First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu on Monday commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for transforming Abuja City Gate into a major recreational landmark.

She lamented that no state government entered the N50m prize category of the Renewed Hope Initiative’s Green Nigeria Challenge, designed to encourage youths to convert abandoned spaces and dumpsites into green parks and gardens.

She spoke during a ceremony at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, to honour the FCT Administration for its environmental efforts, at which she presented Certificates of Commendation to Wike and the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Bunkure.

Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, revealed details of the engagement in a statement she signed and released on Monday titled ‘Posterity Will Judge You Well for the Development of the Federal Capital Territory.’

The First Lady described the City Gate transformation as a physical manifestation of what the community category of the Green Challenge was designed to inspire and expressed disappointment that the category attracted no submissions from any state.

The Household and State categories of the Green Nigeria Challenge remain open until December 20, 2026.

“It was a N50m prize money, and they didn’t enter. This was supposed to get our youth involved,” she said.

Mrs Tinubu said the initiative was designed to encourage states to convert neglected public spaces into clean and attractive environments and appealed to wives of state governors to mobilise young people into environmental clubs and sustainability initiatives.

She stated, “I’m using this opportunity to appeal to our First Ladies: get our young children into the environmental clubs and environmental societies for our youth in tertiary institutions.

“I remember when I was in the College of Education, I was a member of the Youth Environmental Programme for West Africa. We travelled from Nigeria throughout West Africa by road. It was a memorable experience for us.”

On the City Gate itself, she said, “When I saw what he did with the City Gate, my God, unbelievable. I want to thank him. He’s done very well. The remodelled Abuja City Gate is an excellent example of what abandoned public areas can become: a transformed key national landmark that warmly welcomes all Nigerians and visitors to our nation’s capital.”

She also called for youth engagement in national environmental stewardship, saying, “We have to engage our young people and make sure that they can help build.

“Everybody has something to contribute to this country. It’s a great country, and that’s why we are doing all we can.”

Wike, for his part, credited the First Lady with personally inspiring the City Gate transformation, revealing that it originated from her observations after returning from foreign trips.

“She called on me to say: ‘Why do we travel out and we do not learn anything when we travel? Look at the way our city looks, look at the way city gates in other countries look. Why not do something to change it?’” he said.

He explained that the FCT Administration subsequently engaged the original designers of the City Gate to develop a new concept that has since transformed the location into a vibrant public attraction visited even at night.

“Today, by the grace of God, whenever you pass there, even at night, you see people gathered there. There is activity. That is what it is supposed to be,” he said.

The former Rivers Governor announced plans to replicate the concept in the Lifecamp area of Abuja.

He announced, “I’ve also told the First Lady that I want to replicate another one when you go to the Lifecamp area.

“We have a green space where people come to relax, but it doesn’t look tidy or attractive.

“I’ve directed that it should be redesigned into another recreation centre where people can come and relax. That is what happens in other countries.”

Wike described environmental cleanliness as a prerequisite for genuine national development.

According to him, “Nobody can talk about the development of any country or city where the environment is not clean.

“When you go to Europe, what attracts you is the beauty, the green environment and the clean surroundings.

“When you put green areas around developments, it looks natural. That is the way we are supposed to live.”

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The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and its workers’ union on Monday jointly dismissed reports of a planned industrial action, describing the claims circulating on some online media platforms as false and insisting that the council continues to enjoy industrial harmony.

The council also denied reports alleging the appointment of directors and claims of favouritism and nepotism within the organisation, saying the allegations were unfounded and intended to mislead the public.

The clarification followed a joint meeting between the management of the council and the leadership of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NEPC Unit.

In a statement by the Head of Corporate Communications, Aliu Sadiq, the council urged exporters, stakeholders and members of the public to disregard what it described as misleading reports of an impending strike.

The statement read, “The Management of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council debunks misinformation circulating in some sections of the online media alleging a planned strike action by NEPC staff.

“Following a joint meeting held with the leadership of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NEPC Unit, Management wishes to inform the exporting community and the general public that there is no planned or contemplated industrial action within the Council.

“The purported strike action is false, baseless, and should be disregarded by the general public.”

According to the statement, the Chairman of the ASCSN, NEPC Unit, Moruf Ogunlana, reaffirmed that the council remained peaceful and that the union neither authorised nor had prior knowledge of the alleged strike.

The statement said Ogunlana confirmed that “the Council continues to enjoy industrial harmony,” adding that “neither the Union nor its members were consulted on any purported strike call as alleged.”

It added that the union “disassociated the Union from the online publications and pledged continued cooperation with Management.”

Addressing reports of alleged appointments of directors, the management maintained that no such appointments had been made.

The statement added, “There was no appointment of Directors to the Council,” adding that “to support the day-to-day running of her office, Management will not only continue to work with the existing organisational structure and staff across all Departments but further enhance their capacity and work skills.”

The council said the approach reflected the commitment of the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nonye Ayeni, to strengthening internal capacity rather than outsourcing responsibilities.

It stated that under Ayeni’s leadership, opportunities for career progression had expanded through the widening of the directorate cadre and the creation of advancement pathways across different staff levels.

The council also highlighted improvements in staff welfare, saying more than 75 per cent of its workforce had received professional training since 2023.

According to the statement, the Executive Director also introduced the Export Skills Acquisition Centre, which has trained more than 500 youths and women in garment and bag production for export.

The management and the union also rejected allegations of favouritism and nepotism, describing the claims as inconsistent with the realities within the organisation.

The statement said both parties “jointly debunked allegations of favouritism and nepotism, describing them as unfounded and inconsistent with the reality within the Council.”

It added that the union affirmed that Ayeni “has consistently demonstrated fairness, professionalism and inclusiveness, treating all employees equitably regardless of tribe or background.”

The council further defended its recent performance, stating that Nigeria recorded a non-oil export value of $6.1bn in 2025, the highest since the establishment of the council.

It attributed the achievement to reforms and export promotion initiatives implemented under the current leadership in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The statement added that NEPC had also implemented a third-party certification programme covering HACCP, FDA, HALAL and ISO standards, enabling more than 150 exporters to secure internationally recognised certifications and gain easier access to global markets.

It said, “We therefore urge the public to disregard the misleading online reports as Management and the entire staff of the Council reiterate its commitment to work harmoniously with all relevant stakeholders to advance Nigeria’s non-oil export agenda in line with the Renewed Hope vision of the Federal Government.”

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