Construction work has resumed on the long-abandoned Gwagwalada Town Hall in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), bringing an end to more than 16 years of inactivity after sustained advocacy by the Take It Back (TIB) Movement and other concerned residents.
The project, which was designed to serve as a civic centre for government events, public meetings, conferences and community activities, had become one of the most prominent abandoned public projects in the FCT. Despite several years of public spending and repeated promises by successive administrations, the building remained unfinished.
Over the years, the Take It Back Movement repeatedly criticised the Gwagwalada Area Council for failing to complete the project. Through petitions, public campaigns and social media advocacy, the movement consistently called on the authorities to complete the building and ensure accountability for public funds.
The town hall project was started around 2010 during the administration of former Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman, Hon. Zakari Angulu Dobi. However, construction stopped before the end of his tenure.
The project was later inherited by former Chairman Adamu Mustapha Danze, also known as Obama, and subsequently by Hon. Abubakar Jibrin Giri (Abu Giri), who served two terms. Despite the changes in leadership, no significant work was carried out, and the building gradually deteriorated.
The prolonged abandonment attracted criticism from residents, community leaders and civil society organisations, who questioned why a project funded with public money had been left unfinished for more than a decade. After assuming office, the current Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mohammed Kasim Ikwa, identified the town hall as one of the projects requiring urgent attention.
Instead of starting a new project, the council carried out a technical assessment of the existing structure and reopened discussions with the contractor. The review focused on the work already completed, the remaining contractual obligations and the steps needed to finish the project. The discussions led to the contractor returning to the site and construction work officially resuming.
Speaking during an inspection of the project on Tuesday, Ikwa said his administration would not continue the practice of abandoning public projects.
“There will be no abandoned project under this administration. We cannot continue to waste taxpayers’ money by allowing public projects to decay while the people suffer,” he said.
According to him, the town hall reflects years of poor project supervision and lack of continuity in government. He added that ongoing technical assessments would ensure public funds are used to complete viable projects instead of allowing them to remain abandoned.
Workers have now returned to the site, and rehabilitation work is ongoing. Officials involved in the project said the town hall could be completed within the next three months if there are no unexpected delays.
For many residents, the renewed construction has raised hopes that the project will finally be completed after years of neglect. However, some stakeholders say the resumption of work should also be accompanied by greater transparency. They have asked the Area Council to disclose how much public money has been spent on the project since it began, how much work had been completed before construction stopped, why the project was abandoned for so many years, and how previous contracts were managed.
They also called on the council to publish a full financial report on the project after its completion to promote transparency and accountability. They noted that the revival of the Gwagwalada Town Hall highlights a wider problem in Nigeria, where many public projects are abandoned after changes in government, leading to wasted public funds, delayed services and reduced confidence in public institutions.
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