Two Years After N22bn Renovation, VP’s Abuja Residence Remains Unoccupied
Nearly two years after the Federal Capital Territory Administration completed and handed over the official residence of Vice President Kashim Shettima, the multi-billion-naira facility remains unoccupied.
The residence, located within Abuja’s Three Arms Zone, was commissioned by President Bola Tinubu on June 7, 2024, following the completion of a project that had been initiated and awarded in 2010 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The project was initially awarded at about N7 billion but was abandoned for several years before being revived and completed under the administration of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The final cost has been reported at about N22 billion, although figures have varied depending on whether the original contract sum and subsequent expenditures are included.
At the commissioning ceremony, Tinubu said completing inherited projects was part of his administration’s efforts to prevent public resources from being wasted on abandoned infrastructure.
Despite the completion and commissioning of the facility, however, Shettima has continued to use Akinola Aguda House within the Presidential Complex as his official residence.
The prolonged non-use of the new residence has raised questions about why the facility has yet to serve its intended purpose after such a substantial public expenditure.
Security concerns have been cited in some reports as a possible reason for the vice president’s continued stay at Akinola Aguda House. However, the Presidency has not publicly provided a detailed explanation identifying the specific concerns or outstanding requirements preventing Shettima from relocating.
The FCTA had previously indicated that its responsibility for the project was completed and that the facility was handed over to the appropriate authorities following its commissioning.
The residence has also become the subject of claims on social media alleging that Shettima moved into the building but later vacated it after allegedly discovering hidden closed-circuit television cameras.
There is, however, no credible evidence to support the claim that the vice president ever occupied the residence and subsequently left because of surveillance equipment.
Shettima’s spokesman had dismissed the allegation, stating that the vice president remained resident at Akinola Aguda House.
The controversy has nevertheless kept attention on the larger question of why the newly completed residence has remained unused for residential purposes.
The project passed through several administrations before its eventual completion under Wike, who made the execution of abandoned projects one of the priorities of his tenure as FCT minister.
With the facility still unoccupied, questions remain over whether additional security assessments, structural modifications, operational requirements or formal certifications are still outstanding.
There are also concerns over the continued cost of securing and maintaining a facility that has yet to be used for the purpose for which it was constructed.
For a project that reportedly cost about N22 billion to complete, the absence of a comprehensive public explanation for the vice president’s continued non-occupation is likely to sustain scrutiny over the utilisation of public funds.
The residence, located within Abuja’s Three Arms Zone, was commissioned by President Bola Tinubu on June 7, 2024, following the completion of a project that had been initiated and awarded in 2010 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The project was initially awarded at about N7 billion but was abandoned for several years before being revived and completed under the administration of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The final cost has been reported at about N22 billion, although figures have varied depending on whether the original contract sum and subsequent expenditures are included.
At the commissioning ceremony, Tinubu said completing inherited projects was part of his administration’s efforts to prevent public resources from being wasted on abandoned infrastructure.
Despite the completion and commissioning of the facility, however, Shettima has continued to use Akinola Aguda House within the Presidential Complex as his official residence.
The prolonged non-use of the new residence has raised questions about why the facility has yet to serve its intended purpose after such a substantial public expenditure.
Security concerns have been cited in some reports as a possible reason for the vice president’s continued stay at Akinola Aguda House. However, the Presidency has not publicly provided a detailed explanation identifying the specific concerns or outstanding requirements preventing Shettima from relocating.
The FCTA had previously indicated that its responsibility for the project was completed and that the facility was handed over to the appropriate authorities following its commissioning.
The residence has also become the subject of claims on social media alleging that Shettima moved into the building but later vacated it after allegedly discovering hidden closed-circuit television cameras.
There is, however, no credible evidence to support the claim that the vice president ever occupied the residence and subsequently left because of surveillance equipment.
Shettima’s spokesman had dismissed the allegation, stating that the vice president remained resident at Akinola Aguda House.
The controversy has nevertheless kept attention on the larger question of why the newly completed residence has remained unused for residential purposes.
The project passed through several administrations before its eventual completion under Wike, who made the execution of abandoned projects one of the priorities of his tenure as FCT minister.
With the facility still unoccupied, questions remain over whether additional security assessments, structural modifications, operational requirements or formal certifications are still outstanding.
There are also concerns over the continued cost of securing and maintaining a facility that has yet to be used for the purpose for which it was constructed.
For a project that reportedly cost about N22 billion to complete, the absence of a comprehensive public explanation for the vice president’s continued non-occupation is likely to sustain scrutiny over the utilisation of public funds.
