THE BILLBOARDS CARTER

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, AND FCT MINISTER ON THE URGENT NEED TO PROTECT ABUJA'S GREEN LEGACY AND ADDRESS BILLBOARD PROLIFERATION

His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR

President and Commander-in-Ch-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Office of the President, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

National Security Adviser

Office of the National Security Adviser, Abuja

Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike

Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory

Federal Capital Territory Administration, Abuja

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Office Holders,

For the past several days, citizens and residents of the Federal Capital Territory have watched with growing concern as flooding ravages major parts of Abuja. While this natural disaster demands immediate attention, I write to sound the alarm on a second, equally destructive crisis that threatens the very soul of our nation's capital, a crisis that has been allowed to fester quietly, week after week, with little to no official intervention.

I refer, Your Excellencies, to the coordinated and systematic destruction of Abuja's urban forestry by what can only be described as a billboard cartel operating with impunity across the Federal Capital Territory.

THE SCALE OF DESTRUCTION

With my alarming observations reveal a disturbing pattern of environmental vandalism:

From Life Camp to Berger Flyover, more than 300 trees have been felled to make way for senseless billboard installations. Trees that took over two decades to mature, destroyed in a matter of weeks.

From Jabi Garage to Katampe, the FCT Administration has refused to plant new trees along the highway corridor, not because of any urban planning strategy, but because massive billboards have been allowed to occupy the green spaces where trees once stood.

From City Gate to Kuje Flyover, no new trees have been planted for years officially for "security reasons" yet dangerous, oversized billboards continue to be erected on a weekly basis, creating visual pollution and genuine safety hazards.

A SECURITY THREAT DISGUISED AS ADVERTISING

What makes Abuja stand out among African capitals is not its architecture alone, it is the greenery, the canopy of trees planted over 20 years ago to beautify and define this city. That legacy is being dismantled before our eyes.

But this is not merely an aesthetic or environmental concern. This is a matter of national security.

These billboards massive, poorly anchored, and dangerously positioned along major highways pose a catastrophic risk. It is only a matter of time before a strong wind gust tears one from its moorings and sends it crashing onto a school bus transporting children, or onto the convoy of a visiting Head of State. The question is not if this will happen, but when.

A CALL TO ACTION

Your Excellencies, we must not wait for disaster to strike before we act. The time for marching orders is now.

I respectfully request the following urgent interventions:

1. Immediate moratorium on all new billboard installations along major Abuja highways and green corridors.

2. Full investigation into the billboard cartel operating in the FCT, with a view to prosecuting those responsible for the illegal felling of protected trees.

3. Emergency tree-planting programme to restore Abuja's green legacy, with binding commitments to replace every tree destroyed.

4. Security audit of all existing billboard structures to assess and mitigate the risk of collapse, with immediate removal of all unsafe installations.

5. Comprehensive urban forestry policy that prioritises Abuja's greenery over commercial advertising interests.

CONCLUSION

Abuja was designed to be a model capital, a city of beauty, order, and environmental harmony. That vision is being eroded by greed and regulatory capture. The trees that line our roads are not merely decorative; they are the lungs of our city, the shade for our children, and the legacy we owe to future generations.

I pray that this letter finds you in good health and that you will act with the urgency this crisis demands.

#SaveAbujaTrees

#ProtectOurGreenLegacy

#AbujaBillboardMenace

#TreeNotBillboard

#FCTEnvironmentalCrisis

#StopTheCartel

#GreenAbujaInitiative

#SecurityOverAdvertising

#PreserveAbujaBeauty

#ActNowForAbuja

Cc:

· Secretary to the Government of the Federation

· Federal Ministry of Environment

· Federal Capital Territory Development Control Department

· Federal Capital Territory Parks and Recreation Department

· All Media Houses