I have decided to share this topic because of the experience of another poster on Nairaland who compared and contrasted his experiences of Lagos and Abuja in LAGOS AND ABUJA, A TALE OF TWO CITIES and I cant agree with him any less.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-525120.0.html

I have been in Abuja close to a year now and I can say I somehow reside here now. I have always noticed that there often seems to be sort of comparism between Abuja and Lagos in informal discussions of Abuja residents many who try by al means to convince you that Lagos cannot hold a candle to Abuja.

How wrong they all are because I have lived in both places and still live in both places…I have led a vibrant business and social life in both cities so I guess I can say a lot about the pulse of both. I have also been in this town-Abuja for about a year now and lived in Lagos ever since I can remember, and even if someone chooses to go academic about comparisms between both cities, Lagos is still light years ahead of Abuja.

I also used to live in Lagos (and still do because I still maintain my apartment there-Ikeja to be precise). I also live in Abuja, gwarinpa to be precise, and though I must also add that I have not been to Lagos in 10months, I am still abreast wiuth evrything that is happening there.

I was always being regaled with tales of Abuja all through school and having a brother, 2sisters and all my secondary school friends lving and working in Abuja, it seemed dumb to many that I had decided to make Lagos home. Lagos was too hard, too tedious, too hectic for a young man to be living…I had to move, I had to relocate, I had uncles in government now, they were in the corridors in power. What was I doing picking up stipends from unappreciative clients when I could be running multimillion naira projects in Abuja. Didn’t I want to clean out and get married?

I started listening to all their arguments, I started believeing them, I started thinking Abuja.
Soon enough, everything about Lagos started irritating me. I started feeling tired of their Lagos, as it was almost becoming my abomination- the traffic snarls, the congestion, the smells, the decay, the danger and all the ills I had never bothered with before. I started seein Abuja as my Eldorado, my utopia, my vista to a new world. I felt Abuja represented a better proposition a better package.

On an exploratory 2day visit in August last year, I was sitting at the breakfast table of one of the most powerful cabinet Ministers of the Yar adua government. I had done that within 48hours and when I remembered the ceremony that often attended seeing a mere bank ED or MTN or ETISALAT Manager in Lagos, I I became impatient with Lagos. I had got tired of shuttling to VI everyday, answering summons from clients in Lekki and Ikoyi. I got tired of taking mere N300- 500k cheques from clients in Ikeja, Surulere and Festac with their attendant wahala. I started dreaming drafts of N10million and above from politicians in Abuja.

On the social front, I got tired of the Silverbird galleria, THe Palms and Shoprite and Mega plaza. I got tired of my usual haunts- Caliente and Auto Lounge in VI, Insomnia and Coconut Groove in Ikoyi, D HEAvens and Mastoids in Festac, Metro and Page in Ikeja, I even tired of my favourite skin bars- Wallstreet and Club Unique off Allen in Ikeja, got tired of partying at Oniru beach every Sunday afternoon, got tired of Takwa Bay, La Campaigne and Eleko Beach, I suddenly got tired of my Ikeja crib and my car, I wanted Abuja to give me bigger things. I felt I had seen all of Lagos, so off to Abuja I came, practically moving my office. I will hit it in no time, I had uncles, Ihad connections, I had family and Abuja was where the money was, and as my friendskept saying…dem just dey butcher money for this town.

I came and found myself in Gwarinpa and though I met a neater city, cleaner, ‘seemingly more sane,’ I soon realized Abuja was not the deal. I came on the back of several top Yar adua appointees. I had hardly settled down before Jonathan, in his Yar adua tsunami kicked most of my ‘ogas’ out. I could not just go back like that. I had to see what the city had to offer outside my yar adua men. 10 months on, though I cant say it has been hell, I don’t think I have enjoyed myself. I remember in Amigos at Wuse 2 yesterday when I was telling a friend that I wasn’t enjoying Abuja, he said it was because I hadn’t hit it big yet. Do I need N100million to enjoy a city?

No way.
From business to socials, I have been everywhere in Abuja. I have tried to run 'packages' with Senators and Reps at the National Asembly, tried to run things with Heads of Extraministerial parastatals, but this town is too slow, people too thick- everything goes to girlfriends and proxies/fronts. On the social scene I have popped champagne with friends everywhere- Cubana, Soho, Basement, Play all in Wuse2, even the red light excelensio and Upper Lounge, practically made the new Terminal 5 my home in Maitama, hung out severally at Tucano, Aristotle and and the new Platunum Lounge at will. I have seen the best places, but while some of those places are even classier than their Lagos counterparts, the ambience, the excitement is not the same.It was always fun been at my hang outs in Lagos,but the nite experience is just bland here and unenjoyable. The girsl are ok, pretty, but nothing compared to the Lagos girls, the whores more expensive ofcourse (though, I don’t go with them, I always ask them how much their services would cost- one, called Chantelle- seriously told me $400 the other Friday nite at Krystal Lounge- in my estimation, she wasnt worth 10grand).

Abuja is criminally expensive and the residents seem to be very happy that their town, our town seems to be so expensive even though, they never get value for money. my laptop powerpack that costs about N2k in Otigba ie Computer Village goes for N3k5 here, a three bedroom flat that goes for about 800-900k in Ikeja will go for N1.5m in Wuse or Garki here.

The shopping experience is dry because this is a Land of plazas, so no room for business owners to be even creative in use of their environment as most cant use stand alone building s of the likes of Collectibles, Fussion, Talk2me in Lagos . The lifestyle malls, a major cornerstone of the Lagos life is just merely alive here. At Ceddi Plaza for instance, half the place is empty, no tenants. The few- Selara faces, Café Bon, Kilimanjaro etc etc struggle for patronage. Nokia and barcellos have already moved out. Sundays when the place should be a beehive of activity, the place often looks like a ghost place. Every body travlls out of Abuja by weekend. The lease is so expensive at places like Cedi and Grand Square, many residents, even though they can afford shop space there, can hardly break even if they opened shop.

Most of the big people here were mere politicians or commissioners in places like Gombe, Lafia, HAdejia, Potiskum but with plenty money. When they are suddenly given appointments in Abuja as DG's, Executive Secreataries, their wives who are supposed to rent places like Ceddi plaza etc dont know what to stock though they have money to even rent. Where do they go? So, all the malls keep struggling for the same tenants. Not like Lagos where the average unilag girl knows where Dubai is. So if she stumbles on a man who is ready to invest 20million on her, she starts making inquiries at Palms Mega Plaza for shop space, while booking her Dubai or London flight simultaneously to go shop.

A trip round the Abuja Silverbird e-centre will tell you that most of the shop owners are from Lagos, since it seems Silverbird started their marketing effort right from their tenants at the galleria, bringing in the likes of Montaigne spa, gene bendi, Mango, Diva, etc. It seems more lively anyway, though who ever you see at Ceddi at 12noon, you also see at Silverbird at 1pm if you go to both places. Silverbird have a 12screen cinema at ther e-centre but in all 12halls, you can count about 50 people cummulative for any given 2hour belt during a week day. But because they own it, they can keep it running. If a Nu metro went to rent a cinema there? They' l be in the red in no time.

The residents seem to be happy that they are being shortchanged, afterall their town is more expensive that Lagos, so is more sophisticated. Wrong.

The verve, the anticipation, the excitement of Lagos is not here. In Lagos, everybody has money- the alaba pirates, the clothes sellers on the island, the lace merchants of isale eko, importers, building materials people, consultants,advertising practioners, common traders everybody. Here only four categories of people have money – 1. Presidency officials and politicians like PDP topshots, Governors, Commissioners etc 2. National Assembly Members- Senators and reps 3. Top Government functionaries –ministers, DG’s ,MD, Executive Secretaries. The private sector, hotel owners, land speculators, agents and a few business people are doing ok…less than 5% of the population, so money circulates only within very few hands.
So majority live in places like Nyanya, karu, gwandara, ado, masaka, kubwa, dei dei, Zuba etc and take more than 3hours to reach Abuja town everyday. Only ver few live in places like Maitama, Wuse2, asokoro, GArki and the new estates- sunny vale, sun city, citec etc.

Me I have seen the city and once a project I am running with a former govermer, former minister and current senatorial aspirant comes on stream, I am going back to my Lagos, there is no place like Lagos.

A beg leave abj alone o. I cant imagine myself staying in Lag, too rowdy, traffic,too many agberos. Am so scared of lagos o. Truthful when it comes to some things sha lagos does not have rival

Lagos na the place jor. Abuja is cool and all but I can't put it better than you've done. Most Abj residents tend to take pride in the insane high cost of living there as if it means anything. To me, its just that people realize there's mad money flowing from the most profitable industry in the country; the govt. Here we have folks that won't bat an eyelid spending mad money on things that are far cheaper in lag so you can't blame the biz men. I'd always pick Gidi over abj.

I schooled in lagos( BSc and Masters) n I ll tell you Lagos is social and fun but Abuja is a relatively sane city!!, by the way what is your occupation? Relying on politicians in power? We don't pray that works, we pray for an ideal city n needless I say either u re telling some lies or u re greedy,, getting tired of all "those" Abuja has never been known for all socials so what do you want?

*sighs*yea all ur rich uncles and relatives in the corridors of power!I sense some pride n arrogance,esp when you said to see "mere bank ED" or somn funny.

He really seems not to understand what a capital city means, how do you think abuja will be if the cost of a 3 bedroom apartment in maitama is 350k? How much do you get liquor in new york or london clubs?n if he got all what he claimed to have in lagos n still not ok with that,, may God help you

jayJR:

He really seems not to understand what a capital city means, how do you think abuja will be if the cost of a 3 bedroom apartment in maitama is 350k? How much do you get liquor in new york or london clubs?n if he got all what he claimed to have in lagos n still not ok with that,, may God help you

What has expense got to do wit a capital city bro? u didnt mention washington, preferring New York, the Lagos parallel of America. anyways, if a  pad is worth 350k, even in maitama, why let it out for 3.5m just because Abuja is supposed to a capital city? About not being satisfied with i have? i never said i had much mind you.Living the good life, catching your trips and having value for money especially in Lagos depends on what circles you move in, not necessarily what you have in your pocket. I could take a girl out to the club and offer her a bottle of Henny XO, which she knows goes for 70k. what she doesnt know is that the treat could be on d House, the bill to be settled from the Manager or owner's account. I have many such friends, such little favors are a given at their places. As for having a car? A house? Means nothing to me, thats elementary. My car in Lagos, I have not driven in 10months. My house is still under lock and key till now. What I always had in Lagos was always change-mere stipends to tide me over, pay the bills- BIS, DSTV, Internet,bla, bla,bla, gas, groceries and keep my girl in some relative comfort, which ofcourse, is never enough for a woman

favouredjb:

*sighs*yea all your rich uncles and relatives in the corridors of power!I sense some pride n arrogance,esp when you said to see "mere bank ED" or somn funny.

No arrogance bro, those my uncles in power, seemed to be running things, but at the end of the day, did they help? I was left to my wits ends. And anyways, its easir to see a Ministrer or a D. G of an extraministerial parastatal in Abuja than see a bank ED in Lagos, thats the truth.Whether such a man buys into you, is another matter entirely, but atleast you get to see the men who sign cheques.

jayJR:

I schooled in lagos( BSc and Masters) n I ll tell you Lagos is social and fun but Abuja is a relatively sane city!!, by the way what is your occupation? Relying on politicians in power? We don't pray that works, we pray for an ideal city n nedless I say either u re telling some lies or u re greedy,, getting tired of all "those" Abuja has never been known for all socials so what do you want?

Am not relying on politicians bro, but you must canvass them as  major clients if you must make it big, especially in a city like this. I am into Corporate and Financial communications, forget the fact i seem to live sybaritically, so their business is my business, their finances, my business too. and am not greedy, cos maybe picking a N350k cheque t oyou in Lagos may seem like big money, but in reality its not at all- bills, bills, bills, then ofcourse, champagne and the good life, depends on lifestyle really.Living Lavida is not wrong, so long as you can fund such a lifestyle and not worry about how much you have spend after a nite out or fretting about a major investment you've committed yourself if something goes wrong.

Pls what is this man talking about??, a plot of land in my village is abt 10000per plot so y is a plot of land on banana island the same ehn? Or is it so hard to grasp that its part of economics! Abi dem no tell u say a plot of land in new york is $1m is it d same in other places in yankee? U want to stay within a mile of the seat of power n pay 350k?, that's funny.,why don't u take the same amount u spend on accomodation in ejigbo n see if u can get a one bedroom in lekki?

Off course, there is no comparism between 'My Abuja' and their Lagos! I wonder how people cope in Lagos! Just thinking about it gives me fever

Well, I've also been planning moving to Abuja for some time now, only that my job is head office one and our HO is in Lagos.
I also hate the way people take pride in Abuja being expensive. I just came back to Lagos a couple of days ago after a week in Abuja. I must admit I like the relative sanity of the place and the fact that I moved from one place to another in minutes. Within 2 hours, I visited friends and touched a number of places, unlike in Lagos where you spend hours on the road.
In any case, I still keep aglow my desire to move to Abuja soon.

In any case, I still keep aglow my desire to move to Abuja soon.

dont delay your desire,get a piece of abj , things are dull 4 now and cheap, in 6/7mths time it will be fire. trust me.
if u know what i mean.

Apachee,ok now I get u

POster na form you dey form jare.

The mere mention of Crystal Lounge girl asking for $400 makes me conclude i know you as one of the fumblers in Abuja.

How dare you compare Abuja to Lagos?

I moved from Lagos to Abuja and in one year, i havent even wished to be in Lagos talkless of stepping there.

come on poster, be realistic. How many meetings can you hold a day in Lagos, say you live in Agege, have an office in Ikeja and you have a meeting on the island at ten in the morning, what hell will you go through to get to your meeting on the island?

In Abuja, traffic is less, movement is un hindered, no LASTMA, Police harrasment, no Area Boys, come on, be realistic, or go and wipe your manliness with sand paper.

In

Abuja, traffic is less, movement is un hindered, no LASTMA, Police harrasment, no Area Boys, come on, be realistic, or go and wipe your manliness with sand paper

all that cos of abuja.

Smh