By Henry Umoru

A staggering sum of N200 billion would be required by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to fully address the backlog of resettlement and compensation within the Federal Capital City, FCC alone.

The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed who disclosed this weekend in Abuja, described the problem of resettlement and compensation of the original inhabitants as a major challenge to the Federal Government and successive FCT administrations.

He also disclosed  that the existing infrastructure of the capital city could only take care of one million persons and not the present population of five million the nation’s capital boasts of.

Senator Mohammed added that  the cost of resettlement and compensation has continued to increase year after year since the creation of FCT 38 years ago due to a steady increase in population and economic activities on the part of the original dwellers.

He noted that the challenge has snowballed into a huge impediment to infrastructural and housing development in the FCT.

The Minister who spoke when he received a delegation from the National Defence College, Zimbabwe  explained that available infrastructure in the territory was being overstretched by a whopping 500 percent, said that  the urbanisation growth rate of FCT has continued to rise steadily and currently stands at 9.1 percent.

“Whereas the current population of FCT stands at about five million, the available infrastructure can accommodate only one million persons,” he said.

According to him, a combination of factors make  Abuja very attractive to many people. They include the centrality of its location, easy accessibility for all Nigerians, clement weather, relative security and ethnic neutrality.

Senator Bala Mohammed said the land swap programme was introduced by his administration as a measure to accelerate infrastructural development and at the same time address the resettlement and compensation needs of the affected original inhabitants.

He gave the total land area for the land swap programme as 4,253 hectares covering 10 districts which were  to be developed by 15 reputable companies. According to the Minister, the total expected private capital investment inflow through the land swap stands at $3.8billion or N646billion.

He disclosed that  that  the FCT Administration has attracted other investments like the $2.7billion (N459billion) Abuja City Centre project which would be developed by Messrs  by the Chicason Group and the $1.2billion (N204billion) World Trade Centre.

The leader of the delegation, Air-Vice Marshal Michael Moyo said that they were in Nigeria to learn new things that would help them improve their professional duties as well as other matters relating to infrastructure, agriculture, transportation and municipa