Tinubu Commissions Water Project, Pledges End to FCT Neglect

President Bola Tinubu commissioned the Karu Water Project in Nasarawa State, serving the Federal Capital Territory’s Karu satellite town area on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, declaring that his administration was bringing an end to decades of neglect that had left satellite towns around Abuja without basic infrastructure despite being home to millions of residents.

Tinubu said the Karu Water Project represented a concrete commitment to ensuring that citizens living on the outskirts of the capital could access clean and reliable water supply. He said satellite towns around Abuja had long been overlooked in the planning and budgeting of FCT infrastructure, a situation his administration was determined to reverse.

VP Shettima Praises Emir of Lafia

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who also participated in the ceremony and related events in Nasarawa State, paid tribute to the Emir of Lafia and Justice Sidi Bage on his 70th birthday, describing him as a stabilising institutional figure in central Nigeria. Shettima reiterated his view that traditional institutions remained vital to national cohesion and development, particularly in regions navigating complex inter-ethnic and inter-religious tensions.

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who has staked much of his ministerial credibility on delivering visible infrastructure results in and around Abuja, described the Karu project as one of several simultaneous infrastructure commissionings that were transforming the lived experience of residents in the national capital’s broader corridor. He said additional water and road projects were at various stages of completion.

Infrastructure Drive Continues Amid Security Concerns

However, residents of Karu said the water project was welcome but called on the government to also address the poor road network, inadequate street lighting, and weak security infrastructure in satellite towns. They noted that the same neglect that delayed clean water access had also allowed criminal networks to establish footholds in under-policed communities around the FCT. Notably, the commissioning came on the same day that the US sanctioned Nigerian BDC operators for ISIS financing, underlining the dual governance challenge of delivering infrastructure while fighting terrorism. Consequently, the Karu Water Project adds to a growing list of commissioned infrastructure projects the administration is using to build its governance narrative ahead of 2027.