Prof. Aminu Gusau, former Coordinating Director of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has lauded the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for what he described as bold governance, visible infrastructural renewal and decisive leadership.
Gusau made the remarks on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2026 Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture Series organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Yakubu Gowon University.
Wike, who was the distinguished personality at the event, delivered a lecture titled, “The Impact of Political Leadership on Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between Dividends of Democracy and Good Governance.”
Speaking as Chairman of the occasion, Gusau, a visiting professor at the University of Kansas, United States, described Wike as a public servant whose tenure in the FCT has been marked by accelerated project delivery and measurable transformation.
According to him, since assuming office in August 2023, the minister has embarked on an ambitious drive to restore the Abuja Master Plan, strengthen infrastructure and revive long-abandoned projects across the territory.
He cited the completion and rehabilitation of major road networks linking the city centre to satellite towns, including the Apo–Wasa Road, as well as the upgrading of inner-city corridors and strategic junctions, which he said have improved mobility and boosted economic activity within the FCT.
Gusau noted that attention has also been extended to satellite towns such as Gwagwalada, Kubwa, Bwari and Karu, where road construction, drainage improvements and other public infrastructure upgrades are ongoing.
He further stated that several previously stalled contracts have been revived and completed, reflecting what he described as a governance approach anchored on continuity and accountability.
Beyond transportation, Gusau said the Wike-led administration has strengthened development control enforcement and implemented land administration reforms aimed at improving transparency, restoring urban order and enhancing internally generated revenue.
He added that investments in street lighting, environmental sanitation and public space management have contributed to improved security and urban aesthetics across the territory.
“Leadership is rarely comfortable. It requires firmness, resolve and sometimes unpopular decisions,” Gusau said.
He maintained that Wike’s record, from his tenure as Governor of Rivers State to his current role as FCT Minister, reflects a consistent pattern of decisive execution, infrastructure expansion and institutional assertiveness.
Drawing from his 27 years in the United States and over a decade as a university lecturer, Gusau said effective leadership is defined by good intentions translated into concrete action.
“You may like his personality; you may not like his personality, but one thing is certain: he works and he works for the people,” he said.
He stressed that in governance, results, infrastructure and functional systems remain the true measures of performance.
Gusau added that universities, as centres of ideas and critical engagement, provide an appropriate platform for objective assessment of public leadership, noting that Wike’s tenure offers substantial evidence of performance-driven governance.
Comments