even for the constitutional amendment retreat requested by the Deputy Speaker.”
Wike stressed that even government bodies such as the National Assembly would need to pay for use of the facility, citing the need for sustainability. “There’s nothing like free usage—even if you passed our budget. This isn’t budgetary charity; it’s about sustaining a first-class facility,” he said.
In response, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, representing President Tinubu at the event, appealed to Wike to make arrangements for the National Assembly’s constitutional review conference. He humorously suggested refunding some existing bookings to make room for the legislature’s programme.
“I’m not happy to hear that we don’t have space for the Constitutional Confab,” Akpabio said. “Please consider returning money to some who booked. We will pay. We are inviting international guests and need to showcase Nigeria properly.”
Akpabio also urged Wike to keep future bookings open for 2028, joking that the ruling APC would need the venue to celebrate another electoral victory. “Don’t allow them to book 2028 now. We’ll need it to jubilate when we win again,” he said.
