Federal Capital Territory | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: | |
 Location of Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria | |
| Coordinates:8°50′N7°10′E / 8.833°N 7.167°E /8.833; 7.167 | |
| Country |  Nigeria |
| Date created | 3 February 1976 |
| Capital | Abuja |
| Government | |
| • Body | Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) |
| • Minister[1] | Nyesom Ezenwo Wike |
| • Minister of State | Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure |
| • Permanent Secretary | Ajakaiye Babatope |
| • National Assembly delegation | Senator:Ireti Kingibe (LP) Representatives:List |
| Area | |
• Total | 7,315 km2 (2,824 sq mi) |
| Population (2006 Census)1 | |
• Total | 1,406,239 |
• Estimate (2022 estimate) | 3,067,500[2] |
| • Density | 192.2/km2 (497.9/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (WAT) |
| ISO 3166 code | NG-FC |
| HDI (2022) | 0.678[3] medium ·4th of 37 |
| Website | www.fcta.gov.ng |
| ^1 Preliminary results | |
TheFederal Capital Territory (FCT) is afederal territory in centralNigeria.Abuja, thecapital city of Nigeria, is located in this territory. The FCT was formed in 1976[4] from parts of the states of oldKaduna,Kwara,Niger, andPlateau states, with the bulk of land mass carved out of Niger state. The Federal Capital Territory is within theNorth Central region of the country. Unlike otherstates of Nigeria, which are headed by elected Governors, it is administered by theFederal Capital Territory Administration, headed by a minister, who is appointed by thepresident.[5]
The Federal Capital Territory was created upon the promulgation of decree number 6 of 1976. It came into existence due to a need to find a replacement for the capital city of Lagos, which had become congested and had little space for expansion. The area chosen as the new capital was principally Gwari Land (the home of the tribes referred to as theGbagyis, their language is referred to asGwari) with high concentrations of Christians and Muslims and a high degree of neutrality from the dominant ethnic groups.[6]
Decree 6 of 1976, gave the federal government rights over land within theterritory. The population density prior to the takeover by the government was sparse with a population of 120,000 residents living in 840 villages and mostly ofGwari heritage.[6] Inhabitants were relocated to nearby towns likeSuleja in Niger state, andNew Karshi in Nasarawa State on the outskirts of the territory.
The territory is located just north of the confluence of theNiger River andBenue River. It is bordered by the states of Niger to the west and north for 179 km,Kaduna to the northeast for 45 km,Nasarawa to the east and south for 156 km, andKogi to the southwest for 17 km.
Lying between latitudes 8.25 and 9.20 north of the equator and longitudes 6.45 and 7.39 east of Greenwich Meridian, The Federal Capital Territory is geographically located at the center of the country.
The Federal Capital Territory has a landmass of approximately 7,315 km2, and it is situated within thesavannah region with moderate climatic conditions.
Minerals found in the FCT include marble, tin, clay,mica, andtantalite.[7]
The hills of the FCT provide home to manybushbuck, forestBlack duiker,bush pig,chimpanzee andred-flanked duiker.Also found in FCT woodland areleopard,buffalo,roan antelope,Western hartebeest,elephant,warthog,grey duiker,dog-faced baboon,patas monkey andgreen monkey.[8]
Like some northern states in Nigeria, the Federal Capital Territory is relatively mild. The Federal Capital Territory is usually very hot between the months of January and April.[9] The average daily maximum temperature of the city is above 30 °C or 86 °F, with the month of March being the hottest month. The rainy season in the territory lasts between July and October of every year but the coolest month is December, during theharmattan season.[10] During the harmattan, there is high relativehumidity, coupled with windy andfoggy atmosphere.
The Federal Capital Territory is headed by the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Barr.Nyesom Wike, who is appointed by the Federal government. The Federal Capital Territory Minister appoints members to the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council.[11][12][13]
While the Federal Capital Territory minister administers the whole of the Federal Capital Territory, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) specifically manages the construction and infrastructure development of the region.[14]
The territory is currently made up of sixlocal government areas, namely:[15]
Languages of the Federal Capital Territory listed by local government area (LGA) are presented in tabular format as follows:[16]
| LGA | Languages |
|---|---|
| Abaji | Bassa;Dibo,Gupa-Abawa,Ebira, Ganagana |
| Municipal | Bassa;Gade;Gbagyi, Gwandara, Nupe, Hausa |
| Bwari | Gwandara;Bassa; Ashe; Gbagyi |
| Gwagwalada | Bassa;Gbari, Egbira, Hausa |
| Kuje | Gade; Gbagyi,Bassa |
| Kwali | Bassa, Gwandara; Gbagyi; Ebira,Kami, Abawa, Ganagana, Nupe, Hausa |
Hausa language is widely spoken at the Federal Capital Territory.[16]
Sheikh Ibrahim Ahmad Maqari is the Chief Imam of theAbuja National Mosque (2017).[citation needed]
21% Roman Catholic with 908,744 followers in theArchdiocese of Abuja (1981) with 137 parishes underArchbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama (2019).[citation needed]
The Anglican Province of Abuja, led byArchbishop Henry Ndukuba, Primate of Nigeria (2020), also Bishop of theDiocese of Abuja (1989), also includes theDiocese of Gwagwalada led byBishop Moses Bukpe Tabwaye (2015).[citation needed]
The council was elected in the2022 Federal Capital Territory local elections.[17]
Ireti Kingibe is the current representative ofFCT senatorial district.[18]
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