Group Demands Conversion of N22bn Empty VP Residence into Public General Hospital
ABUJA, NIGERIA — A prominent civil society organization, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has called on the Federal Government to convert the newly completed N22 billion official residence of the Vice President into a General Hospital to serve low-income earners and vulnerable citizens.
In a release issued on September 21, 2026, the rights group stated that the continued non-utilisation of the massive Abuja official residence—nearly two years after its official commissioning—vindicates the serious reservations it expressed during the building’s construction.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, criticized the heavy public expenditure, labeling the project an “intolerable error of judgment” given the severe economic hardship, rising inflation, and multidimensional poverty currently facing millions of Nigerian households.
A History of Escalating Costs
The controversial residential project has faced scrutiny for over a decade. In 2010, the contract was originally awarded at approximately N7 billion before being abandoned for several years.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) later revived the project, putting the final costs at about N21 billion, with total public funds committed to the mansion and associated works reaching roughly N22 billion.
Despite the government presenting the June 2024 commissioning of the complex as a measure to prevent inherited projects from becoming wasted public investments, Vice President Kashim Shettima has continued to reside at the Akinola Aguda House.
Questions Over Accountability
HURIWA argues that the continued vacancy of the government property raises critical questions about the adequacy of the project’s execution and the transparency of public fund management. The association insisted that no further public funds should be funneled into the property without providing a full account to the Nigerian public regarding the original contract sum, variations, and the specific reasons the facility remains empty.
“Why build such a massive mansion for the Vice President when the country is among the poverty capitals of the world? ” Onwubiko questioned. “When you reduce the cost of governance, it becomes easier to take care of the citizens.”
Repurposing for the Public Good
The association clarified that its advocacy is not a personal attack on the office or person of the vice president but rather a push for responsible asset management.
With many Abuja residents struggling to access affordable, quality healthcare, HURIWA maintains that turning the multi-billion naira edifice into a functional public hospital would give citizens a tangible benefit from a controversial expenditure.
The group proposed that a general hospital serving the poor would stand as a far more meaningful legacy for the country than allowing the property to remain an expensive, underutilised monument to questionable public spending.
