4. Snapshot – Abuja, Nigeria – Tade Ipadeola
admin | Jan 03, 2010 | Comments 0
Snapshot, Abuja, Nigeria
From the heights of Zuma Rock, located in neighbouring Niger State or Aso Rock in the very heart of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria reads like a long, sprawling but sparsely ornamented poem. Abuja was not always the capital city of Nigeria, the baton changed from the first capital to the second in 1991.
Nigeria’s first capital city was Lagos. The Nigerian military government decided about thirty years ago to move the administrative capital of Nigeria from commercially vibrant Lagos to a more central location.
Usual landmarks of the city are distant from the citizenry. Tourists are encouraged to look out for the pulse of the city outside the tourist guides. This article, brief as it is, aims to present the city in its more quotidian light. Abuja, throbs in places remote from the public eye, struggles with modernity, asserts itself as a city worth taking seriously among African cities. In many ways the city is a plurality of ethnicities and ideas. American landscaping meshes synchronously with British public service mores; oriental engineering integrates seamlessly with African sensibilities.
The city is a city of civil servants, administrators, diplomats and tourists. There is commerce here but secondary in its influence to government. It is a planned, ordered city. The taxi fare from most points A to most points B is two hundred naira. N200.00 is the rough equivalent of $1.50.
Abuja boasts many world-class hotels and many affordable four star hotels. There is a university in the city, many specialized institutes and world-class elementary school. This is the good side. On the negative side, real estate is prohibitively expensive, rush hour traffic is frustrating, electricity is still unstable and pipe-borne water is epileptic.
Not all is granite officialdom in Abuja. There is a softer side to the Nigerian capital city represented by cafes, bookshops, danceclubs and restaurants. In these places, you can witness the evolution of the soul of the city. If ever you do visit this city, spend time in the cafes especially. In the evenings, look out for street-corner suya or shish-kebab spots. The grilled and seasoned offerings are deliciousness itself. If you are vegetarian, a variety of Indian restaurants in the heart of the city is bound to provide your palate with tantalizing food.
For me, the artificial lake in the heart of the city is the icing on the cake. On the bank of this lake, in the evenings, you will see young lovers, old couples and families with children catching their rest after work. It is here that you capture not just the spirit of Abuja but of Nigeria writ large. Abuja is a long poem of many stanzas. If you are patient, you may glean the music in the ceasura. The city yields slowly but it yields. And chances are you wont ever forget your first visit to this crown jewel of Nigerian cities.
Tade Ipadeola practises law in Nigeria where he is also the co-editor of Khalam Editions, a small poetry press. He won the Laurel Award at the 3rd Delphic Games in 2009.
