Eight Public Facilities That Have Gone Extinct In Abuja


Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, is deteriorating and the meagre infrastructure are going extinct.By Emmanuel Ogala

Since 2009 when infrastructural development peaked in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, the city has witnessed continued decline in public infrastructure development and an extinction of existing ones.

These facilities were meant to make the Nigerian capital comparable to capital cities worldwide, and also enable residents enjoy the benefits of living in modern city. However, many of them are now defunct.

Here is a list of eight public facilities that no longer exist in the city of Abuja.

CT Call centre (09-4603600-9)

Abuja city had a call centre that responded to enquiries, listened to complaints and took down suggestions. Although the call centre office still exists, with Jumai Ahmadu as head, they no longer take calls. The call centre infrastructure is now dysfunctional.

Public Wi-Fi
In 2006, the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) and Suburban Broadband Limited (b2) entered a $5 million partnership to develop a city-wide Wi-Fi service in Abuja.

The pilot phase of the project deployed six hot spots in the city, at – Millennium Park; FCDA (Federal Capital Development Authority) Secretariat in Area 1; Model Secondary School, Maitama; National Children’s Park and Zoo, Asokoro; Kadanya Street, Life Camp; and Old Federal Secretariat, Garki, Area 1. Up till 2009, you could still access free wireless internet services at the Millennium Park. The project did not continue and the services have been shut down.

Traffic lights

A larger proportion of the robots installed to control traffic in Abuja have broken down. They are neither replaced nor maintained.

Nowadays, traffic wardens (police, beggars or concerned Nigerians) control traffic at major junctions on the streets of Abuja. In some instances the wardens are absent and drivers use their discretion to safely navigate junctions.

Road signs and directions

Abuja is fondly described as the fastest growing city in Africa by its officials; however the city is practically un-navigable by untrained minds.

The city, unlike others around the world, lacks user friendly road signs. In the few areas where road signs currently exist, a road user would have sped past it before decoding its directions.

Also, roads change frequently in the city due to construction works and fear of Boko Haram, but city officials have failed to update the signs. A great percentage of the existing few have also suffered serious wear and tear.

Queen’s taxi

Once upon a time, Abuja city had London style Queen’s taxi, ferrying passengers between the streets of Maitama and Wuse market. The remains of these taxis are parked in a garage popular for old public transport vehicles along Kubwa road.

Street lights

The current minister of FCT, Bala Mohammed, once told a senate committee that lighting up street lights in Abuja was contracted out to different (energy) companies. According to the minister, the street lights could not rely on electrical energy supplied by government’s energy company, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Despite the use of generators, street lights are rare and erratic on Abuja streets at night. Street lights are only stable in high end areas of the city

Elrufai Buses

Back in the days, 2009 and earlier, hundreds of public buses, the greens and the reds, lined roads to Abuja’s three gateway suburbs, transporting workers to and fro the city centre. These days, only a few of the red buses still manage to work two of the routes. The greens are completely extinct.

Elrufai taxi

These Peugeot 306 wagons, also imported in hundreds, were managed by Abuja Leasing Company (ALC). Some were sold out on hire purchase agreements.

Although its services were expensive, they provided the most comfortable and secure taxi services in the city. Nowadays, both the ones retained by government and those sold out to private investors are rare sightings.

However, broken down remains of the taxi are visible around the Utako office of ALC.

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This is one of the reason why some of us still believe in the managerial acumen of el rufai, even with his shortcoming. Bala Muhammed deserves to be called the Sycophant-in-chief.

Abuja is set to be another Lagos- abandoned and with decayed/decaying infrastructure. Everybody wants a share of the National cake. Hence, many are trooping into Abuja.

Lagos I believe is re-developing in a more sustainable manner. If the Federal Government performs as it should for Lagos, it will be a much more classier city. We are not asking for new infrastructure from the Federal Government, just renovate and maintain the old ones.

So GEJ did not see all this, if we assume say dt fct minister na jonzer..? He can't tell us, that he does not knw what developed cities looks like, afterall na every week e dey travel up and down, xcept if he uses Mama P's bra to cover hin eye...

Thats what we get when we are only interested in awarding contracts cos of personal interest and adamic greedy nature

@Mac, Good point there, last week when i visited the city, the rate at which the infrastructures there are being deteriorated is alarming, only hope someone will see it and fixed it.

Chanchit: So GEJ did not see all this, if we assume say dt fct minister na jonzer..? He can't tell us, that he does not knw what developed cities looks like, afterall na every week e dey travel up and down, xcept if he uses Mama P's bra to cover hin eye...

he is only good in spotting the next street to re name after GEJ and his family member.

Can someone tell me what happned to those vehicles, why are they not in use?

All this dilapidated facilities falls into different sectors which is headed by different ministers. The should work with the F.C.T minister and ensure that little things of this nature are rehabilitated if not by the time the we wait for the whole infrastructure to be pull down then the world will come and watch us dancing.

Maybe they should privatize Nigeria to china or Ghana

Please the govt should try all they can to revive those things especialy the traffic light

only corruption works in this part of the world. Chop i chop.

The seat of a wasteful government. What else is new?

Abuja and what is jonathan doing about this - just dey house dey wack chicken and beer - and ogogoro --if abuja like make e rotten - I no send na how I go take survive my mind dey

So why can't they put them ''under the hammer'' than allow 'em dillapidate to this extent

Blisslife: All this dilapidated facilities falls into different sectors which is headed by different ministers. The should work with the F.C.T minister and ensure that little things of this nature are rehabilitated if not by the time the we wait for the whole infrastructure to be pull down then the world will come and watch us dancing.

it is the primary responsibilities of the minister of FCT (as the governor)to coordinate this activities with the help of secretary (commissioners).

Why dont we create a fed ministry where all the govt dilapidated properties can be taken care off?just a random thought

All these facilities are run down due to a lack of common sense, discipline and honesty

i thought they said elrufai was bad and corrupted..

The rationale behind some of those facilities seem suspect. How was the Public Wifi meant to be sustained, by government allocations (and if so a waste of public funds) or some kind of profit driven arrangement. The Queens taxis didn't seem practical to me, it appeared like one of those "anyhow contract make boys chop" types. The taxis already looked difficult to maintain.

We can only hope the other projects in the works, like the mono rail, will not end up like these ones.

Op is very correct, especially the 'el rufai buses', they are going extinct! Nevertheless, Abj still has good roads,magnificent buildings and estates,constant water supply and electricity. It is really growing fast!

Personal interests is what is killing national interests. Then, we also need to take a look at our maintenance culture...

Some of what d OP highlighted is true, but don't take away d fact dat dere are some improvement in some key areas such as expansion of roads (kubwa Απϑ airport road), security (d police were given brand new Toyota 2010 cars 4 patrol), mini buses were introduced Απϑ opening of other satellite town, though much need τ̅☺ be provided Απϑ improved, Abj will get τ̅☺ d promise land some ϑάγ̲̣̣̥..

omodapson: Personal interests is what is killing national interests. Then, we also need to take a look at our maintenance culture...

De Koko .

DIG1: Some of what d OP highlighted is true, but don't take away d fact dat dere are some improvement in some key areas such as expansion of roads (kubwa Απϑ airport road), security (d police were given brand new Toyota 2010 cars 4 patrol), mini buses were introduced Απϑ opening of other satellite town, though much need τ̅☺ be provided Απϑ improved, Abj will get τ̅☺ d promise land some ϑάγ̲̣̣̥..

.... "some day"...hmmmm sounds hopeless

Baawaa: Maybe they should privatize Nigeria to china or Ghana

If we put pride aside and leave Nigeria's infrastructure in the hands of the Chinese to build and manage for the next 10 years, We will not believe what they will achieve.

This is what you get when you put sycophants in positions!
Imagine? a citywide wifi once existed in Abuja? chai!

DIG1: Some of what d OP highlighted is true, but don't take away d fact dat dere are some improvement in some key areas such as expansion of roads (kubwa Απϑ airport road), security (d police were given brand new Toyota 2010 cars 4 patrol), mini buses were introduced Απϑ opening of other satellite town, though much need τ̅☺ be provided Απϑ improved, Abj will get τ̅☺ d promise land some ϑάγ̲̣̣̥..

In five years time they will also go extinct. its not about the showing-off style of administration we have but we sustenance to our developments.

Abuja's major roads have no marked lanes . It makes speeding on the highways dangerous , especially in a country where many drivers are insane .

This reveal our lack of Maintanance Culture and absence of continuity in our programs and policies.Well i believe this should be a wake up call,hoping the people at the helms of affairs do something to correct this anomaly.

You forgot to mention the Unity Fountain.

miky: i thought they said elrufai was bad and corrupted..

No he is not - mtcheeewwww . He spent billions buying those London taxis given out to people on hire purchase without adequate provision for maintainance. So, who do you blame for it? GEJ?

I however disagree with the street lights and roads signs issue. Most part of Abuja comes alive at night which actually brings out the beauty of the roads and the road signs are there, showing street names and directions to different parts of town.

Lately, I notice most Traffic lights on Ahmadu Bello Way have been revived and working fine - but then, you see erring drivers speeding past red lights like if they have nine lives like the cat.

Who do you blame for bringing in El rufai buses and taxis without proper provision for maintainance? I guess they will say its GEJ?