The Abuja International Conference Centre has officially been renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, in a symbolic tribute to Nigeria’s President and a renewed call for sustainable public infrastructure.
The renaming was announced by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike during the centre’s grand reopening ceremony on Tuesday, following a comprehensive renovation by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC. President Tinubu, who personally commissioned the refurbished facility, praised the transformation, recalling his disappointment during a 2024 ECOWAS Parliament visit.
“When I attended the ECOWAS Parliament conference, the environment was dirty, disorganised, and uninhabitable,” the President said. “Today, I am very happy.” He emphasized the centre’s strategic importance to Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a hub for regional diplomacy and global engagement.
In a key policy directive, President Tinubu ordered that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) must now pay to use the facility. “You must pay,” he declared. “That is the only way we can sustain it.” Minister Wike echoed the point, adding, “Whether you are a ministry or an agency, you must pay something to use this facility.”
Beyond the renaming, the newly refurbished centre also features halls named after prominent government figures, including the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the FCT Administration for the gesture, describing it as a mark of national unity and institutional respect.
The centre’s reopening is part of a broader rollout of capital projects commemorating President Tinubu’s second anniversary in office, under the Renewed Hope Agenda. The initiative underscores his administration’s commitment to revitalizing public infrastructure and reinforcing fiscal responsibility in government operations.
