Abuja — FCT Minister Adamu Aliero has said a new Abuja City Gate will be built only after the completion of expansion work on the Airport Road.

The FG recently awarded the contract for the expansion of the road to Julius Berger Plc.

Aliero said at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja that building a new city gate was not a priority but had become necessary because the current one would be demolished to make way for the road expansion project.

"The new city gate is not meant to be a priority, certainly it's not a priority. You know we are expanding the Airport Road and with the expansion of the Airport Road, definately the city gate will have to move, he said.

The minister said that the gate, according to Abuja Master Plan, was supposed to be built after Lugbe.

"That city gate is a temporary one. The city gate was supposed to be built after Lugbe if you go to the master plan.

"The symbolic launching of the architectural design of the new gate was not meant to be anything special; we would have the proper city gate constructed after we finish the expansion of the Airport Road," he said.

THE FCTA launched the architectural design of the new city gate on July 29.