So, you live in Abuja, or visit Abuja or you have heard of Abuja, right? For those of us who stay here, we are ensconced with the capital, for those who don’t, the city holds an air of mystique. Abuja defies classification as it is a city like no other.

Unlike Lagos where there is still some sense of community and grass root involvement(for those who have lived long there, in certain places), in Abuja, no such camaraderie- everybody just met here. Every four years, there are new faces in town. Some stay after one cycle of four years, many others leave.

Seeing someone who has lived in Abuja for 20 years is like seeing an alien. When you are lucky enough to come across such a person, you sit back to be regaled with stories of the Abuja of old- how this and that place was ‘only bush’- how that place was a forest or how only criminals or junkies inhabited a place that is now a swank estate or shopping district.

The place is evolving and we are never short of excitement- if it is not Senators racing down IBB way to stop Saraki from voting himself Senate president, it is #BringBackOurGirls campaigners matching through the streets to Aso Rock or multitudes following the Buhari trekker from Airport road right up to APC secretariat The city is in a constant state of flux, the inhabitants in a state of perpetual motion.

Hate it or love it, Abuja is a city pregnant with expectation for each resident, a city where every new day comes with fresh hope. We love it because, this is perhaps the only city in the whole wide world where you can go to bed hungry but sit down somewhere the following evening as a millionaire.

Here are some other reasons, just 20 of them, why we love Abuja and can’t live anywhere else.

1. We love our wide expressways
Yes, we commute about on city roads only comparable to the autobahns of Germany and the Interstate freeways of America. As more and more people troop into Abuja every day, the roads are getting busier, but by and large, we go about on the major highways without the traffic and log jams present on similar roads in Lagos and even Port Harcourt.

2. We love the fact we have gardens
There are two ways of relaxing after a hard day’s work in Abuja- either indoors (lounge or bar) or outdoors (gardens & parks where you can get a bottle of beer at pump price). In Lagos, doing one for the road in the evening after work means seats arranged on gutters covered with wood, on tight streets with almost no parking, in Abuja, relaxing in the evening means sitting out at cozy gardens in cool surroundings. '

At our gardens, businesses are initiated and only closed at the office. We love this little privilege we enjoy and I guess that’s why Abuja people are still sane, why we are still normal people.

3. We love our estates, even if most are empty
Abuja has some of the most exotic estates you can think of anywhere in the world ( by nomenclature that is). We have Brains & Hammers (Apo), Sun City (Galadima), Sunnyvale, Lake View (Jabi), Imani Estate (maitama), Tetra Pak, Croydon, Maitama Heights, Peggy’s Pointe, The Ancestors Court, among many others.

We love these estates for the peace and tranquility they offer even though half are almost empty due to their ridiculous prices. Much of Abuja residents belong to the aspirational category, so we simply love passing by them, as they remind us to make it big time, very quickly, to come buy houses there.

4. We love Our Scenic Attractions & landmarks
Yes, we are treated to tourist sites everyday as we go about our normal business. We don’t need to travel to far away lands to stand infront of tall meaningless buildings and start snapping. We have mountains, hills and rocks inundating our landscape, that we see every day as we drive to work or go to the market.

Aso Rock, Zuma Rock among many others.

5. Yes, we have a Lake too, and we love it
Eehn, even if it is artificial, we still love it. Lake Chad is too far, and Boko boys have annexed that one, so Berger created our own Lake for us, Jabi Lake. This is a man made lake, located between Jabi and kado Districts, that has amazing sites alongside it’s green vegetation where we relax and catch fun.

We don’t have Takwa Bay, Snake Island, Eleko or Oniru, but atleast we have Jabi for our relaxation and other social activities.

6. We love the diversity- Abuja is not all glam
Yes, there are shanties and slums located right within Abuja. And I don’t mean Nyanyan, or Maraba or One Village or Jikwoyi- these are proper surburbs where rich people live. Forget what you hear about them. I am talking about the shanties of Jabi, Durumi, Pyakasa, kuchingoro and the rest of them.

These settlements have not really opened up, so several people running away from the book haram insurgency have made such places homes. They live in make shift wooden shacks and tarpaulin tents at the mercy of the elements.

Your mechanic, plumber, cobbler probably lives here too

7. We love our road side kiosks & food carts
In all major cities of the world, they abound, and Abuja is no different. They sell anything from doughnuts to pizzas, hot dogs to indomie, rice and dodo.

Frank’s a place on Aminu Kano sells hot dogs and pretty much has a standard kiosk. The others come out by night- the boys selling indomie opposite Hmedix, infront of Big Bite in Wuse 2, the carts that sell late night food for part poopers infront of extacy, just by KFC. They do save lives, very late at night when you would ordinarily be at the mercy of mai shai..if the hunger pangs come.

8. We love our flea markets
Gonjo, Bend down, Okrika, call it what you may, but Abuja has them all. When AEPB has closed, when the police are tired, they come out around 6pm to display their wares. Even in New York, we have them, so here too is no exception.

The girls are particularly happy- they can pick a top for N200, les than a dollar, a pair of jeans for N500, a pair of high heels for double that amount. Without them, and at the mercy of Mango, Occasions & Events, etc etc, Abuja girls will go naked. Clothes will be too expensive for them to bother buying. Flea Market Along Berger

9. These Runs girls sha...

Read more at: http://www.intercityadventures.com/20-reasons-why-we-love-abuja/

1. Umaru Yar Adua Expressway, the approach from the airport, as seen from the Lugbe Interchange
2. AYA- Kubwa Expressway, as seen from Mambilla Barracks
3. Sun City
4. Shanties of Damakasa, behind Gudu Market

Very dirty place bruv

Ok

Music/Download,listen&share Abuja City-kemzy//@iam_kemzy// Then you get to love Abuja more.

Abuja, is a beautiful city but too expensive for nothing. I Love the wide express way

Abuja don tire me sef! @ least the uk had running water and constant electricity!

I fell in love with the highway there, but to drive there yet esp from the suburbs to the CBD no be small "Turn left, turn Right", still prefer being driven around

Abeggi
2 things I like about my Lagos:
1. Nothing
2. Refer to number 1

Gr8 city but too expensive.it's cheaper to buy a house in U.s than to buy in abj.d first pix Luks lik my bus stop fed housing junction Kubwa.is dat not Nema's point by d left.

Ama80:
Gr8 city but too expensive.it's cheaper to buy a house in U.s than to buy in abj.d first pix Luks lik my bus stop fed housing junction Kubwa.is dat not Nema's point by d left.

The Houses and land in Nigeria are too flipping expensive for their quality and doesn't reflect the size and wealth of the country.
The inability to regulate housing prices is one of the biggest failures of Nigerian government.
majority of those houses doesn't scream world class either with their uninspiring architecture.
The only hope is eko Atlantic. I am hoping the design doesn't fall into the hands of any architect in naija.

Military zone... keep off!

thaoriginator:
Very dirty place bruv

u mean dirtier thn some areas in lag

Land buyers beware ?

How I wish all main roads in Nigeria can be like this. It has to be up there as the most standard road in Nigeria.

What abt 20 reasons why yu hate sambisa forest, borno state.

Many of you would have scientist, inventors or fully employed professional if the country's money had been spent right and not wasted on luxuries like Abuja.
Abuja is a parasitic city. We were wasting money on this soulless capital when the south Korean, Indians, Indonesian, Malaysians, Singaporean were investing in power plants,petrochemical,plants,refineries,plantations, steel mills,education,research hubs etc
Singapore and Taiwan started investing in micro conductors research less than 20 years. Today, they manufacture most of the chips, storage drives and other hardware in your computer, phones and other high tech equipment
The OP even dared to compare Abuja with lagos even though it is essentially a welfare capital city. Makes nothing and contributes nothing but eats too much of the resources which can be spent on pressing problems.
Go online and read a out camberra Australia and Brasilia,Brazil. They are 2 capitals built from scratch but built to support a country and not become a welfare Queen consuming so much of the country's resources.
Maybe if the tap of free oil money from the Niger delta and taxes from lagos are turned off, maybe and just maybe you will come back here to regal us of those "American" roads in Abuja.
By the way, most people around the world have never heard of or care about Abuja.
most developmental economist ( Nigerians and foreigners alike will also tell you that it is a monument to our wasteful culture.
For all the money spent, it remains a tasteless and ugly place.

funlord:
Abuja don tire me sef! @ least the uk had running water and constant electricity!

.hahhaahah, dont compalin stay there. @ op u sound as if abuja is no longer naija. Abeg nepa stl de hold lit

thaoriginator:
Very dirty place bruv

Where did you visit?
Not as neat it used to be, but ABJ can't still be referred to as a 'dirty place'

I love this city abeg. Very civilized way of living life. #IrepAbj

Jenams:
I love this city abeg. Very civilized way of living life. #IrepAbj

Same here man. I can't tell you how relieved I am to escape from the chaos that is Lagos, albeit momentarily.

Abuja is the closest thing to civilisation in Nigeria. Life in town (not the suburbs or outskirts o) is really relaxing, unlike Lagos that drives one nuts.

And I particularly like the gardens! Cozy and calm places to drink cold beer with chops every evening. Wonderful, I tell ya.

Jenams:
I love this city abeg. Very civilized way of living life. #IrepAbj

True dat

.

andonenaija:


Bro, na big wa for you o. You ignored me. Is that how you relate? Boss, im not one kind of a pest. Aside seeking for an advice, i do not intend to skim out any sort of benefit from you in anyway. Im a young lawyer with a masters degree from the UK. I currently have a 6months visa to the US. Im thinking about relocating to the US finally but i want an objective advice from people with experience on what the prospect is for foreign qualified lawyers in the US. But just ignored me as if i want to beg you for money. Smh for you.

I replied ur mail sir. U haventreplied me since den

I love our parks and gardens.. They always keep me high and happy! I love the beautiful girls that troop in from other African contries to attend to our konji needs.. God bless them. Oh, I love my Abuja.

Op you didn't mention anything about the night clubs and those girls that stand at wuse streets@night.That's the part I enjoy most

aariwa:
Op you didn't mention anything about the night clubs and those girls that stand at wuse streets@night.That's the part I enjoy most

read the entire post

My Guy fly to New York, stay 1hr away from NYC so you can live in a peaceful place. NEW ROCHELLE, NY is a safe city. Or you can go to Staten Island, NY. 45mins away... You can get quick books, meet other Nigerian Lawyers, Find similar immigrant lawyers Group on Facebook, join and participate. Meet people to guide you, join Avvo.com that is the Home of all Attorney's Nationwide in the U.S and ask questikns for giidance to immigrant Lawyers. Only New York is where you can easily get your Bar exam done on time and get a job at a law firm first. My Guy, do immigration practice or criminal law you go make am fast fast. Oya na you sabi na...

andonenaija:


Bro, na big wa for you o. You ignored me. Is that how you relate? Boss, im not one kind of a pest. Aside seeking for an advice, i do not intend to skim out any sort of benefit from you in anyway. Im a young lawyer with a masters degree from the UK. I currently have a 6months visa to the US. Im thinking about relocating to the US finally but i want an objective advice from people with experience on what the prospect is for foreign qualified lawyers in the US. But just ignored me as if i want to beg you for money. Smh for you.

Omalicha Obodo !

oduastates:
Many of you would have scientist, inventors or fully employed professional if the country's money had been spent right and not wasted on luxuries like Abuja.
Abuja is a parasitic city. We were wasting money on this soulless capital when the south Korean, Indians, Indonesian, Malaysians, Singaporean were investing in power plants,petrochemical,plants,refineries,plantations, steel mills,education,research hubs etc
Singapore and Taiwan started investing in micro conductors research less than 20 years. Today, they manufacture most of the chips, storage drives and other hardware in your computer, phones and other high tech equipment
The OP even dared to compare Abuja with lagos even though it is essentially a welfare capital city. Makes nothing and contributes nothing but eats too much of the resources which can be spent on pressing problems.
Go online and read a out camberra Australia and Brasilia,Brazil. They are 2 capitals built from scratch but built to support a country and not become a welfare Queen consuming so much of the country's resources.
Maybe if the tap of free oil money from the Niger delta and taxes from lagos are turned off, maybe and just maybe you will come back here to regal us of those "American" roads in Abuja.
By the way, most people around the world have never heard of or care about Abuja.
most developmental economist ( Nigerians and foreigners alike will also tell you that it is a monument to our wasteful culture.
For all the money spent, it remains a tasteless and ugly place.

Oh fck off....Nasty, disgruntled idiottt. If it was situated in Ondo state you wouldn't write this trash.