FCT bus terminals set for takeoff as Wike awaits FEC nod on PPP deals

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

he three state-of-the-art bus and taxi terminals built by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in Kugbo, Mabushi, and the Central Business District (CBD) will commence operations soon, once the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approves the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements for their management.

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, made this disclosure on Thursday after inspecting ongoing road projects in Abuja, explaining that the delay stems from the need for FEC-level approval beyond his ministerial powers.
The N51 billion project, awarded in 2024, saw the Kugbo and Mabushi terminals completed and inaugurated in June 2025 to mark President Bola Tinubu’s second year in office. The CBD terminal also nears completion, yet all remain idle.
“The procurement process had successfully passed through the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),” Wike said. “After building the terminals we said we are not going to allow the Transport Secretariat to run it. It will be handled by private individuals who have the competence. It’s not as easy as we thought. It requires FEC’s approval, but I am confident that in the next FEC, the contracts will be presented for approval. So, we believe in the next FEC meeting it will be approved and once that is done, then we will hit the road.”
Wike highlighted the terminals’ role in curbing road congestion and indiscriminate parking, calling them a milestone in modernizing Abuja’s transport infrastructure. He also reaffirmed plans for more terminals in Gwagwalada, Bwari, and Kuje.
Managing Director and CEO of Planet Project Ltd, the construction firm, Biodun Otunola, detailed the terminals’ capacity during their inauguration. “The Kugbo and Mabushi terminals were designed to process more than 10,000 passengers each, daily,” Otunola said. “They were also designed to accommodate 120 buses and taxis each, daily, for both intercity and intra-city travels.”
He noted the CBD terminal focuses on intra-city ops and each site will create at least 100 jobs across security, ticketing, facility management, control rooms, and maintenance. “It’s very huge. It’s like running a mini airport,” Otunola added.
He, however, said that based on needs assessment, the FCT would need at least 12 bus and taxi terminals to cover significant parts of the territory.
“We will need one in Gwagwalada, one in Kuje in Gwarinpa, and Lugbe, including the city centre in places like Area 1, Area 3 in Garki, Wuse and other strategic locations,” he said.