…to attract billions in Foreign Direct Investment
After more than a decade of delays, the Abuja Centenary City project is back on track, with a ₦750 billion infrastructure development plan led by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC.
Speaking at a Press Briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Michael Odenigwe, Managing Director of Centenary City PLC, confirmed the formal engagement of Julius Berger on August 15, 2025, to execute Phase 1 primary infrastructure works. These include a 4.3-kilometre plot access road and internal infrastructure for three residential districts—The Grove Residences, Safari Park Residences, and Ridge Villas.
The development also involves Messers Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (DAR), retained to deliver the detailed engineering design, having previously coordinated the project’s master plan. According to Odenigwe, this collaboration ensures that the city’s execution will adhere to international standards and align with the original design vision.
Conceived during Nigeria’s centenary celebrations in 2014, the project was initially estimated to cost $18.5 billion and touted as the country’s answer to global smart cities like Dubai and Songdo.
Political and regulatory bottlenecks, however, slowed progress, particularly during the Buhari administration. With renewed backing from the current Federal Government led by Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister and Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister,
Housing and Urban Development, construction has resumed.
The promoters say that the ambitious smart city initiative, once stalled by political headwinds, is now positioned to become a magnet for foreign direct investment and a symbol of Nigeria’s urban transformation.
“We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Julius Berger and DAR and are committed to working with their expert teams to begin and finalize the primary infrastructure of Centenary Economic City Free Zone in line with the Board of Directors’ vision to provide state-of-the-art infrastructure as well as seamless, safe and sustainable smart city solutions,” Odenigwe added.
Beyond infrastructure, the Centenary City vision includes 13 five-star hotels, the Centenary International Convention Centre (CICC), the Mall of Africa, championship-level golf and polo estates, and Africa’s tallest skyscraper.
Additional features include themed parks, an entertainment district, a business hub, and healthcare and educational institutions.
So far, construction has commenced on 235 five-bedroom terrace units—some already completed—and the broader residential portfolio is expected to include a wide variety of housing typologies to serve both luxury and middle-income segments.
“The Centenary City Project presents a great opportunity to create value and raise Abuja’s profile – to encourage international investment in Abuja,” Odenigwe said. “The city is conceptualized as a truly multifunctional development that offers a complete cosmopolitan lifestyle to its residents, as well as serves as a tourism hub for the wider community.”
The developers say the project will blend seamlessly with its natural surroundings and redefine urban living in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The city is conceptualized as a truly multifunctional development that offers a complete cosmopolitan lifestyle to its residents, as well as serves as a tourism hub for the wider community,” Odenigwe emphasized.
