President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has another federal institution named after him, adding to the growing list of national assets bearing his name. The Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC) has now been officially renamed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
This announcement was made on Tuesday by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, during the reopening ceremony of the newly renovated conference facility in the nation’s capital.
The renaming comes as part of a broader refurbishment project initiated under the President’s directive, following his reported disappointment during a visit to the Centre for the ECOWAS Parliament conference in April 2024.
When I attended the ECOWAS Parliament conference, the environment was dirty, disorganised, and uninhabitable, Tinubu recounted at the reopening. I turned to Mr Wike and said, This Conference Centre does not reflect who we are. Have we sunk this low?’ He replied, ‘No, bear with us. We will do whatever we can to transform the place.’ Today, I am very happy.”
In a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the presidency further directed that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) must pay to use the venue going forward, a policy they said is designed to ensure proper maintenance and financial sustainability.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, present at the event, praised the FCT Administration for naming other parts of the facility after high-ranking state officials, including the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
FCT Minister Wike stated that the renovation of the Centre took just eight months, executed following Tinubu’s order.
With this latest renaming, President Tinubu has now named seven public institutions or landmarks after himself since assuming office in May 2023, amid criticism from those who argue that such moves risk undermining democratic humility and the spirit of public service.
Observers have questioned the appropriateness of a sitting president commemorating himself in this way, especially while still in office.
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