President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted his assent to the statutory budget of over N1.1 trillion for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the fiscal year 2024.

The announcement was made by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, during a media briefing at his office in Abuja on Tuesday.

Wike expressed his satisfaction with the president’s approval, noting that the budget will significantly impact infrastructure development, healthcare facilities, and school rehabilitation in the FCT.

This development follows the successful passage of the FCT appropriation bill in the Senate last month.

The detailed breakdown of the N1.1 trillion budget allocates N280 billion for overhead expenses, N726 billion for capital projects, and N140 billion for personnel, resulting in a total budget of N1.147 trillion.

During discussions in the Senate, the bill’s sponsor and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, emphasized the careful consideration given to the FCT administration’s revenue and expenditure forecasts, aligning them with the federal government’s fiscal and developmental policies.

Last week, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike expressed satisfaction with the ongoing construction of FCT Highway 105, linking the Airport Expressway to Kuje township.

During a tour of the 11-kilometer road, being executed by Arab Contractors, Wike assured that the project would be completed by the year’s end.

Wike commended the quality of work and the contractor’s commitment to meeting the project’s timeline, addressing challenges promptly.

He said, “You can see with your eyes that the work is going on very well. With the quality of work we saw, we are very satisfied too. The contractor has said that before the end of the year, they would have completed the project. That will be interesting news. It gladdens our hearts that we are meeting our targets.”

“Just like what the contractor said, they started from where there are fewer encumbrances so that by the time they get to where they may have some constraints, they would have sorted out the issues.

“From what they have said, they have done the earthwork of two and a half kilometres and the next thing they would start is the drainage. They have agreed that before the end of the year, they will have completed this particular road. So, we are very impressed.”

Additionally, Wike inspected a 5-kilometer emergency asphalt carriageway from Tipper Garage Junction to the LEA Secretariat in Kuje Area Council.

He expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress, noting the contractor’s assurance of completion by the end of 2024.