https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPxOIU0-nlE?si=_Rd4KNMZBYL_4cJP

A walk down memory lane to see how the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) came about is necessary. In 1960, Nigeria was granted political independence as a sovereign state under the 1960 Constitution from Britain.

After independence Nigeria, like many newly independent African States, inherited a capital which was then Lagos, a state central in respect of international trade but distant from most constituent states in terms of administrative and cultural affairs.

Over time, the coastal town of Lagos, then Nigeria’s capital, grew rapidly leading to questions around the suitability of Lagos serving as both the Federal capital City of Nigeria and that of Lagos State.

Some of the problems with Lagos State being the capital were identified as; intolerable conditions of living and working, intractable traffic, chronic housing shortages, over congestion, overstretched infrastructure, and severe environmental sanitation problems.

Some include Lagos being the commercial nerve centre of the country, the possibility of relocating the aborigines of Lagos, the questions of scarcity of land for expansion and costs involved, potential security risks, skewed location, and challenges of possible submarine wreckage

These factors necessitated the setting up of a panel in August, 1975 by the then Military Regime of late Murtala Mohammed. This committee was to advise if it was suitable for Lagos to retain its dual role of being both State and Federal Capital or if the capital was to move from Lagos.

If it was to be moved, the committee was charged with the responsibility to recommend suitable alternative locations, having regard to the need of easy access to and from every part of the country, among other factors.

The Panel, led by Justice Akinola Aguda, recommended that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), should be moved out of Lagos. The country needed a site with good climate, plenty of land and abundant water.

Different teams visited possible locations in the existing twelve Nigerian states, taking note of their capitals. Afterward, Nigeria studied world capitals like Brasília (Brazil), Islamabad (Pakistan), Paris (France), St. Petersburg (Russia), and Washington, D.C. (United States). With Paris and Washington in mind, Abuja was chosen.

https:///NigeriaStories/status/1741357808564441510?t=c0pOQjD-CzQN8_03LIBXCQ&s=08

🤚

Our leaders then feared that enemies would come and bomb them in Lagos through the water, that's why they moved to Abuja which is now a bit closer to Boko Haram. 🤣🤣🤣

Okay.

Revolving around the same cycle.

YinkaOlusesi16:
Our leaders then feared that enemies would come and bomb them in Lagos through the water, that's why they moved to Abuja which is now a bit closer to Boko Haram. 🤣🤣🤣

No
It has nothing to do with the jargons you wrote above. Lagos was already overpopulated and chances of coups surviving was rife. Infact the last coup Babaginda experienced,Gideon Orkah coup would have succeded if not for the impatience of the coup plotters. Which made Babaginda to rush to move to Abuja in 1991

It was also chosen as a new city in which nobody will claim ownership and strategically placed in the very centre of Nigeria

Ok

We need important issues to hit the front page,not this

Very insightful.

Ok

Very good read

Babangida handwork nau

... and many many years later, Abuja is yet to be among the top 5 capital cities in Africa. I will always rate Johannesburg, Cairo, Dakar, Accra, Algiers, Rabat, Tripoli and couple of others ahead of Abuja.

Abuja can't even boast of any functional rail system till today. Very shameful!

mysticwarrior:
You are a blind man to rate accra and Darkar ahead of Abuja.

Obviously you don't travel. You're just a local champ..

Good

Lagos lead


Others follow

Funny people. Moved it and are still developing it till date. Wasting resources and money anyhow

Their useless central system of government made them look for a more centralized location. Simple.

They should have been moving it round the States at 10 years interval. To develop other States too.. I think of this all the time..

How long did it take for them to build basic infrastructure in abuja before the fct was relocated from lagos

What kind of erroneous capping be that?

Comrade disembark from this capping!

Capital na motor wey person fit dey drive up n down?

UptownVibes:
They should have been moving it round the States at 10 years interval. To develop other States too.. I think of this all the time..

happney65:


No
It has nothing to do with the jargons you wrote above. Lagos was already overpopulated and chances of coups surviving was rife. Infact the last coup Babaginda experienced,Gideon Orkah coup would have succeded if not for the impatience of the coup plotters. Which made Babaginda to rush to move to Abuja in 1991

It was also chosen as a new city in which nobody will claim ownership and strategically placed in the very centre of Nigeria

Nf

Moving the capital out of Lagos was the best decision ever. 🙌 kudos to the great administration of that time.

UptownVibes:
They should have been moving it round the States at 10 years interval. To develop other States too.. I think of this all the time..

Agree 👍

Sticooooooo:
Moving the capital out of Lagos was the best decision ever. 🙌 kudos to the great administration of that time.

Honestly!!!

a country where leaders are confused

The op did not mention calabar which was also a capital before it was moved to Lagos.

It is important to educate ourselves on this forum.

g

It came from Calabar to Lagos

Also heard, the government paid for the entire land that is now FCT. That money was paid to the state governments from where land was taken. The money was supposed to be used to resettle the indigenous population.
Can't confirm how true this is, but the fact that FCDA can seize any land lends some credence to it