Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has attributed his perceived unpopularity among some civil servants to sweeping reforms aimed at curbing wasteful government spending and redirecting public funds to infrastructure development.
Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the minister said his administration had deliberately shut down what he described as long-standing channels through which public resources were squandered on unnecessary official engagements, particularly foreign conferences with little impact on governance.
Wike maintained that his focus on delivering visible projects, especially road construction and other critical infrastructure, had earned him criticism from beneficiaries of the old system who preferred recurrent spending over tangible development.
According to him, government resources that were once allocated to overseas trips and conferences are now being invested in projects that directly improve the lives of residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
“We have spent too much money on activities that add little value to governance,” the minister said, questioning the rationale behind approving huge sums for foreign conferences on subjects that could be studied locally.
He argued that public officials seeking knowledge on land administration and related matters could learn from successful models within Nigeria rather than embarking on expensive foreign trips funded by taxpayers.
Using Lagos and Port Harcourt as examples, Wike said government agencies could undertake local comparative studies to understand best practices without incurring the high costs associated with international travel.
“How do you expect me to approve N20 million for someone to attend a one-week conference in America on land administration? I will not do that,” he declared.
The minister revealed that when he assumed office, approximately 65 per cent of the FCT budget was consumed by recurrent expenditure, leaving limited resources for development projects.
Describing the situation as unsustainable, Wike said he immediately introduced a new spending framework that prioritised capital investment over administrative costs.
“Before I came, about 65 per cent of the budget went into recurrent expenditure. How can any society develop under such circumstances?” he asked.
He explained that his administration reversed the trend by allocating 70 per cent of budgetary resources to capital projects and limiting recurrent expenditure to 30 per cent, a move he said has accelerated infrastructure delivery across the territory.
Wike further criticised the proliferation of official conferences, arguing that many had become avenues for draining public funds rather than genuine platforms for capacity building.
While acknowledging that some officials defend such trips as opportunities for professional development, the minister insisted that many of them serve little practical purpose and often amount to wasteful spending.
According to him, funds saved from cutting down on conferences and foreign travels have been pooled into major road projects and other infrastructure initiatives that residents can see and benefit from directly.
He said the results of the policy are evident in the growing number of development projects being executed across the FCT.
Wike, however, admitted that the reforms have made him unpopular among sections of the civil service.
“That is why I cannot be popular among civil servants,” he said. “If you ask many of them today which minister they dislike the most, they will mention me because the money they previously used for conferences is now being channelled into building roads and delivering infrastructure.”
The minister insisted that his administration would continue to prioritise projects that have a direct impact on citizens, stressing that public resources must be used prudently to drive development rather than fund what he described as needless government luxuries.
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