The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his leadership in infrastructural renewal, as the Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC) was officially renovated and renamed in the President’s honour.
The once-neglected facility has undergone a remarkable facelift and is now named the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre — a gesture Akpabio described as well-deserved.
“Mr. President, the renovation, rehabilitation, and transformation that we are witnessing at the ICC is what we are bringing to this country — whether people like it or not,” Akpabio said in his address.
Recalling a visit to the ICC during the first sitting of the ECOWAS Parliament in 2024, Akpabio painted a grim picture of the facility’s past, describing it as poorly maintained, dark, and barely functional — an embarrassment, especially in the presence of regional delegates.
“We managed to get a small generator working. The place was dark. It was in a total state of disrepair,” Akpabio recounted.
The Senate President also noted that President Tinubu was visibly disappointed, prompting an immediate commitment from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to transform the venue.
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The upgraded ICC now boasts modern infrastructure befitting international standards as Akpabio praised the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the contractors behind the project, suggesting that a familiar high-quality firm might have executed the work, based on the craftsmanship observed.
“I can imagine it must be the usual Gad — I’m just guessing — because I saw their quality when I entered,” he remarked.
The Senate President described the rehabilitation as part of a broader national effort under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration to restore dignity to public institutions and create an environment worthy of Nigeria’s status in Africa.
Renaming AICC Halls After Key Government Leaders
In addition to renaming the main complex after President Tinubu, several halls within the ICC were named after prominent government leaders. These include Senator Godswill Akpabio, who serves as the President of the Senate; Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives; and Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Chief Justice of Nigeria.
According to Akpabio, these namings symbolize the collaborative spirit and unity among Nigeria’s three arms of government — the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary — working together to drive transformation under the current administration.
“You are saying that the trinity… are working together for the total transformation of Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
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Closing his speech, Akpabio expressed optimism about the Tinubu administration’s legacy, describing the AICC renovation as a first step in a long journey of national renewal.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. And that is the step we are taking here,” he said, congratulating the President, FCT Minister and all stakeholders involved in the project.
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