Nearly two years after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) completed and handed over the official residence built for Vice-President Kashim Shettima, the facility remains unused for its intended residential purpose.
The multi-billion-naira residence, located in Abuja’s Three-Arms Zone, was commissioned by President Bola Tinubu on June 7, 2024, following its completion under the FCTA led by Nyesom Wike.
The project was initially awarded in 2010 at an estimated cost of ₦7 billion but was abandoned for several years before being revived. Its eventual cost has been reported at approximately ₦21 billion, although the figures vary depending on whether the original contract sum and subsequent expenditures are included.
At the commissioning ceremony, Tinubu said completing inherited projects was part of his administration’s efforts to prevent the waste of public resources.
However, Shettima has continued to use Akinola Aguda House within the Presidential Complex as his official residence, despite the completion and handover of the new facility. Although security considerations have reportedly been cited as a possible reason for the delay, the Presidency has not publicly provided detailed explanations for why the vice president has yet to relocate.
The FCTA had previously indicated that it had fulfilled its responsibility by completing and handing over the project to the relevant authorities.
The continued non-utilisation of the residence has consequently raised questions about the status and practical value of a project on which billions of naira were spent specifically to provide an official home for the vice-president.
The issue has also been accompanied by social media claims that Shettima briefly occupied the residence before leaving after allegedly discovering concealed closed-circuit television cameras.
Observers say there is, however, no credible evidence that the vice president ever moved into the facility or vacated it over alleged surveillance equipment. His spokesman had dismissed the claim, maintaining that Shettima remained at Akinola Aguda House.
The unresolved issue, therefore, remains why the vice-president has not relocated to the residence more than two years after its commissioning and handover.
