The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the FCT Youth Network have congratulated the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on his appointment as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

The Presidency on Wednesday night, unveiled the designations of President Bola Tinubu’s ministers.

In a congratulatory note, the Chairman of the ACCI, Victoria Akai, said the Chamber believed Wike’s track record of promoting economic growth in Rivers State, would benefit the FCT, while expressing hope that the minister would prioritise members’ challenges, and welcome feedback from the private sector.

“The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry congratulates Nyesom Wike on his appointment as the new FCT Minister. We believe that Mr. Wike’s leadership experience and track record of promoting economic growth and development in Rivers State will be beneficial for the Federal Capital Territory.

“We look forward to collaborating with him and his team to create a more conducive business environment in Abuja, attract more investments, and facilitate trade and commerce.

“We hope that the new minister will prioritise the key priorities and challenges faced by our members, such as infrastructure development, ease of doing business, security, and policy coherence. We also urge the minister to engage with the private sector and to our feedback and suggestions in order to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes”.

Similarly, the Youth Leader of the FCT Youth Network, Umar Mankeri, in a statement, commended the President for appointing Wike as the FCT minister, adding that they believed that “he will do as he has done as governor of Rivers State”.

Mankeri who expressed confidence in the knowledge and experience of Wike as former governor and one-time minister, urged the minister to look into the issues of population growth and youth unemployment in the FCT.

“It is worthy of note that we all believe that you will set a new record as the FCT minister. The FCT Youth Network will appreciate it if you can look into our issues in the FCT, as the population has been growing. Also, the issue of unemployment which has brought poverty to our country.

The PUNCH reports that the newly appointed ministers will be sworn in by the President on Monday, the 21st of August, 2023.