Last updated on January 25th, 2023 at 08:09 pm
Since the official creation of a “ministry” dedicated to the management and administration of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), political appointees were appointed by the ruling government for the proper management of the FCT.
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial city was Nigeria’s FCT until the idea that Abuja was the centre came up in the late 1970s by the military regime of Gen Murtala Muhammed. Since then, the development of Abuja began.
While the regime of Gen Olusegun Obasanjo continued with some of the policies of his late boss and began the development of Abuja, Shehu Shagari, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, allocated several millions of Naira (as at then) towards the development of the new FCT, which would later be known as the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), it was Gen. Ibrahim Babandiga that took the bold move to officially moved FCT from Lagos to Abuja on December 12, 1991.
Past FCT Ministers in Nigeria
Since 1976 till date, below are the ministers who were appointed to oversee the administration of the FCT:
| FCT Ministers | Years in Office | Location |
| Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun | 1976 to 1979 | Lagos |
| John Jatau Kadiya | 1979 to 1982 | Lagos |
| Iro Abubakar Dan Musa | 1982 to 1983 | Lagos |
| Haliru Dantoro | 1983 to December 1983 | Lagos |
| Mamman Jiya Vatsa | 1984 to December 1985 | Lagos |
| Hamza Abdullahi | 1986 to 1989 | Lagos |
| Gado Nasko | 1989 to December 11, 1991 | Lagos |
| Gado Nasko | 1991 to 1993 | Abuja |
| Jeremiah Timbut Useni | 1993 to 1998 | Abuja |
| Mamman Kontagora | 1998 to 1999 | Abuja |
| Ibrahim Bunu | 1999 to 2001 | Abuja |
| Mohammed Abba Gana | February 8, 2001 to July 17, 2003 | Abuja |
| Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai | July 17, 2003 to July 27, 2007 | Abuja |
| Aliyu Modibbo Umar | July 27, 2007 to October 29, 2008 | Abuja |
| Muhammadu Adamu Aliero | December 17, 2008 to April 8, 2010 | Abuja |
| Bala Mohammed | April 8, 2010 to May 29, 2015 | Abuja |
| Mohammed Musa Bello | November 17, 2015, till date | Abuja |
Recap:
Out of the aforementioned ministers, it was only Lieutenant General Muhammad Gado Nasko, a former military governor of Sokoto State, who “ruled” as the minister of FCT in Lagos and as the FCT minister when it was moved to Abuja.
Gado Nasko undertook many projects in Abuja before the official relocation.
Mohammed Musa Bello is the incumbent FCT minister, he’s a son to Buhari’s long-time friend.
FCT Minister in Nigeria is like a state governor
