Tinubu Orders MDAs to Pay for Use of Renovated ₦39bn Abuja Conference Centre

By Achimi muktar

In a dramatic shift sure to send ripples through Nigeria’s bureaucratic corridors, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) must now pay to use the newly-renovated International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja—now renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.

Yes, you read that right. Not even government agencies are getting a free ride.

This directive came Tuesday as the President officially reopened the once-neglected facility, which has undergone a jaw-dropping ₦39 billion facelift, courtesy of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

“This Conference Centre does not reflect who we are. Have we sunk this low?” Tinubu had lamented during a previous visit, describing the venue as “dirty” and “uninhabitable.”

But that was then. Today, Tinubu is singing a different tune—and demanding a different fee.

Standing tall among Abuja’s skyline, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre is being positioned not just as a building, but as a symbol of Nigeria’s diplomatic ambition and regional influence.

“The ICC is part of our country’s larger vision to become a hub for regional diplomacy, continental trade discussions, global partnerships... all in line with our ‘Nigeria First’ principle,” the president declared.

The new policy mandating MDAs to pay for access is aimed at ensuring the facility’s upkeep and long-term sustainability—a point the president emphasized while applauding the renovation work completed by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, the original contractor.

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the man behind the transformation, made it clear that sentiments and connections will no longer grant anyone free entry.

“No such thing as ‘my brother’ or ‘my sister’ wants to use it for a wedding,” Wike warned. “If you want to use a beautiful place like this, you must pay something.”

Wike, who boldly renamed the centre after President Tinubu, also revealed that the upgrade was completed within just eight months, following a personal directive from the President.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio joined the applause, commending the naming of the conference halls after the heads of Nigeria’s three arms of government—a symbolic gesture highlighting unity among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

President Tinubu, in turn, showered Wike with praise, calling him a “transformational leader” who deserves to ignore the ‘busybodies and bystanders.’

The facelift didn’t come cheap. Back in March 2025, Minister Wike had announced that the FCTA was investing ₦39 billion into reviving the once-decrepit venue. At the time, the project was already 70–80% complete and slated to be among the crown jewels of Tinubu’s second-year anniversary projects.

Now completed, the Centre is poised to become Nigeria’s flagship venue for global conferences, summits, and state functions—and maybe even the occasional (paid-for) high-profile wedding.

Love it or hate it, the message is clear: Nigeria’s new conference centre comes at a cost. And in Tinubu’s Nigeria, even government must pay to play.