10 Interesting Facts About Abuja

There are interesting facts about Abuja that may or may not be interesting to you but are important we discuss about.

Having visited 21 states in the country and 15 more states left to achieve my travel goals of visiting the complete 36 states of the federation, I was excited about coming to Abuja, the federal capital territory of Nigeria for the first time.

It has been one of my travel goals for 2021 and it’s beautiful how surprisingly, everything went smoothly. I packed my bags with my travel necessities ( if you know me, I don’t miss packing my travel must have’s for any trip) and began this journey.

My exact thought was “its time to find out what is so special about this city that everyone has been making noise about.” And well, I didnt know I was in for a big surprise. laughs

The interesting facts about Abuja I thought I knew from hearsays was not a fact at all. (E shock me)

I was welcomed with clean air. Ah! Coming from portharcourt, clean air is a blessing since all we breathe in is polluted air. God help us! I mean my nostrils obeyed the calling of nature and opened its wide door to receive this breath of fresh air. It was absolutely soothing.

I still dream about the Kunu aya (permit the spelling) I drank on my first day there. Fresh, rich, well packaged, completely natural and very affordable. A treat indeed! Also their street food which is; jellof beans and roasted yam with bole stew is a delight to enjoy. If you’re a lover of street food like me, just eat this food and you’d feel like staying in Abuja.

I visited a lot of places like Wuse, Apo, Nyanya, Gwarimpa, Utako, Jahi, Katampe, Jabi, Jabi lake, and so on. I understand that my one week stay is not enough to judge a city that has existed for decades and their lifestyle. Yet, these interesting facts about Abuja, however good or bad is from a tourist point of view with a passion for traveling and a keen eye for details, so I do believe that you’d trust my judgment.

These interesting facts about Abuja to be shared would stand as a guide, a watch word, if Abuja is a place you’d want to visit or live in the near future.

Let’s get on to it.

10 Interesting Facts About Abuja

1. Abuja is a well planned City. Abuja is not like Okirika where they just started any building that came to mind and called it a house. haha The city of Abuja began with a plan. An infastructural blueprint. No house was there by mistake. Not sure about the suburbs but Abuja Central was built with a plan hence the beauty, the gardens, the roadmap, the art.
2. I love how the transporters, even the uneducated ones would speak English or pidgin first before they transition to Hausa in order to make communication easy for anyone. Throughout my stay I did nor have to shout at any driver or bike man that I wasn’t fluent with Hausa. This is a very good point for tourists. Not like Akwaibom that even when you tell them you don’t hear the language they would still rub it on your face.
3. Transporters are probably the richest in Abuja. Ha! These guys are making money. One small place 200 naira. They would use their tongue to say “Its very far.” to lure you. But once you hop in, you’d realize it wasn’t far at all. Just get ready to spend all your money on transportation in this city.
4. One of the many interesting facts about Abuja is that, this place is not for mad people. Even the drivers and keke pilots are civilized. Keep your craziness in Lagos, Warri and Portharcourt. Don’t bring it here or you’d be put to shame. Don’t shout. Don’t make noise. Don’t argue or fight oh. Don’t say I did not warn you.
5. This city is boring. Everyone is minding their business. Sometimes a simple act at socializing can be misunderstood for something else. Although the city has a bubbling night life especially around Wuse area but If you don’t have cool friends and do not know your way around, then its going to be a dull & boring ride for you.
6. Abuja is surprisingly Safe. hahahaha let me give you gist. When I was at “The Atrium Restaurant” at Utako for lunch and I needed to go get my friend, the waiter said “oh leave your bag.” I was like What? “Nooo.” He laughed out loud. “I understand but you can really leave your bag. Nothing would happen to it.” I was just shaking my head, it’s like this guy is high? (Make them move my phone and money.) How would I come back home if they stole my things? laughs Anyways, I did as he said and damn, my things were intact. I ended up leaving my stuffs behind every time I wanted to step out. Such freedom and security was beautiful to experience. Even when I was out late at night in Jabi, there was no street criminal out to threaten or rob you. Nobody got time for such rubbish in Abuja.

7. Northerners have no knowledge about business at all. pouts An Igbo man with a small shop in Abuja would make more money from 7am to 10am in the morning while the average Northern man is still snoring. Kai! See me strolling to the market by few minutes to eight o’clock, only to find out that most shops were locked. (My friend warned me but I didn’t listen) But the Igbo man in the street I stay in, was open since 7am and had made over five thousand naira sales on provision that early morning. No wonder they strive everywhere. Well, I wish the northerners were a little business smart.
8. Abuja is beautiful and homely. Abuja fine. Ah! Forget it. If you are a lover of nature then Abuja is blessed with it. If you’re a creative person then just carry your foam and live there. A lot of inspiration. A wide vast of creativity. A cool source of spirituality. And a flare of peace and tranquility. As long as you don’t get pressured by the wealthy.
9. Abuja has a lot of enchanting places to visit. This is one of the many interesting facts about Abuja that is for tourists. From the many eye watering restaurants to the bristos, gallery, museums, garden, hotels, lounge, lake and more. TripAdvisor curated best places to visit in Abuja that may interest you. I also believe that, there are more places that you’d have to discover on your own as it is a large State.
10. Abuja is an expensive place to live. This city’s lifestyle is not for a manager. laughs Till now I’m still calculating how my money finished. shocked To enjoy the goodness and graciousness of this city, you’d have to live comfortably and you can’t achieve that without a sustainable cash flow. In fact, no young person should think of living alone without a steady reasonable source of income monthly. Particularly I enjoyed staying in Jahi as it is easily accessible to anywhere in Abuja. The reason I could visit so many places in a short time was because I was staying at Jahi. And fortunately, Jahi is one of the less expensive part of Abuja Central for housing and accommodation. A self contain apartment goes for three hundred to five hundred thousand a year. An average price for accommodation at Maitama, Wuse, Garki, etc. (Check this article to read more on places to live in Abuja) If you’re visiting, cool. If you’re thinking of relocating like me, please fill your pockets. (Please ask for my account details) haha

Debunking some Myths About Abuja

Having seen the interesting facts about Abuja, you’ve probably also heard of some things about Abuja that you believed were true but really isn’t in reality. Now is the time to debunk those myths.

1. There are bikes in Abuja. In fact, a lot of bikes.
2. Keke is a boss in Abuja. Don’t be deceived. Keke runs in the main towns in Abuja as well. Except for a few specific highways.
3. There is also traffic in Abuja. Not as intense as other states like Lagos. But if you think there is no traffic in Abuja then you better repeat the first sentence till it sinks in.
4. The road is smooth.
5. Even the suburbs is clean
6. Only perishable foodstuffs are cheap. Other food items and basic items are very expensive.
7. There are poor people in Abuja as well. Poor people are everywhere sadly.
8. Everyone is not fake in Abuja. There are no fake people. When did people who live comfortable and luxurious life become fake people?

My question is why aren’t you traveling? Money? I have a guide on “traveling on a budget in Nigeria” you should see. Time? – you can always create time with proper planning. Stress? Traveling has been made easy with some mode of transport.

Traveling is therapeutic. It refreshes your mind and eases your soul. It reminds you of the beauty of life and makes you see the life of others through gratitude. It exposes you to different culture and lifestyle. Brings you closer to nature and people.

If Abuja is one of those places you plan on visiting or residing in, I hope this article has helped you establish some ground truths beneficial for your travel.

All the best.

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