President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday declared that all users of the newly refurbished Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC) must pay for its use, regardless of status or political affiliation.
This, he said, was necessary for the sustainable maintenance of the public facility.
Tinubu spoke at the official reopening of the facility, which has now been renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
“You must obey what the landlord says — if you want to use this place; you must pay for it,” Tinubu said and affirmed the FCT Administration’s new policy of commercialising access to the conference facility.
While reflecting on the state of the AICC prior to the renovation, Tinubu recalled his disappointment when he visited the centre during a past ECOWAS Parliament event.
“It was a very dirty, disorganised, uninhabitable environment… I turned to Wike and said, ‘This conference centre is not reflecting who we are.’ Have we sunk this low?” The president recounted.
Tinubu expressed satisfaction with the outcome and praised Wike’s effort, saying, “Don’t pay attention to the busybodies and bystanders. Whatever they say, continue to do your good work. You are a transformational leader… thank you very much.”
The president linked the renovation to the broader goals of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at revitalising Nigeria’s infrastructure across critical sectors including healthcare, education, transportation, and urban development.
“This centre is part of our country’s larger vision to become a hub for regional diplomacy, continental trade, and global partnerships. It reflects our ‘Nigeria First’ mindset,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, Wike made a case for a sustainable model of usage, insisting that even government ministries and agencies would no longer access the facility for free.
“There’s nothing like my brother or my sister having a wedding here for free. If you want to use such a beautiful place like this, then you must drop something. The era of free use is over,” Wike had said
Wike highlighted the importance of leadership and said, “But because of your leadership, Mr President, we pushed through.
“Our problem is leadership. When you have the right leadership, things will get done, and that is what you have shown today.”
Wike called the upgraded structure “a world-class facility that can match any other international conference centre globally.”
THE WHISTLER reported that the minister said the centre had been previously handed to a politician who allegedly mismanaged it and went to court to block the renovation efforts. He also disclosed that there will be a dedicated payment system and maintenance contract for the facility.
“There will be a dedicated account for payments. Every month, we will look into that account… We are signing an agreement with Julius Berger for the maintenance,” he stated.
