Abuja.
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Overview

Abuja is the capital of Nigeria. Because most Nigerian government agencies are now headquartered in Abuja and most other countries' embassies have been relocated from Lagos to Abuja, it is a surprisingly expensive city.

Understand

Abuja is very beautiful. One of few purpose-built capital cities in the world planned and built from scratch, it has an excellent road network, a beautiful rolling terrain and modern Nigerian architecture. However, power is often erratic.

It is part of the Federal Capital Territory and one of the six local area councils, formally known as the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). It is surrounded by the other councils which include Kuje, Gwagwalada, Kwali, Bwari, and Abaji. The majority of government institutions headquarters and offices are located in Abuja, mostly in Garki and the Central Business District.

The National Assembly, which the legislative arms of the government, is located in Maitama.

Abuja is one of the world's fastest-growing cities. Its Metropolitan Area had a population of 4,025,000 as of 2022.

Abuja has a tropical wet and dry climate with three main seasons: a warm, humid rainy season (April-October), a dry season (November-March) with dusty Harmattan winds and cooler nights, and a hotter peak around March/April, making it centrally located and milder than coastal areas, featuring lush landscapes and rocky hills.

Districts

– a rural area in Abuja municipal area council – a suburban district and major way in and out of the FCT Gwarinpa - the largest housing estate in Nigeria, a bit to the north-west of the centre of Abuja.

Get in

While the industry is being overhauled and aviation safety is being upgraded, only a few local airlines are reliable: AeroContractors, Arik Air, Air Peace, Rano Air, Max air and Dana Air. The quasi-government-owned Arik Air has frequent flights from many domestic locations. Air Peace, Rano Air, Max air and Dana Air are private airlines but operate quite a few routes into Abuja as well.

The airport is approximately 40 km away from the city center. From the airport, take the official Green Cab. Board the cab with only people you know. Uber operates here as well. The Abuja light rail system connects the airport with the city centre, but very few trains operate per day. Bolt (formerly Taxify) also operates extensively within the city and off rides to and fro the airport. There are also private shuttle services offered to customers in the city.

You can travel to Abuja by bus from major cities like Lagos, Benin, Kano and Port Harcourt. Reliable services include: ABC Transport (with air conditioned luxurious bus rides), Ekene Dili Chukwu, Chisco Transport (CTN) and Young Shall Grow. The preferred bus service would be ABC transport. These are for purposes of moving from other parts of the country to Abuja.

Take day trip buses from wherever you are coming from in the country because part of the interstate roads are not maintained and full of potholes. And also the issue of being attacked by robbers by night. If you're unfamiliar with the country, take a bus with an escort. Buses allow you to appreciate the terrain, the towns and cities and the subtle changes in these and culture as you drive towards the capital either from the South or the North.

Bus shuttles have been banned in the city. You may find few buses that ply the outskirts of the city. Motorcycles (popularly known as Okada) has been banned as well but can be found in the slums and lowly areas.

Nigeria Railway Corporation has completed an inter-city line between Abuja and Kaduna, where you can connect with the rest of the Nigerian rail system. Trains arrive and depart from which is about 15 km west of the city centre. As of 2018, there are four daily departures in each direction. The schedules and current fairs can be found on the Nigeria Railway Corporation website.

There is a light rail connection from the railway station to the centre.

Get around

Car or taxi is the main mode of getting around Abuja: public transport is limited. However, the Abuja Light Rail provides service mainly on the west side of the city, and provides connections between the city, rail station and the airport.

Abuja has a few strict driving laws that are enforced by different bodies of the government. The prominent road traffic and driving control enforcement bodies include VIO, FRSC, the Police. Seat belts are required of the driver and front seat passenger. The vehicle can be impounded and not released until the fine is paid. It will be helpful to have your papers updated as to avoid getting into trouble. Drivers don't typically observe lanes within the city, and often attempt to squeeze in what might seem to be dangerously close to your vehicle. In some cases they may drive on the sidewalks. However these happen mostly where there are no law enforcement officers present. Observation of traffic laws and traffic lights by drivers is higher in the city than in any other part of the country. Occasionally, drivers from other parts of the country that are unfamiliar with the driving culture in the city try to beat traffic lights. If you're driving, keep an eye out for other motorists, especially at intersections, who may try to beat the traffic lights. Occasionally, traffic lights stop working during outages and road marshals are deployed to critical intersections.

See

Abuja is a beautiful city. The tourist attractions are:

Aso Rock. A 400m monolith and the city's most noticeable feature.

Millennium Tower. Topped out in 2015, this 160-m tower is quite amazing. It is a part of the National Cultural Centre, which is under construction as of 2017.

National Mosque. Built in 1984, open to non-Muslims except during prayer.

National Church of Nigeria. A large inter-denominational church built in a neo-Gothic style.

Millennium Park. A large recreational park which serves as the main getaway for residents. It was inaugurated by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2003. Includes a large system of terraces highlighting the different vegetation zones across the country. Has picnics, swings, and a skateboarding area. The park is closed at 6 pm daily.

Sarius Planetum. A commercialized botanical garden focused on palm trees, but also supposedly having the only known Cannonball tree still in existence in West Africa. Asian/Indian restaurant on site.

Tobix Recreational Park and Garden. Another embellished garden, but this one with an eatery specializing in grilled fish and drinks and a space for cultural events to take place.

Thought Pyramid Art Centre. An art museum featuring a lot of local art work, exotic pieces and wooden sculpture, among others. With a restaurant next door.

Zuma Rock. Another rock monolith landmark. Displayed on the ₦100 note and known as the Gateway to Abuja from Suleja, it stands about 300 m high. Was once used by the Gbagyi tribe when on the run from invaders.

An Noor Mosque. Interesting architecture and mosaic tiles.

Do

Jabi Lake (Jabi Recreational Park). Can go for a stroll, ride horses, take a boat ride, buy fresh fish, relax and read a book, etc on this good-sized lake.

National Children's Park and Zoo Abuja. This zoo has a number of animals representative of Africa (e.g. lion, zebra, camel), but there has been a bit of a reputation of animal neglect. In 2018, many news outlets reported on animal cruelty with the institution based on the condition of a malnourished camel there.

Usuma Lower Dam. This is a place for some good hiking trails around more of those rock domes with the Kubwa Abuja Reservoir in the background.

IBB International Golf & Country Club. Said to be one of the best golf courses in the country, with lots of great views. There are crocodiles in some of the water traps.

Magic Land Amusement Park. Dilapidated amusement park. Has some old water rides and rollercoasters.

Genesis Deluxe Cinemas Abuja. Genesis Deluxe Cinema is a modern cinema equipped with a state-of-the-art environment. It has a high technology sound system, comfortable leather seats with adequate legroom, very polite attendants and generally a great ambience.

Evelyn's Event & Recreational Centre. It's a recreational center in Gwarimfa and one of the luxurious events and recreational centers in Abuja. It has a basketball ball court, football field, swimming pool and other activities for the refreshment of the people. It also provide luxurious event spaces and infrastructure.

Dreams Recreational Active Park. Decent place. Very chill and relaxed. I recommend. The only thing is you can't order suya unless you are at the suya spot and for the simple crowd who just want to have the original Nigerian experience, this place is definitely a go-to.

Panorama Recreational Park. It's a recreational center in Abuja. Two fenced pitches for football. Natural and artificial turfs that come alive in the evenings. Bar and restaurants within the park with adequate parking also. Nice spot

Buy

There is some interesting artwork all over Abuja. Wood carvings, paintings and leatherwork. Everything is available in surrounding countries quite a bit cheaper, but if you are here you might as well buy it here.

Wuse Market. The main market in Abuja. Everything is available, from fresh food to clothes, music, and electronics. There are many markets in the city that well organized and structured. Depending on where you are in the city, you can make your choice, or just hail a cab to take you along. There is the Area 1 Shopping Complex, Area 10 Market all in Garki. And as far as markets go, it's not expensive.

Fish Market : There is a market dedicated for just fish called fish market , easily found on google maps. It is located along Karmo road coming from Jabi and heading to Zuba. You can buy thrift items Like clothes, shoes, bags, crafts, etc. from Karmo Market, easily found on Google Maps as well.

Eat

Food prices in Abuja are high, especially for Western food. There are, however, many good restaurants in Abuja that are worth the money. Of course, whether you live in Abuja or are just visiting, there are times when you are willing to pay a little extra for the simple fact that there are few to no alternatives.

Exclusive Supermarket. A cafe/coffeeshop at the back of the supermarket sells good salads, a few Lebanese dishes, icecream, coffee and standard pizza and grilled food. Cheap (Nicoise Salad takeout for ₦1000).

NengiWills African Recipes. NengiWills African Recipes is a full service restaurant situated in Abuja, offering wide range of healthy and delicious African foods and provides outdoor catering services, food delivery and many other services.

Paseyjays Restaurant. Paseyjays Restaurant is one of the restaurants based in Abuja, providing services on home food delivery, outdoor catering, special indoor events coverage such as birthdays, special meetings, workshop and lots more services.

Princess-Eatery. Princess-Eatery is a restaurant located in Abuja, that offers the best, delicious and healthy African dishes, intercontinental dishes and also offers indoor and outdoor catering services.

Spokes Restaurant Abuja. Spokes Restaurant is one of the Nigerian restaurants situated in Abuja that offers continental and African dishes and renders both indoor and outdoor catering services.

Love Pizza. Freshly baked Italian pizza made with the finest ingredients. Pizza, wings, salads. Eat in, take out & delivery;

Shawarma Shop, adjacent to Amigos Supermarket, Wuse II. ₦700 for shwarmas and they offer pizzas for somewhere from ₦1500. Southern Fried Chicken. A local knockoff of KFC, but ask them to go easy on the mayo. Mr. Biggs. Are all over. They have burgers. Shawarma Shop, adjacent to 212 Supermarket, Usuma St., Maitama. City View, Cape Town Street, off IBB Way, Wuse Zone 4. Perhaps the best Lebanese food in Abuja, excellent prices, they also host large groups, indoor or outdoor sitting. Ceddi Plaza has a fast food chicken restaurant on second floor - and ice cream Drumstix, Aminu Kano Crescent. Fast food, Nigerian dishes, grill, shawarma and ice cream. Tantalizers Burgers. All over. Cafe inside Grand Square Market, Mohammadu Buhari Way. Cafe at Dunes Center, Aguiyi Ironsi Street, one on the main floor and one upstairs. MrPickup.biz, Delivery service. Picks up your orders and brings to you for a small fee! Spice Food In front of Sahad Store, across from Bolton White Hotels, Ahmadu Bellu Road. Delicious Indian food and snacks at very reasonable prices. Main course ₦1000-1500, snacks ₦300-600. Su-F buffet noon-3PM ₦2000. Dinner 6PM-10PM

805 Restaurants Abuja. 805 Restaurants Abuja specializes on offering varieties of dishes, services in restaurant, event management like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, outdoor catering, conference services, flight catering and others.

Cantina Restaurant. Cantina Restaurant is one of exclusive Italian restaurants located in Abuja, serving an extensive Italian menu.

Easy Bite Restaurant. Easy Bite Restaurant offers varieties of Nigerian and intercontinental delicacies ranging from rice of all types, snacks, swallow, protein like spicy chicken, goat meat, fish, drinks, and all kinds of Nigerian soups.

Fuschia Restaurant. Fuschia Restaurant is one of the Nigerian restaurants located in Abuja that provides mouth watering local and Nigerian continental dishes.

Laura Foods Limited. Laura Foods Limited offers services in restaurant, lounge, outdoor catering services, kitchen and canteen outsourcing service, restaurant and hotel management outsourcing.

Splurge Ciao, Jitau Plaza, Plot 1173, Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, After AP plaza, Wuse II. A good Italian restaurant with the usual Italian dishes. Expect to pay around ₦2000 for a dinner with wine. Good Pizzas, but AJ's have more to them. AJ's Pizza, adjacent to the Park and Shop in Wuse II, Aminu Kano Crescent. If your order 5 pizzas, ask for free juice.

Chopsticks. Maitama. Good Chinese food, a couple should share one order of a main dish and either rice or noodles. ₦2000-5000 for main dishes. Has cocktail bar.

Wakkis, Like Sitar but more reasonable prices, this might be considered moderate instead of Splurge. Amino Kano Crescent, follow signs, Wuse II. ₦1500-2500 main dishes, good seafood. Amazing King Prawns! Blakes, Fish bar, add unknown, Garki District. Albasha Palace Good Mediterranean & Continental food and Pizzas, Shisha. Outdoor, indoor events & parties... 11 Cassandra Street, off Usuma St, Maitama. LaZeez Place, Usuma Street, Maitama. Golf Course, has a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, would be a good place to have large group gathering, not called Golf Course, but that is where it is.

Drink

Drinks are available all over Abuja and are very overpriced. Buy beer from the Market and you will save a lot of money. The major hotels have bars and restaurants. Watch out for the call girls, if you ignore them, they get really offended. If you are not interested, just say so and have a short conversation, then they will leave you alone.

Ceddi Plaza. has a bar on the basement level.

Blakes Resort. It has live music or a DJ and drinks as well as the fish bar.

British Village requires a membership to enter and is popular during different sporting events, especially during soccer games and rugby. Jake's Club is in Silverbird Galleria, Central Business District.

Sleep

The Nordic Villa. A 4-bedroom boutique hotel furnished in a modern Scandinavian style. The villa is in a peaceful and safe environment suited for business and leisure travellers.

Rockview Hotel. A little dreary but decent. Has gym, tennis courts, pool. The pool bar menu has some better offerings than the bar or restaurant.

Hotel De Bently. It's a decent place to stay.

Reiz Continental Hotel. Similar to Rockview in terms of standard, but with better service. Has pool too and free minibar (non-alcoholic).

Immaculate. Plot 111 Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II opposite Cubana Bar, near Diamond Bank. Modern hotel with nice-size rooms and suites. Noisy on weekends due to the night club next door, and rooms above the kitchen are noisy at all times. No bar or terrace area. Basic gym and small pool. Restaurant ok. Reasonable prices and well-located.

Barcelona Hotels International. Multi-storey hotel with open rooftop restaurant, free restaurant, indoor and outdoor pool, spa, gym, meeting facility, and wifi. Near the Thought Pyramid Art Center.

Check Inn Hotels. Hotel with sleek interiors, pool, hot tub, gym, restaurant, bar, wifi. Good location proximal to downtown.

Hawthorn Suites Abuja. Service is good and the hotel is beautiful. Part of the Wyndham Group. Five star. Food is very good.

Transcorp Hilton Abuja. Part of the Hilton Group and upholds a good standard. Something of an Abuja icon for business travelers, more deals have been concluded in the corridors of the Transcorp Hilton than in any other location in Nigeria. Good for weekend lounging by the pool (₦2000 entry for non-residents of the hotel) at least.

Sheraton Abuja. Not up to the standard of other Sheraton hotels, still a good experience with nice food.