Abuja is the capital city of theFederal Republic of Nigeria,[4] strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within theFederal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of theFederal Government of Nigeria, it hosts key national institutions, landmarks, and buildings spread across its over 50 districts. It replacedLagos (the most populous city in Nigeria) as the capital on 12 December 1991.[5][6]
At the 2006census, the city of Abuja had a population of 776,298[11] and 179,674 households,[12] making it one of theten most populous cities in Nigeria (eighth place in 2006). According to the United Nations, Abuja grew by 139.7% between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest-growing city in the world.[13] As of 2015[update], the city is experiencing an annual growth of at least 35%, retaining its position as the fastest-growing city on the African continent and one of the fastest-growing in the world.[14][15]
Abuja is Nigeria'sadministrative and political capital. It is also a key capital on the African continent due to Nigeria'sgeopolitical influence in regional affairs.[20] Abuja is also a conference centre and hosts various meetings annually, such as the 2003Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting and the 2014 World Economic Forum (Africa) meetings.[20][21] Abuja joined theUNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2016.
Abuja was in the early 20th century the name of the nearby town now calledSuleja.[22]
The indigenous inhabitants of Abuja are the Abawa (Ganagana),Basa,Gwandara,Gbagyi (Gwari) having the majority population in the region. Other groups in the area include Egburra,Nupe andKoro.[23]
TheGwandara speaking people in Federal Capital Territory are mostly found in AMAC andBwari Area Council.[24] Some of their villages/settlements are Wuse, Asokoro now relocated to Sabon Wuse, Aso in Niger and other neighbouring states. Others areKarshi,Kurudu,Nyanya,Idu,Gwagwa,Jiwa,Sheretti,Karmo, Takunshara,Burum,Dutse Alhaji,Zuba,Kuje,Kwoi,Karonmagaji,Ija,Kanwu,and Sherre.[25] In light of the ethnic and religiousdivisions of Nigeria, plans had been devised since Nigeria's independence to have its capital in a place deemed neutral to all major ethnic parties, and also near all the regions of Nigeria. The location was eventually designated in the centre of the country in the early 1970s as it signified neutrality and national unity.[26]
Another impetus for Abuja came because ofLagos' population boom that made that city overcrowded and conditions squalid.[27] As Lagos was already undergoing rapid economic development, the Nigerian government felt the need to expand the economy towards the inner part of the country, and hence decided to move its capital to Abuja.[28] The logic used was similar to the way Brazil planned its capital,Brasília.
The Federal Military Government of Nigeria promulgated Decree No. 6 on 4 February 1976, which initiated the removal of the Federal Capital from Lagos to Abuja.[29][30] The initial work for Abuja's planning and implementation was carried out by the Military Government of GeneralMurtala Mohammed andOlusegun Obasanjo. However, the foundation of Abuja was under the Administration of Shehu Shagari in 1979.[29] Construction started in 1979 but, due to economic and political instability, the initial stages of the city were not complete until the late 1980s.[31]
The move of Nigeria's Capital to Abuja was controversial, and the biggest opposition to it was led byObafemi Awolowo.[32] Awolowo, as a politician and a representative of the Yoruba people, defended their claims against the move of the Capital from Lagos. During the hotly-contested campaign for the presidency, he vowed to hire the AmericanWalt Disney Company to convert the new site (Abuja) into an amusement park if he was elected.[32] However, after his election as president, AlhajiShehu Shagari laid the first foundation for Abuja's infrastructure and pushed for its early completion. His first journey outside of Lagos after his election was to Abuja, where he visited contractors and workers on site to urge a speedy completion of the project. On his return, he confided in AlhajiAbubakar Koko his disappointment with the slow progress of work.[32] Shehu Shagari rescheduled the planned relocation to Abuja from 1986 to 1992 which later proved difficult.[33]
The International Planning Associates (IPA) was commissioned in June 1977, by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA)[34] to produce the Abuja Master Plan and its regional grid.[35] According to the terms of reference, the master planning process was to include a review of relevant data, selection of a capital city site, preparation of regional and city plans and the accompanying design and development standards manual.[36]
IPA did not exist before the with an internationally reputable firm to design the master plan. IPA was formed by a consortium of three American firms which won the worldwide competitive bidding. The firms were Planning Research Corporation (PRC), Wallace, McHarg, Roberts and Todd, and Archisystems (a division of the Hughes Organisation). After winning the bid, and completing the project, the firms were disbanded.
The final report was submitted to the pioneer Executive Secretary of FCDA, AlhajiAbubakar Koko, on 15 February 1979. In the preface to the master plan, the following declaration was made by IPA:
"The master plan for Abuja the new Capital City of Nigeria represents the culmination of 18 months' work by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) board, and several advisory panel consultants. Without the unstinting efforts of these experts, the momentum now exhibited at the beginning of the actual implementation of the new capital could not have been achieved. The plan itself represents a milestone in the process of building the new capital city. It is a necessary element in the monumental effort about to be undertaken by the Nigerian people."
The master plan for Abuja defined the general structure and major design elements of the city that are now visible. More detailed design of the central areas of the capital, particularly its monumental core, was accomplished by Japanese architectKenzo Tange, with his team of city planners at Kenzo Tange and Urtec company.[37] Most countries relocated theirembassies to Abuja, and many maintain their former embassies asconsulates inLagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria.[38][39] Abuja is the headquarters of theEconomic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the regional headquarters ofOPEC. Abuja and the FCT have experienced huge population growth; it has been reported that some areas around Abuja have been growing at 20% to 30% per year.[40] Squatter settlements and towns have spread rapidly in and outside the city limits.[19][41] Tens of thousands of people have beenevicted since former FCT ministerNasir Ahmad el-Rufai started a demolition campaign in 2003.[42][43]Abuja is aplanned city built mainly in the 1980s based on amaster plan by International Planning Associates (IPA),[44][20][45] a consortium of threeAmerican planning andarchitecture firms made up of Wallace, Roberts, McHarg & Todd (WRMT – a group of architects) as the lead, Archi systems International (a subsidiary of the Howard Hughes Corporation), and Planning Research Corporation. The Central BusinessDistrict of Abuja was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange.[46][19][47]
For ease and co-ordination of developmental efforts, the city was divided into 'Phases' by its planners, with the city's development taking a concentric form with Phase 1, which consists of the city's inner districts-Central Area,Maitama,Asokoro,Wuse, Wuse II,Garki,Garki II,Guzape andGuzape II-at its core spreading out from the foot of Aso Rock, while Phase 5, consisting of the newly created Kyami District covering the vicinity of theNnamdi Azikiwe International Airport[54] and the permanent campus of theUniversity of Abuja, over 40 kilometres west of Aso Rock. Each Phase is separated from the other by an expressway (some still under construction); for example, Phases 1 and 2 are separated from each other by theNnamdi Azikiwe expressway, while the entirety of the city proper (Phases 1–5) is enclosed by the Murtala Muhammed (Outer Northern-ONEX and Outer Southern-OSEX) expressways as well as the Federal A2 highway which traverses the Federal Capital Territory on its way to Kaduna (north-bound) and Lokoja (south-bound). Thus, there is an integration of the city's road network with the Federal highway network, providing access to the immediate outlying countryside and the surrounding states of the country i.e. Niger State to the west, Kaduna State to the north, Nasarawa State to the east and Kogi State to the south.[55]
Abuja is organised into phases, which are further divided into districts.[56]
Asokoro, thedoyen of the districts, houses all of the state's lodges/guesthouses. TheECOWAS[57] secretariat is a focal point of interest. Asokoro is to the east of the Garki District and south of the Central District. It is one of the most exclusive districts of Abuja and houses virtually all of the federal cabinet ministers as well as most of the diplomatic community in the city; in addition, the Presidential Palace (commonly referred to as Aso Rock) is in Asokoro District. By virtue of this fact,Asokoro is the most secure area of the city.[58][59]
Abuja'sCentral District, also called Central Area, is a strip of land stretching fromAso Rock in the east to the National Stadium and the Old City gate in the West. It is like the city's spinal cord, dividing it into the northern sector with Maitama and Wuse, and the southern sector with Garki and Asokoro. While each district has its own demarcated commercial and residential sectors, the Central District is the city's principal Business Zone, where practically all parastatals andmultinational corporations have their offices. An attractive area in the Central District is the region known as theThree Arms Zone, so-called because it houses the administrative offices of the executive, legislative, and judicial arms of the federal government. A few of the other sites worth seeing in the area are the federal secretariats alongsideShehu Shagari Way, Aso Hill, the Abuja Plant Nursery,Eagle Square (which has important historic significance, as it was in this grounds that the present democratic dispensation had its origin on 29 May 1999) and in which all subsequent Presidential Inauguration ceremonies have taken place. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is situated across Shehu Shagari Way, facing Eagle Square. This section is usually closed to traffic during the annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremonies, that is observed on 15 January. TheNational Mosque andNational Christian Centre are opposite each other on either side of Independence Avenue.[60] A well-known government office is the Ministry of Defense, colloquially nicknamed "Ship House".[61] Also located here is the yet-to-be-completed National Square, Millennium tower andNigeria Cultural Centre multi-functional complex.
TheGarki District is the area in the southwest corner of the city, having the Central District to the north and the Asokoro District to the east. The district is subdivided into units called "Areas". Garki uses a distinctive naming convention of "Area" to refer to parts of Garki. These are designated as Areas 1 to 11. Garki II is used to differentiate the area from Garki Area 2. Visitors may find this system confusing.[62]
Garki is presently the principal business and administrative district of Abuja. Numerous buildings of interest are in this area. Some of them include the General Post Office, Abuja International Conference Centre along the busy Herbert Macaulay Way, Nicon Luxury Hotel (formally known as Abuja Sofitel Hotel and Le Meridian), Agura Hotel and Old Federal Secretariat Complex Buildings (Area 1).[63][64] A new five-star hotel, Hawthorn Suites Abuja, is in Garki.
Area 2 is mainly used for residential purposes, although a zoological garden, as well as a small shopping centre, are to be found here as well. Several banks and other commercial offices are located along Moshood Abiola Way in Area 7. The headquarters of theNigerian Armed Forces – Army, Airforce and Navy – is located onMuhammadu Buhari Way in the Garki District.
The tallest building in this district is the Radio House located in the Area 11 sector, which houses the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications, theFederal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) andVoice of Nigeria (VON). TheNigerian Television Authority (NTA) stations and corporate headquarters are also in Garki. The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) which oversees and runs the Administration of the Federal Capital Territory has its offices in Garki.
The Office of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory is in Area 11.[65] This is the location of the Federal Capital Development Authority and other administrative buildings. A popular sub-neighbourhood here is found in the vicinity of Gimbiya Street because it has the unique characteristic of being a purely administrative zone on weekdays while transforming purely into an entertainment zone on weeknights and weekends.[66]
Jabi lake mall
Other places of note include theCyprian Ekwensi Arts & Culture Centre and The Nigerian Police Mobile Force CID (Criminal Investigation Department) headquarters in Area 10. The Abuja Municipal Area Council, which is the local government administration has its headquarters in Area 10. The newUnited States Embassy is in the Diplomatic Zone which adjoins Garki.
Maitama II District Cadastral Zone A10 is a new district created by the FCT administration ofMuhammed Bello in 2018. Maitama 2 as it is unofficially called was created from Mpape Hills, a suburb bothering the Bwari and Maitama Districts of the FCT. Maitama II has a high net worth of individuals especially legislators as allottees, which makes it a destination for real estate investors who desire to secure the future today.
It is not very clear what the government plans for the district as not much has been said by government agents, but cadastral zoning A indicates the government has good plans for Maitama 2 to correct some errors in Maitama District.
It was learned that plots of land were revoked from allottees of Mpape district to create the new Maitama II District, although a compensation plan is underway to relocate the revoked allottees to another district the government intends to create. Fortunately, some developers of the Mpape district who have building plan approval and have started building maintain their plots and allocations and are covered in the Maitama II District layout. It is not clear though if a fresh allocation bearing Maitama II District has been issued to this set of allottees.
Notable landmarks of the Maitama 2 district are Jubilation Avenue, Mount Pleasant Haven and Hilltop Estate.
The district infrastructure is in top gear as the Federal Government had in the 2018 and 2019 budgets allocated about N1.3b for the engineering design of the district. Villages around the district are living in fear of demolition at any time with the information reaching them that government will commence the infrastructure project of Maitama II District.[71]
Wuse District is the northwestern part of the city, with the Maitama District to its north and the Central District to its south. The District is numbered Zones 1–6. The Wuse Market is Abuja's principal market. The second most important post office in the city is here. This district houses the Sheraton Hotel and Towers (Zone 4), Grand Ibro International Hotel, theFederal Road Safety Corps Headquarters (Zone 3),Nigerian Customs Services Headquarters, Federal Civil Service Commission (Zone 3),National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration (NAFDAC) (Zone 7), Wuse General Hospital, and theNigerian Tourism Development Corporation. Just as Garki District has Garki II, Wuse has Wuse II. This is distinct from Wuse Zone 2. Like other inner Abuja districts such as Asokoro or Garki, there are very few large housing estates. Instead, office buildings, mansions and apartment blocks are prominent features of the area.[72][73]
Construction of theMillennium Tower started in 2005 and was halted in 2017 after funds ran out. This structure looms 170 metres (560 ft) above the city and is the tallest artificial structure in Abuja.[75] The tower is part of a huge cultural development complex called the Nigeria National Complex including the Nigeria Cultural Centre, a 120,000 m2 (1,300,000 sq ft) structure dedicated to the art and culture of Nigeria. The Cultural Centre and the Millennium Tower have been designed by the Italian architectManfredi Nicoletti.[76]
Abuja is home to several parks and green areas, with the largest one beingMillennium Park. Millennium Park was designed by architectManfredi Nicoletti and was officially opened by the United Kingdom'sQueen Elizabeth II (the formerQueen of Nigeria) in December 2003. Another open area park is located in Lifecamp Gwarimpa; near the residence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The park is located on a slightly raised hilltop which contains sports facilities like Basketball and Badminton courts another park is the city park, which is located in Wuse 2 and is home to numerous outdoor and indoor attractions such as a 4D cinema, Astro-turf, lawn tennis court, paintball arena and a variety of restaurants. The National Children's Park and Zoo host a number of animals and recreation spots.[78]
Abuja has a variety of informal spaces known as "Bush Bars" that usually, though not always, include a covered area with tables and chairs where people can sit and have drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and sometimes there are snacks such assuya, grilledcatfish, poundedyam,egusi soup and other small items available for purchase. They are located all over Abuja.[79][80]
Therainy season begins from April and ends in October,[86] when daytime temperatures reach 28 °C (82.4 °F) to 30 °C (86.0 °F) and nighttime lows hover around 22 °C (71.6 °F) to 23 °C (73.4 °F).[87] In the dry season, daytime temperatures can soar as high as 40 °C (104.0 °F) and overnight temperatures can dip to 20 °C (68.0 °F). Even the coolest nights can be followed by daytime temperatures well above 30 °C (86.0 °F).[87] The medium altitude and undulating terrain of the FCT act as a moderating influence on the weather of the territory. The city's inland location causes thediurnal temperature variation to be much larger than coastal cities with similar climates such asLagos.[citation needed]
Rainfall in the FCT reflects the territory's location on the windward side of theJos Plateau and the zone of rising air masses with the city receiving frequent rainfall during the rainy season from April to October every year.[88]
The effects ofclimate change have been observed in Abuja, according to a study conducted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and Atmospheric Science Group ofImo State University.[89] Between 1993 and 2013, the average maximum temperature trended downward, but the average minimum and mean temperatures trended upwards.[89] There was a downward trend for rainfall in Abuja, based on data collected between 1986 and 2016.[90][91] The drought occurrence probability for Abuja increased by 15.4% between 1975 and 2014.[92]
The FCT falls within theGuinean forest-savanna mosaic zone of the West African sub-region.[95] Patches ofrain forest, however, occur in the Gwagwa plains, especially in the rugged terrain to the southeastern parts of the territory, where a landscape of gullies and rough terrain is found. These areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) form one of the few surviving occurrences of the mature forest vegetation in Nigeria.
At the 2006 census, the city of Abuja had a population of 776,298,[11] making it than theeighth most populous city in Nigeria. United Nations figures showed that Abuja grew by 139.7% between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest-growing city in the world.[13] As of 2015[update], the city is experiencing an annual growth of at least 35%, retaining its position as the fastest-growing city on the African continent and one of the fastest-growing in the world.[14]
Abuja has witnessed a huge influx of people into the city; the growth has led to the emergence of satellite towns, such asKaru Urban Area,Suleja, Gwagwalada, Lugbe,Kuje and smaller settlements towards which the planned city is sprawling. The urban agglomeration centred upon Abuja had a population estimated at 3,770,000 in 2022.[2] The city has a large and growing immigrant community consisting mainly of nationals from the ECOWAS sub-region. The city has been undergoing a rapid pace of physical development over the last fifteen years.
Real estate is a major driver of the Abuja economy. This correlates with the considerable growth and investment the city has seen as it has developed. The sources of this investment have been both foreign and local. The real estate sector continues to have a positive impact on the city, as it is a major avenue for employment.[96]
TheAbuja International Trade Fair (AITF) has been held annually since 2005, under the auspices of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).[97] ACCI has also sought to link businesses to enhance trade withEast Africa.[98]
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is the main airport serving Abuja and the surrounding capital region.[101] It was named after Nigeria's first president,Nnamdi Azikiwe. The airport has international and domestic terminals.
Abuja is also linked toNasarawa,Plateau,Benue and Northeast Nigeria by the A234 Federal Highway, which starts from the city as theGoodluck Jonathan expressway, some portions of which are still under construction. A direct highway link toMinna inNiger State is still under construction. The A2 expressway links Abuja withKaduna in the north andLokoja in the south. There are also other highway links with the outlying region, such as that linking the suburb of Dutse Alhaji with the Lower Usuma andGurara Dams, which supply water to the city.[102]
Cars on Sani Abacha way, AbujaAbuja-Kubwa expressway part of theA234 highway in Nigeria
Abuja is on the route of the plannedLagos–Kano Standard Gauge Railway, which has been completed between Abuja andKaduna. Trains forKaduna depart from the Idu Railway Station in Abuja. There is a car park at the train station for passengers travelling to the city centre.[103]
Abuja light rail opened in 2018 and became the first rapid transit in the country and in Western Africa. Abuja's light rail system was shut down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Traffic resumed on 29 May 2024.[104]
Train at Idu Station PlatformAbuja Rail Mass Transit map
Abuja is also known as one of the states in Nigeria that provides quality post-secondary education. It is speedily becoming an attraction for students due to the growing presence of both public and private universities.[105]
Abuja is one of the cities that are endowed withnatural resources in Nigeria, and these resources serve asraw materials forpharmaceutical,food processing,medicinal and other processing companies, and they are also useful for commercial purposes, and as sources offood. Among these materials include:
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