The long-running plan to relocate Apo Mechanic Village in Abuja has entered another phase, with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike ordering a fresh physical enumeration of mechanics and traders operating in the area.
The exercise is aimed at making sure that only genuine business operators are included among the beneficiaries of the planned relocation to a permanent site.
Wike takes direct control
Wike gave the directive during a meeting with FCT officials and representatives of the Apo mechanics and traders following disagreements over previous beneficiary lists.
The minister directed that the exercise should now be coordinated directly through his office, with his Chief of Staff, the Director of Land Administration, the Director of Urban Planning and officials of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) involved in the process.
He also gave genuine mechanics and traders who may have been left out of previous exercises three days to present themselves for physical verification.
Under the new arrangement, officials are expected to visit workshops and physically confirm the people claiming to be beneficiaries.
Wike warned that people whose names appear on a list but cannot be physically verified at their businesses will be removed.
Up to 5,000 titles planned
One of the biggest promises from the meeting is the planned issuance of individual land titles to verified beneficiaries.
Wike said he was prepared to sign up to 5,000 individual title documents before the end of 2026, subject to completion of the necessary processes and cooperation from the beneficiaries.
The FCT Administration says the relocation scheme has more than 4,000 eligible beneficiaries, while the new site is expected to provide more organised facilities and infrastructure for the mechanics and traders.
Why the fresh enumeration?
The relocation process has been complicated by disagreements over who should benefit.
Some representatives of the traders have raised concerns about people allegedly being left out of previous lists, while another faction has argued that earlier lists contained names of people who were not genuine operators.
The fresh physical verification is intended to settle those disputes by identifying people who are actually operating businesses at the Apo location.
The FCT Administration also said an earlier attempt to regularise the allocation dating back to 2015 did not result in legally binding titles because beneficiaries were issued letters of intent rather than development lease agreements.
Under the new arrangement, the Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL) is expected to manage and subdivide the relocation site before individual titles are issued to verified beneficiaries.
Developers also face scrutiny
Wike has also directed officials to review applications from private developers and consultants seeking to participate in the relocation project.
The minister wants officials to examine their applications and evidence of financial capacity before allowing them to proceed.
For the mechanics and traders, the message from the FCT Administration is becoming clearer: the relocation process is moving forward, but only verified operators are expected to benefit.
The success of the exercise will now depend on the accuracy of the enumeration, cooperation from the traders and the FCT Administration’s ability to deliver the promised infrastructure and titles.
OnPointGist will continue to follow developments around the Apo Mechanic Village relocation and other major developments in Abuja.
