Federal Capital Territory (FCT

Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is
located in the centre of Nigeria, within the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Abuja is a
planned city, and was built mainly in the
1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on
12 December 1991, replacing Lagos, though the
latter remains the country's most populous
city. 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. Abuja has
witnessed a huge influx of people into the
city; the growth has led to the emergence of
satellite towns such as Karu Urban Area,
Suleja , Gwagwalada, Lugbe, Kuje and smaller
settlements to which the planned city is
sprawling. The unofficial metropolitan area of
Abuja has a population of well over three
million and comprises the fourth largest
urban area in Nigeria, surpassed only by
Lagos, Kano and Ibadan .
Abuja's geography is defined by Aso Rock , a
400-metre monolith left by water erosion . The
Presidential Complex , National Assembly ,
Supreme Court and much of the town extend to
the south of the rock. Zuma Rock , a 792-metre
monolith, lies just north of the city on the
road to Kaduna.
Significant sights include the Nigerian
National Mosque and the Nigerian National
Christian Centre. 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 and most expensive. However,
some people living on the edges of the city live
in semi-developed rural areas such as Nyanya
and Durumi.

HISTORY
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 parties. The
location was eventually designated in the
centre of the country in the early 1970s as it
signified neutrality and national unity.
Another impetus for Abuja came because of
Lagos' population boom that made that city
overcrowded and conditions squalid. The logic
used was similar to the way Brazil planned its
capital, Brasília. Construction broke ground
and was dedicated 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 Archisystems, a
division of the Hughes Organization. The
master plan for Abuja defined the general
structure and major design elements of the
city that are visible in its current form. More
detailed design of the central areas of the
capital, particularly its monumental core, was
accomplished by Kenzo Tange , a renowned
Japanese architect, 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.

The FCT's ministers have been as follows:
Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun 1976–1979
John Jatau Kadiya, 1979–1982
Iro Abubakar Dan Musa, 1982–1983
Haliru Dantoro, 1983–1984
Mamman Jiya Vatsa , 1984 – December 1985
Hamza Abdullahi , 1986–1989
Gado Nasko, 1989–1993
Jeremiah Timbut Useni , 1993–1998
Mamman Kontagora, 1998–1999
Ibrahim Bunu, 1999–2001
Mohammed Abba Gana , 2001–2003
Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai , 2003 – May 2007
Aliyu Modibo, 2007–2008
Adamu Aliero , 2008–2010
Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, 2010–present

Districts
The Phase 1 area of the city is divided into ten
districts known as cadastral zones:
Central Cadastral Zone A00
Garki I District Cadastral Zone A01
Wuse 1 District Cadastral Zone A02
Garki II District Cadastral Zone A03
Asokoro Cadastral Zone A04
Maitama Districts Cadastral Zone A05
Maitama Cadastral Zone A06
Wuse II Districts (Cadastral Zone A07 &
Cadastral Zone A08)
Guzape District Cadastral Zone A09

There are also sixteen districts in Phase 2. [10]
Kukwuaba Cadastral Zone B00 ,
Gudu Cadastral Zone B01 ,
Durumi Cadastral Zone B02 ,
Wuye Cadastral Zone B03 ,
Jabi Cadastral Zone B04 ,
Utako Cadastral Zone B05 ,
Mabuchi Cadastral Zone B06 ,
Jahi Cadastral Zone B08 ,
Kado Cadastral Zone B09 ,
Dakibiyu Cadastral Zone B10 ,
Kaura Cadastral Zone B11 ,
Duboyi Cadastral Zone B12 ,
Gaduwa Cadastral Zone B13 ,
Dutse Cadastral Zone B14 .
Katampe Ext Cadastral Zone B19 ,

The Phase 3 districts are: [10]
Institution and Research Cadastral Zone C00 ,
Karmo Cadastral Zone C01 ,
Gwarimpa Cadastral Zone C02 .
Dape Cadastral Zone C04 ,
Kafe Cadastral Zone C05
Nbora Cadastral Zone C06 ,
Galadimawa Cadastral Zone C07 ,
Dakwo Cadastral Zone C08 ,
Lokogoma Cadastral Zone C09 ,
Wumba Cadastral Zone C10,
Idu Industrial Cadastral Zone C16

There are five suburban districts: Nyanya ,
Karu , Gwagwalada, Kubwa, and Jukwoyi. Along
the Airport Road are clusters of satellite
settlements, namely Lugbe, Chika, Kuchigworo
and Pyakassa . Other satellite settlements are
Idu (the main industrial zone), Mpape, Karimu ,
Gwagwa, Dei-Dei (housing the International
Livestock market and also International
Building materials market).
Central District
Abuja's Central District, also called Central
Area, spans from the foot of Aso Rock , across
the Three Arms Zone, to the southern base of
the inner ring road. 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 clearly demarcated commercial and
residential sectors, the Central District is the
city's principal Business Zone, where
practically all parastatals and multinational
corporations have their offices. An attractive
area in the Central District is the region
known as the Three 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 alongside Shehu 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 the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
across the road facing it. The National Mosque
and National Church of Nigeria are opposite
each other on either side of Independence
Avenue. A well-known government office is
the Ministry of Defense, colloquially
nicknamed "Ship House".
Garki District
The Garki 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.
Garki is presently the principal business
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
Maculay Way, Nicon Luxury Hotel (formally
known as Abuja Sofitel Hotel and Le Meridian),
Agura Hotel and Old Federal Secretariat
Complex Buildings (Area 1). 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 Garki
Shopping Centre are in Area 2. Several banks
and other commercial offices are located along
Moshood Abiola Way in Area 7. The
headquarters of the Nigerian Armed Forces –
Army, Airforce and Navy – are all in the Garki
District.
The tallest building in this district is the
Radio House, which houses the Federal
Ministry of Information and Communications,
and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria
(FRCN). The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
stations and corporate headquarters are based
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, Abuja is in Area 10. Other
places of note include the Arts and Culture
Centre and The Nigerian Police Mobile Force
headquarters in Area 10. The Abuja Municipal
Area Council, which is the local government
administration has its headquarters in Area
10. The new United States Embassy is in the
Garki district.

Wuse District
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 1–8. The Wuse
Market is Abuja's principal market (Zone 5). The
second most important post office in the city is
here. This district houses the Sheraton Hotel
and Towers (Zone 4), Ibro International hotel,
the Foreign Affairs Ministry Headquarters
(Zone 3) and Nigerian Customs Services
Headquarters, Federal Civil Service Commission
(Zone 3), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC),
National Agency for Food and Drugs
Administration (NAFDAC) (Zone 7), Wuse General
Hospital, and the Nigerian Tourism
Development Corporation. Just as Garki
District has Garki II, Wuse has Wuse II. This is
distinct from Wuse Zone 2.

Maitama District
Maitama District is to the north of the city,
with the Wuse and Central Districts lying to
its southwest and southeast respectively. This
area is home to the top bracket sections of
society and business, and has the reputation
of being very exclusive and very expensive.
Interesting buildings include the Transcorp
Hilton Hotel , Nigerian Communications
Commission Headquarters (NCC), National
Universities Commission (NUC), Soil Conservation
Complex, and Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC). The British High Commission
is located along Aguiyi Ironsi Way, in Maitama.
Also, the Maitama District Hospital is another
notable building in Maitama. Maitama District
is home to many of the European embassies.
Asokoro District
Asokoro District, the doyen of the districts,
houses all of the state's lodges/guest houses.
The ECOWAS secretariat is a focal point of
interest. Asokoro is to the east of Garki
district and south of Central district. It is one
of the most exclusive districts of Abuja and
houses virtually all of the federal cabinet
ministers; in addition, the Presidential Palace
(commonly referred to as the Aso Rock) is in
Asokoro district. By virtue of this fact,
Asokoro is the most secure area of the city.
Gwarimpa District
Gwarimpa is the last district in the Abuja
Municipal Area Council. It is a 20-kilometer
drive from the central district and contains
the largest single housing estate in Nigeria,
the Gwarimpa Housing Estate. The estate was
built by the administration of General Sani
Abacha and is the largest of its kind in Africa.
It provides residence for the majority of the
civil servants in federal ministries and
government parastatals. The ECOWAS Court has
an official quarters for the President and
Members of the Court in Gwarimpa.
Durumi District
Durumi District is located southwest of Abuja
and is bordered by Garki Districts I and II to
the northeast. Its borders are the Oladipo Dia
Road to the southwest, the Nnamdi Azikiwe
Express Way to the northeast, and Ahmadu
Bello Way to the southeast.
The American International School of Abuja is
located in the Durumi District.

Radio stations
88.9 – Brila FM (Abuja) – sports
92.1 – Vision FM
92.9 – Kapital FM
93.5 – ASO Radio
94.7 – Rhythm FM (Abuja)
96.9 – Cool FM (Abuja)
98.3 – Hot FM (Abuja)
99.5 – Wazobia FM (Abuja)
99.9 – Kiss FM (Abuja)
100.5 – RayPower FM (Abuja)
104.5 – Love FM (Abuja)
95.1 – Nigeria Info
106.3- WE FM

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.
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 March to November every
year.

Vegetation
The FCT falls within the Guinean forest-
savanna mosaic zone of the West African sub-
region. Patches of rain forest, however, occur
in the Gwagwa plains, especially in the rugged
terrain to the south 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.
Skyline and landmarks
The Abuja skyline is made up of mostly mid-
range and a few tall buildings. Only recently
have tall buildings begun to appear. Most of
the buildings are modern, reflecting that it is
a new city.
Plans have been made to build skyscrapers
such as the Millennium Tower which is
currently under construction. When finished,
this structure will loom 170 meters above the
city. The tower will be part of a huge cultural
development complex called the Nigeria
National Complex including the Nigeria
Cultural Centre, a 120.000 m2 structure
dedicated to the art and culture of Nigeria.
The Cultural Centre and the Millennium Tower
have been designed by the Italian architect
Manfredi Nicoletti .
Landmarks include the Millennium Tower
(which is currently under construction), the
Central Bank of Nigeria headquarters, the
Nigerian Presidential Complex , the Ship House,
the National Stadium , National Mosque the
Christian Centre, the Castle of Law, Aso Rock
and Zuma Rock
Headquarters of the Central
Bank of Nigeria in Abuja
National Church of Nigeria
Abuja National Mosque
Ship House, Defense
Headquarters
One of the many fountains in
Millennium Park

Universities in Abuja
African Institute of Science and Technology
Baze University
Nigerian Turkish Nile University
University of Abuja
Veritas University

Transportation
Airport
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport is the
main airport serving Abuja and the
surrounding capital region. It was named after
Nigeria's first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
The airport has international and domestic
terminals.

Traffic
Due to the slow pace of road reconstruction,
many inhabitants of Abuja spend hours in
traffic trying to get to work each day. About
75 percent of residents reside in the outskirts
of the main city where all economic activities
are located. The new Kubwa expressway has
significantly eased traffic from Zuba, Kubwa
and Gwarinpa into the city, but residents
coming in from the Gwagwalada and Lugbe
suburbs to the west of the city, and from Karu
and Nyanya to the east still spend about an
hour or more commuting. A new 10-lane
expressway is under construction from
Gwagwalada to the Abuja City Gate monument;
this road also links the Nnamdi Azikiwe
Airport to the main city.

Parks and open areas
Abuja is home to several parks and green areas
with the largest one being Millennium Park .
Millennium Park was designed by world
renowned architect Manfredi Nicoletti and was
officially opened by the United Kingdom's
Elizabeth II 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
sport facilities like Basketball and Badminton
courts.
Bush Bars
Abuja has a variety of informal spaces known
as "Bush Bars" that usually, though not
always, includes a covered area with tables
and chairs where people can sit and have
drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and
sometimes there are snacks such as suya,
grilled catfish, pounded yam, egusi soup and
other small items available for purchase.
Postal System
Abuja is served by the Nigerian Postal Service
which maintains postal codes, street names and
zones. [Postal codes and district names can
also be found on geocodes.com

Terrorism
Main articles: April 2014 Abuja bombing and
May 2014 Abuja bombing
71 persons were killed by a Boko Haram attack
on April, 2014. An explosion rocked a
shopping mall in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on
Wednesday and police said at least 21 people
had been killed on June 26, 2014.