President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria is open for business and ready to welcome local and foreign investors as he inaugurated the sales office and experience centre for the multi-billion-dollar Abuja City Walk development.
Represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima at the event on Thursday, Tinubu described the project as a major milestone under the renewed hope agenda and a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to infrastructure development and private-sector investment.
“We are not just opening a building; we are unveiling the window to a multi-billion-dollar future,” the president said.
“We are presenting a tangible manifestation of our Renewed Hope Agenda, sculpted in concrete, innovation and unwavering determination.”
Tinubu said the Abuja City Walk, located along the Abuja Airport expressway corridor, is one of the most ambitious private-sector investment projects in Nigeria and is expected to transform the federal capital into a global hub for commerce, innovation and modern urban living.
He added that while the project draws inspiration from developments such as Dubai City Walk, it has been designed to reflect Nigeria’s needs and aspirations.
“This experience centre stands as proof that our administration does not just make promises; we execute them with determination,” he said.
Tinubu said sustainable national development requires collaboration between government and the private sector, describing the Abuja City Walk as an example of such partnership.
He added that granting the corridor free trade zone status would promote regional commerce, medical tourism, premium retail businesses and hospitality investments.
“Let me reassure both domestic and international investors: Nigeria is open for business, and your investments are safe,” he said.
“Our legal, physical and financial frameworks are continuously being optimised to protect capital, guarantee returns and eliminate unnecessary administrative bottlenecks.”
Tinubu commended Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for reviving the long-abandoned Abuja Technology Village corridor through land administration reforms.
“For 20 years, the Abuja Technology Village corridor lay dormant. Today, through aggressive land administration reforms and the eradication of bureaucratic inertia, it is being transformed into a bustling construction hub,” he said.
The president said the project would generate tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs for engineers, artisans, professionals and young Nigerians while boosting economic activities across the FCT and neighbouring states.
He urged the developers and the FCT administration to ensure that the launch of the experience centre translates into rapid construction.
Speaking at the event, Wike said the project aligns with Tinubu’s drive to attract investment into Nigeria.
The minister said the 250-hectare site, originally designated for the Abuja Technology Village more than three decades ago, had become overrun by land grabbers before the FCT administration reclaimed it.
He said the government provided all statutory approvals within days, constructed access roads and coordinated relevant agencies to accelerate implementation.
“I put my foot down and said this is government property and I must drive this development to come to the FCT,” Wike said.
“The whole essence of government is to provide an enabling environment for investors to come in and develop. There are a lot of jobs that will be created here.”
Wike, however, warned that the land allocation would be revoked if the developers failed to meet agreed timelines.
“I’m not interested in theories. I’m interested in keeping to our agreement. If the timelines are not met, we’ll take back our land,” he said.
Kassim Gidado, executive director of Link Developments Master City Walk, said the experience centre offers investors an immersive preview of the proposed development through physical models, digital displays and prototype apartments.
Gidado said the 250-hectare mixed-use development will feature a technology village, knowledge park with two universities, healthcare facilities, shopping malls, five-star hotels, exhibition centres, residential communities, parks and what is projected to be West Africa’s largest indoor multipurpose arena.
He said the project is designed as a climate-responsive, walkable district that will position Abuja as a destination for global investment and sustainable urban development.
