By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for transforming Abuja’s City Gate into a major recreational and environmental landmark, describing the feat as “unbelievable.”
Senator Tinubu spoke on Monday, 3 August, 2026 during a ceremony held to honour the FCT Administration for its environmental efforts, which she said align with the just-concluded Community Category of the ongoing Green Nigeria Challenge under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
She presented a Certificate of Commendation to Wike and the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, on behalf of the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The First Lady explained that the Community Category of the Challenge was designed to encourage youth groups to convert degraded public spaces, including dumpsites and abandoned areas, into green parks, gardens and other eco-friendly spaces, in order to complement government efforts at beautifying the environment and improving the quality of life of Nigerians.
“The remodeled Abuja City Gate is an excellent example of what abandoned public areas can become: a transformed key national landmark that warmly welcomes all Nigerians and visitors to our nation’s capital,” she said.
She, however, expressed disappointment that despite a ₦50 million prize set aside under the Green Challenge to encourage states to reclaim abandoned spaces and dumpsites, no state entered for that category of the competition.
“It was a ₦50 million prize money and they didn’t enter. This was supposed to get our youth involved,” she said, adding that the initiative was originally designed to turn around abandoned spaces and dumpsites, and we see a lot of it around the states.”
Reflecting on her visit to the City Gate, the First Lady said she was struck by the scale of the transformation. “When I saw what he did with the City Gate, my God, unbelievable, unbelievable. I want to thank him. He’s done very well,” she said.
Beyond commending the FCT Administration, Senator Tinubu used the occasion to appeal to wives of state governors to mobilise young people into environmental clubs and sustainability initiatives in schools and tertiary institutions.
“I’m using this opportunity to appeal to our First Ladies: get our young children into the environmental clubs and environmental societies for our youth in tertiary institutions,” she said, recalling her own experience as a member of the Youth Environmental Programme for West Africa while at the College of Education. “We travelled from Nigeria throughout West Africa by road. It was a memorable experience for us,” she said.
She further stressed that young people must be encouraged to contribute to national development through environmental stewardship.
“We have to engage our young people and make sure that they can help build. Everybody has something to contribute to this country. It’s a great country and that’s why we are doing all we can,” she said.
Responding, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, revealed that the First Lady personally inspired the transformation of the City Gate, crediting her long-standing advocacy for a cleaner, more functional urban environment.
“The First Lady has to be commended for the FCT keying into the Renewed Hope Green Initiative because she has always said we have to change our environment and create opportunities where people can gather and relax,” he said.
Wike disclosed that the idea originated from an observation the First Lady made after returning from foreign trips. “She called on me to say, ‘Why do we travel out and we do not learn anything when we travel? Look at the way our city looks, look at the way city gates in other countries look. Why not do something to change it?'” he recalled.
Following that conversation, he said, the FCT Administration engaged the original designers of the City Gate to develop a new concept, which has since transformed the location into a vibrant public attraction.
“Today, by the grace of God, whenever you pass there, even at night, you see people gathered there. There is activity. That is what it is supposed to be,” he said.
The Minister disclosed that similar projects would be extended to other parts of Abuja, particularly the Lifecamp area, where plans are underway to develop another green recreational centre.
“I’ve also told the First Lady that I want to replicate another one when you go to the Lifecamp area. We have a green space where people come to relax, but it doesn’t look tidy or attractive. I’ve directed that it should be redesigned into another recreation centre where people can come and relax. That is what happens in other countries,” he said.
He described environmental sustainability as central to national development, arguing that no city could truly develop without clean and well-maintained green spaces.
“Nobody can talk about the development of any country or city where the environment is not clean. When you go to Europe, what attracts you is the beauty, the green environment and the clean surroundings. When you put green areas around developments, it looks natural. That is the way we are supposed to live,” he said.
Wike expressed appreciation to the First Lady for recognising the FCT Administration’s efforts, saying her encouragement had spurred him to do more.
“Leadership is about learning. She drew our attention to areas that needed improvement, and instead of complaining, we acted. When leaders point out what needs to be done, the right response is to improve. That is exactly what we have done,” he said.
The ceremony ended with the presentation of the Certificate of Commendation to Wike and Bunkure. According to the statement, the Household and State categories of the Green Nigeria Challenge remain open until Sunday, 20 December, 2026.
