Nigeria to build new ‘Labour Camp’ in Abuja

About 7000 families in the Nyanya labour camp will be relocated.

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The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday approved a contract of N14 billion to build a new Labour Camp to replace the ‘deplorable’ one which was built 30 years ago in Nyanya, Abuja.

The contract, with a 36 months ultimatum, will see those living in the Nyanya labour camp relocated to the Gidan Diya Area of Kurudu District of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Briefing journalists after the weekly Council meeting chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Minister of information, Labaran Maku, alongside the Abuja Minister of State, Olajumoke Akinjide, said the new camp will house 8,064 flats.

Giving a background of the project, Ms. Akinjide said the Nyanya labour camp was built as a temporary labour camp 30 years ago when Abuja was being built.

“It housed the labour eras who worked to build this great city of Abuja and after that, the houses were sold to the junior workers, some students and security personnel. However, upon review, the FCTA found that the Nyanya labour camp is very over crowded, the houses dilapidated, with poor sanitary conditions, inadequate social amenities and minimal infrastructure,” she said.

“In-fact the UN Habitat declared the Nyanya labour camp as unfit for human habitation.

“As a result, as a responsible administration, we felt it is not right for us to leave our citizens in such a condition. Hence the relocation of the residents of Nyanya labour to the Gidan Daya Site in Kurudu District,” she added.

The relocation site is 152 hectares along the Jikwoyi-Karshi road.

The Minister also said the contract will include the provision of roads, electricity, water supply, and drainage sewage system. She added that support facilities planned for the site will include schools, markets, police station, primary healthcare facilities, fire station and everything that is needed to have a viable community.

The expected population to occupy the new site when fully relocated is about 50,000 inhabitants.

“Not only will we relocate the current residents of Nyanya labour camp, but we will also be able to accommodate some new residents in the Gidan Daya, and all those who are already living in Gidan Daya will benefit from the enhanced infrastructure that is coming into the area,” she explained.

Ms. Akinjide said the project is in keeping with the President Jonathan’s directives that there should be equitable distribution of infrastructure and social amenities throughout Abuja. She said the project will generate employment opportunities for at least 25 professionals, 40 technicians and at least 800 unskilled labourers.

Responding to questions from journalists on compensation for those who already bought the houses at the Nyanya Labour Camp, Ms. Akinjide said those who paid for the houses will be provided with alternative houses.

“As we said, the houses have been declared by the UN Habitat as unfit for human habitation . So this is the first stage of the two-stage process. We first need to put in infrastructure in the chosen site at Gidan Daya. We are going to put standard infrastructure in accordance with the standards of the FCTA (Federal Capital Territory Administration) for the satellite towns. After that, we will then build houses amounting to 8,054 flats, which will be developed.

We have funding for that given to us by the African Development Bank, we are currently undergoing the processes for the procurement of that facility, that is why this memo is simply for the first stage, the infrastructure,” Ms. Akinjide said.

She said the FCTA will not start the relocation process until the new site has houses that will be allocated to owners of homes in the Labour Camp.

She said “those who have not fully paid will probably wait until they complete the payment before they get the houses.

Even those who have not paid anything will be given the rights of first refusal and thus will be given an allocation and be given the opportunity to purchase their houses in the relocation site,” she said.

After the relocation, Ms. Akinjide noted that the old camp site will undergo urban renewal and will be available for use by the FCT in accordance with the land use act that will be developed.