Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has acknowledged that his decision to redirect government funds from official travels and conferences to infrastructure projects has made him unpopular among civil servants. Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Wike defended his administration's fiscal policy shift, stating that resources previously spent on foreign trips are now being channelled into capital projects, particularly road construction. He rejected requests for conferences abroad, including a proposed $20 million trip for a one-week event in America on land administration, calling such expenditures unjustifiable. Wike argued that similar knowledge could be gained locally by studying systems in Lagos and Port Harcourt.
The minister said the FCT administration now allocates about 70 per cent of its budget to capital projects, reversing what he described as a previous imbalance that dedicated 65 per cent to recurrent spending. He maintained that visible development outcomes were prioritised over overhead costs, asserting that conferences had become avenues for diverting public funds. "Some people say conferences for corruption and I say what is that? You are going for conferences to do what?" Wike asked. He insisted that redirecting money to infrastructure was a deliberate policy choice aimed at delivering tangible benefits to residents. While admitting that the move had cost him goodwill among some civil servants, Wike stated that public approval from government workers was not his priority. "That's why I can't be popular among civil servants. If you ask anybody today, one minister they won't like is me. Why? Those money for conferences, I put the money together for roads," he said.
Nyesom Wike admits alienating civil servants by cancelling overseas trips while personally benefiting from none of the redirected funds. His administration redirects millions from conferences to roads, yet offers no proof that these roads are completed or maintained. The minister frames fiscal discipline as a moral stand, but the only visible impact remains his own diminished popularity. If accountability is the goal, the standard should apply beyond spending cuts to actual project outcomes.
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