BusinessDay
Tope Omogbolagun
May 15, 2025
A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and senator representing Kebbi Central, Adamu Aliero, has revealed that inhabitants of informal settlements near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja will be displaced once development reaches those areas.
Speaking during Wednesday’s Senate plenary on the 2025 FCT statutory budget, Aliero noted that the land on which many of the settlements stand had already been allocated for planned projects. According to him, the issue is not if the communities will be removed, but when.
“They’re illegal settlements. Development hasn’t reached them yet, but once it does, the residents will be pushed out,” he said. “It’s a recurring issue. When they’re moved from one place, they relocate elsewhere, and the same pattern continues.”
The discussion was triggered by a contribution from Onyekachi Nwebonyi, who urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to take action against what he described as “shanties” around the Abuja airport. He argued that such settlements damage Nigeria’s image, especially to international visitors arriving in the capital.
“The surroundings of the Abuja airport do not reflect the country’s potential,” he said. “The FCT administration should prioritise these areas in its budget for redevelopment.”
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However, his proposal met resistance from other senators. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, challenged Nwebonyi’s assessment, asking him to specify which exact locations he was referring to.
“From the airport, what you first encounter is the presidential wing and well-lit roads with flyovers,” Akpabio said. “Are we evacuating people so that passengers landing can admire skyscrapers from the air? Those houses belong to people doing their best with what they can afford.”
Nwebonyi clarified that he was referring to the communities behind the airport, not the main access road or entrance points. But Akpabio maintained his stance, reminding the chamber that the dwellers have a right to shelter, however modest.
Despite this pushback, Nwebonyi insisted on his position, saying the area lies within the capital territory and must be upgraded to reflect Abuja’s status.
When his proposal was put to a voice vote, the majority of the Senate opposed it. Akpabio consequently ruled Nwebonyi out of order.
Meanwhile, Aliero’s comments on the fate of the settlements subtly backed Nwebonyi’s concern, though with a more pragmatic tone. He also advised that while infrastructure was important, the FCT Minister should equally invest in social development to ease the pressure on displaced populations.
Informal settlements along the airport corridor are home to both indigenous families and low-income earners priced out of formal housing. Many lack basic infrastructure and are deemed illegal by the FCT administration, which has in the past conducted several demolition exercises to enforce the Abuja Master Plan.
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