Abuja
It is the capital city of Nigeria located in the Centre of the Country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It is a planned city, designed as a new national capital city to replace Lagos, and was built mainly in the 1980s, replacing the country’s most populous city of Lagos as the capital on 12 December 1991.
Abuja’s geography is defined by Aso Rock, a 400-metre (1,300 ft) monolith left by water erosion. The Presidential Complex, National Assembly, Supreme Court and much of the city extend to the south of the rock. Zuma Rock, a 792-metre (2,598 ft) monolith, lies just north of the city on the expressway to Kaduna.
MUNICIPALITY
From top (L–R): View of a street in Maitama District, Abuja National Mosque, Zuma Rock, fountain in Millennium Park, Central Bank headquarters, and Nighttime Skyline of Central Business District, Abuja
NICKNAME(s): Centre of Unity
Coordinates: 9°4′N 7°29′E
TERRITORY: Federal Capital Territory
LGA(s)
Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC)
Kuje Area council
Bwari Area Council
Gwagwalada Area council
Abaji Area Council
Kwali Area Council
CITY PLANNER: Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA)
City Management: Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC)
AREA
Population (2011 estimate): 1,235,880
RANK: 7th
WEBSITE: www.fcta.gov.ng
At the 2006 census, the city of Abuja had a population of 776,298 making it one of the ten most populous cities in Nigeria.
According to the United Nations, Abuja grew by 139.7% between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest growing city in the world.
As of 2015, the city experienced 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. As at 2016, the metropolitan area of Abuja is estimated at six million persons, placing it behind only Lagos, as the most populous metro area in Nigeria.
Major religious sites include the Nigerian National Christian Centre and the Nigerian National Mosque. The city is served by the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Abuja is known for being one of the few purpose-built capital cities in Africa, as well as being one of the wealthiest.
Abuja is Nigeria’s Administrative and Political Centre. It is also a key Capital on the African Continent due to Nigeria’s Geo-political influence in regional affairs. (Wikipedia)
Abuja is also a conference Centre and hosts various meetings annually, such as the 2003 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting and the 2014 World Economic Forum (Africa) meetings.
HISTORY
Nigeria’s National Assembly in Abuja
“Abuja” was in the earlier 20th Century the name of the nearby town now called Suleja.
The indigenous inhabitants of Abuja are the Gbagyi (Gwari), with the Gbagyi language formerly the major of the region language, and others in the area being Bassa, Gwandara, Gade, Dibo, Nupe and Koro.[citation needed]In light of the ethnic and religious divisions 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 in close proximity to all the regions of Nigeria. The location was eventually designated in the Centre of the country in the early 1970s as its signified neutrality and national unity. Another impetus for Abuja came because of Lagos’ population boom that made that city overcrowded and conditions squalid.
As Lagos was already undergoing rapid economic development, the Nigerian regime felt the need to expand the economy towards the inner part of the country, and hence decided to move its capital to Abuja. The logic used was similar to the way Brazil planned its capital, Brasília. The decision to move to Abuja was made by General Murtala Mohammed in 1976. Construction started in the late 1970s but, due to economic and political instability, the initial stages of the city were not complete until the late 1980s. The master plan for Abuja and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was developed by international Planning Associates (IPA), a consortium of three American firms: Planning Research Corporation; Wallace, McHarg, Roberts and Todd; and Arch systems, a division of the Hughes Organization.
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 architect Kenzo Tange, with his team of city planners at Kenzo Tange and Urtec company.
Most countries relocated their embassies to Abuja, and many maintain their former embassies as consulates in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria.
Abuja is the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the regional headquarters of OPEC. 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.
Squatter settlements and towns have spread rapidly in and outside the city limits. Tens of thousands of people have been evicted since former FCT minister Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai started a demolition campaign in 2003.
GEOGRAPHY
CLIMATE
Abuja under Köppen climate classification features a tropical wet and dry climate.
The FCT experiences three weather conditions annually. This includes a warm, humid rainy season and a blistering dry season. In between the two, there is a brief interlude of harmattan occasioned by the northeast trade wind, with the main feature of dust haze and dryness.
The rainy season begins from April and ends in October, 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).
In the dry season, daytime temperatures can soar as high as 40 °C (104.0 °F) and nighttime temperatures can dip to 12 °C (53.6 °F). Even the chilliest nights can be followed by daytime temperatures well above 30 °C (86.0 °F).
The high altitudes and undulating terrain of the FCT act as a moderating influence on the weather of the territory. The city’s inland location causes the diurnal temperature variation to be much larger than coastal cities with similar climates such as Lagos.
Rainfall in the FCT reflects the territory’s location on the windward side of the Jos Plateau and the zone of rising air masses with the city receiving frequent rainfall during the rainy season from April to October every year.
ADMINISTRATION
Abuja city is run by the Abuja Municipal Area Council. In addition to the civic administration the city is the location for the federal government of Nigeria, and likewise the Federal Capital Territory Administration which is responsible for the encompassing Federal Capital Territory.
EDUCATION SYSTEM
UNIVERSITIES
- African Institute of Science and Technology
- Baze University
- Nigerian Turkish Nile University
- University of Abuja
- Veritas University
- National Open University of Nigeria
- Nile University
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
- Whiteplains British School, Jabi
- American International School of Abuja
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- Canada Toronto – Canada, United States Buffalo – United States.
HONORARY CITIZENS
People awarded the Honorary citizenship of Abuja are:
Date Name Notes
4th JULY 2018 – EMMANUEL MACRON (21 DECEMBER 1977-) PRESIDENT OF FRANCE.
30th AUGUST 2018 – RT. HON. THERESA MAY (1 OCTOBER 1956-) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER.