The movement of the Federal Government from Lagos to Abuja (videos, photos and memories).

First video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SX2PReyzLg


The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, became Nigeria's capital on paper in 1976, however the Federal Government continued to operate from Lagos.

Various governments, most notably the Shagari Administration, made moves to move the Federal Government to Abuja. President Shagari held the first Independence Day parade and the first cabinet meeting in Abuja and he was even in Abuja when he was overthrown. The Akinola Aguda House was built to accomodate him in the capital and that's where subsequent heads of state stayed when they were in Abuja.

However, the plans to move to Abuja were seriously negatively affected by the economic crisis that began in 1982 when the price of oil collapsed.

President Ibrahim Babangida also staged Independence Day parades in Abuja and it was during his tenure that structures like the Nicon Noga Hilton Hotel were built.

Then the Federal Government decided to move to Abuja in December 1991. This thread is about some of the activities that took place to mark the movement of the Federal Government to Abuja on December 12th, 1991.

Second video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdmsYN9hwDc&t=580s

The Lagos State Government hosted a dinner for the President at City Hall on Lagos Island on December 10th, 1991. Guests at the dinner included:

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida - President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Mrs Maryam Babangida - First Lady

General Sani Abacha - Minister of Defence

Lieutenant General Salihu Ibrahim - Chief of Army Staff.

Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed - Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Lieutenant General Joshua Dogonyaro

Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar

Colonel Raji Alagbe Rasaki - Lagos State Governor

Mrs Fatimat Rasaki - Lagos State First Lady

Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu - Deputy Governor of Lagos State.

Alhaji Lateef Femi Okunnu - Former Minister of Works and Second Gentleman of Lagos State

The Honourable Justice Ligali Ayorinde - Chief Judge of Lagos

Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II - Oba of Lagos

De Wheno, Aholu Menu-Toyi - Oba Akran of Badagry

Chief Alex Akinyele - Minister of Information

Chief Duro Onabule - Chief Press Secretary to the President

Dr Babatunde St Mathew-Daniels - He was a commissioner in many ministries in Lagos State. I can't remember what ministry he was in at the time.

Engineer Funso Williams - Permanent Secretary/Director General Lagos State Ministry of Works.

Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi - businessman, youngest Lagos State commissioner in the 1970s. He was the son of Chief S.O. Gbadamosi.

Prince Ademola Adeiji-Adele - Chairman, Lagos Island Local Government

Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji - President-General of Market Women in Nigeria (mother of Bola Tinubu).

Princess Abiola Dosunmu-Elegbede-Fernandez - The Erelu of Lagos.

Mr Olabode Rhodes-Vivour - Director of Public Prosecution.


MCs

Lekan Ogunbanwo of Lagos Television (he later became the CEO of Lagos Television in the 2010s).

Tinu Badejo of Lagos Television

Chief Adeniyi Williams


Picture 1 (L-R) : Mrs Fatimat Rasaki, General Ibrahim Babangida and Colonel Raji Rasaki.

Picture 2: Mrs Fatimat Rasaki, General Ibrahim Babangida, Colonel Raji Rasaki and Mrs Maryam Babangida.

Picture 3: Mrs Ibrahim, Lieutenant General Salihu Ibrahim, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan and Mrs Fatimat Rasaki.

Picture 4: Major General Joshua Dogonyaro, Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Mrs Ibrahim

President Ibrahim Babangida's speech at the farewell dinner

Members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Colonel and Mrs Raji Rasaki, Alhaja and Alhaji Okunnu, former governors of Lagos State, governors in waiting, my fellow Lagosians.

Only this morning I was a guest of honour at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and I did mention the significance of this day, which is the 10th of December, 1991. On that day I did mention it to the audience that General Abacha and General Babangida enrolled into the Nigerian Army exactly 29 years ago today.

But what I didn't tell them was that out of those 29 years I spent 18 years in Lagos.

I came to Lagos as a very young officer, full of life. I stayed in various places during the course of my duties. I was a young battalion commander, or a regimental commander at that time and I had troops in Badagry, Epe, Ikorodu and Ikeja.

I lived in the barracks for 2 years, then things began to change. In 1975 I moved closer to Lagos, I moved to Ikoyi and stayed there for another 10 years, 1975 to '85, in Ikoyi Crescent. And then moved up to Dodan Barracks from 1985 to the present time.

In the last 18 years of my stay in great Lagos, I have come across people and I want to say that this is the city that nurtured me from what I was (a young officer) to what I am today and for Lagos I am grateful.

I was nurtured here, cultured, baptised in politics, name it. Everything that is fine, I think I got it here in Lagos.

So you can understand if I do say that I feel deeply touched by the gesture of goodwill to my person and the Federal Military Government, as manifested by this elaborate and well organised dinner that has been arranged by the people of Lagos State to mark the occassion of the formal movement of the federal capital from Lagos to Abuja.

The uniqueness and the symbolic nature of today's occasion has been aptly and well summarised by the military governor and his royal highness the Oba of Lagos in their various speeches. It is unique because it is unprecedented. It is also of symbolic significance because it constitutes a great watershed in our national history. The relocation of our nation's capital is not an everyday occurence.

As you are all aware, the decision to relocate our nation's capital is one that was informed by political and socio-economic considerations. It was a decision that had to be taken at that time because of the apparent pressure and strain was becoming unbearable for the city of Lagos to sustain its dual status.

The resolve at that time to build a new city, even in the face of the enormous resources required to achieve this goal, was therefore fueled by our determination as an administration to bequeath an enduring legacy to the future generations of Nigerians.

On this occasion therefore, which marks the formal movement of the seat of government to Abuja, I want to recall, with a feeling of nostalgia, the memories of Lagos as a unique melting pot of activities of all people of all tribes and human races. Inspite of the limitations and constraints of size, the people of Lagos have demonstrated and lived up to their reputation of an accomodating group of people.

The overwhelming support and tremendous cooperation that we have received as an administration cannot go unmentioned. It is therefore appropriate for me, on this occasion, to extend our appreciation to the entire citizenry of the state for your support and your loyalty.
I want to assure you again that the movement of the seat of the Federal Government from Lagos to Abuja is not and I repeat, is not an indication of the termination of Federal interest in Lagos State. On the contrary, Lagos will continue to occupy a significant place in our developmental efforts.

Indeed, the position of Lagos as the nation's economic and commercial nerve centre is unequivocal. It therefore follows that the Federal Government's interest will be sustained. We will also ensure that all ongoing federal projects are completed in good time, while other viable ones that are considered necessary will be initiated.

I wish to seize also this opportunity to thank the Oba of Lagos for the honour done me and my wife by the conferment of chieftaincy titles to both of us, which we cherish and I assure you, we will not missuse that title.

As the seat of the Federal Government moves to Abuja on Thursday, we feel gratified to leave behind a legacy of love and goodwill, extensive infrastructural facilities and a flourishing city of Lagos and look forward to Abuja that will unfold and give us all a sense of pride.

Distiguished Lagosians, I cannot end this address without mention of two persons. The military governor of Lagos State, Colonel Raji Rasaki and his wife, Mrs Fatimat Rasaki.

For Raji Rasaki, he is the only officer in the Nigerian Armed Forces that has the unique name of being the commander of the commander in chief. And I want to thank you personally for everything that you have done, for making sure that the trust which we reposed on you by the Armed Forces Ruling Council, has not been misplaced.

For Mrs Rasaki, I don't know how to say. . . but I think they say behind every successful man (the audience says, "Is a woman" ) and sometimes behind every disaster also there is a woman (the audience laughs). But thank God that in the case of Mrs Rasaki, she has been very supportive to your husband. You have been. . . you performed your duty as you should and we are very proud that you helped this young officer to achieve what he has so far achieved.

For the deputy governor, she was a permanent secretary with me, then later director general. And I'm not sure if Alhaji Okunnu will allow me to talk about his wife. But I want to assure you that as a federal civil servant with whom I worked in the political office, she is one of the toughest women I have worked with. She is very dedicated, dutiful and above all, professionally competent.

For members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, distinguished fellow Lagosians, I wish at this point to thank the Almighty God, the Creator for seeing us through to this point in the enormous task of recharting the political and socio-economic course of our nation's history. It is my fervent prayer that He will in his infinite mercy, continue to shower his mercy on our great nation and guide us safely through the task of handing over to a democratically elected civilian administration.

I thank you most sincerely for everything that you have done. I also want to add, that it is significant that I spent 18 years in Lagos. I will not spend another 18 years as a military officer, so the best of my career started here and terminated here. For Lagos and Lagosians, I remain grateful.

Thank you very much.

(Note: The Federal Government moved to Abuja just a few days before the 1991 governorship election, that's why President Babangida said "Governors in waiting" ).

Picture 1: Chief Duro Onabule, Chief Press Secretary to the President.

Picture 2: Mrs Fatimat Rasaki and General Ibrahim Babangida.

Picture 3: Colonel Raji Rasaki (the Aksion Governor).

Picture 4: Mrs Maryam Babangida.

Pictures 1 and 2: Mrs Maryam Babangida.

Picture 3: Lieutenant General Salihu Ibrahim.

Picture 4: Major General Joshua Dogonyaro.

Picture 1: Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed - Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Picture 2: Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele, Chairman Lagos Island Local Government.

Picture 3: Prince Adeniji-Adele and Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed.

Picture 4: Miss Tinu Badejo of Lagos Television (she was one of the MCs).

Picture 1: Miss Tinu Badejo of Lagos Television.

Picture 2: Mr Lekan Ogunbanwo of Lagos Television. He became the general manager and CEO of Lagos Television/Radio Lagos/Eko FM during the Fashola era and he is now the managing director of Plus TV Africa.

Picture 3: Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi (he was the youngest commissioner in the Lagos State Government in the 1970s. He was the son of legendary businessman and politician, Chief Sule Oyeshola Gbadamosi. Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi was also a notable businessman and friend of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti), Dr Babatunde St Mathew-Daniel (multiple times commissioner in Lagos) and Engineer Funsho Williams (permanent secretary/director general in the Lagos State Ministry of Works, he later became commissioner of works and was the PDP governorship candidate in the 2003 elections).

Picture 4: President Ibrahim Babangida.

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Picture 1: President Ibrahim Babangida.

Picture 2: Mrs Maryam Babangida and General Sani Abacha.

Picture 3: President Ibrahim Babangida and Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji (president-general of market women in Nigeria and mother of Bola Tinubu).

Picture 4: Engineer Funsho Williams.

General Ibrahim Babangida became president in 1985 and he decided to use Peugeot 504 vehicles as his official car, instead of the W126 Mercedes Benz S Class cars that President Shagari and Major General Buhari used and the Volkswagen Santana cars that Major General Buhari used. He did this to show that he was in touch with the feelings of the masses, who were suffering the effects of the economic crisis.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited Nigeria in 1988 and the government brought out the W100 Mercedes Benz 600 that Gowon, Obasanjo and Shagari had used. This became the number 1 state car in the late 1980s.

The Peugeot 505 7V stretch limousine in the picture below was introduced in 1989 and it became the everyday car. President Babangida used it all the time and used the Mercedes W100 on special occasions.

It was this same Peugeot 505 limousine that President Babangida used to attend the event that was organised by the Lagos Island Local Government to mark the movement of the Federal Government to Abuja.

Governor Raji Rasaki welcoming President Ibrahim Babangida to City Hall for the ceremony that was organised by the Lagos Island Local Government to mark to movement of the Federal Government to Abuja.

The Lagos Island Local Government was often described as the richest local government in Nigeria during the Babangida era. That's because it hosted the most important business district in Nigeria - the Broad Street-Marina area - which was home to the headquarters of most of the major banks in Nigeria, the headquarters of the biggest oil company (Shell), the headquarters of the biggest non-oil company in Nigeria (UAC), the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Lagos Island was also home to large markets like Balogun, Jankara, Madilas, etc.

At the time the Lagos Island Local Government also included the wealthy residential districts of Ikoyi and Victoria Island and the industrial district of Apapa.

Lagos Island Local Government was split into smaller local governments during the Jakande era, but the creation of new local governments was reversed by the Buhari Administration.

Chief E.G. Olatunde Beecroft (EGO BEE) won the 1987 Lagos Island Local Government election and became chairman of the LG Council. The local government area was split into two during his tenure. The new Eti-Osa Local Government comprised of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and parts of Lekki, while Lagos Island Local Government now comprised only of Lagos Island.

Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele won the Lagos Island Local Government election and succeeded Chief Beecroft, while Prince Murphy Adetoro won the Eti-Osa Local Government election and became the first chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government Council.

The Lagos Island Local Government Council held an event at City Hall to mark the movement of the Federal Government to Abuja (it was actually Lagos Island that was the Federal Capital Territory, not Lagos State).

Picture 1: President Babangida shakes hands with Dr Babatunde St Mathew-Daniel

Pictures 2, 3 and 4: Staff of Lagos Island Local Government watch the ceremony from the upper floors of City Hall.

Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele delivered a welcome address and President Babangida responded. Then President Babangida unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion. President and Mrs Babangida then separately planted trees at City Hall.

Picture 1: President Babangida and Governor Rasaki

Picture 2: Dr Babatunde St Mathew-Daniel and Mr Olabode Rhodes-Vivour. The Honourable Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour later became a justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Picture 3: The plaque that was unveiled by President Babangida at City Hall and behind it is Princess Abiola Dosunmu-Elegbede-Fernandez, the Erelu of Lagos.

Picture 4: The plaque.

Carnival is one of the traditional festivals of Lagos (it has been held on Lagos Island since the mid-1800s) and so a carnival procession was held on Catholic Mission Street (from City Hall to Tafawa Balewa Square). President and Mrs Babangida and Governor Rasaki were on the main float. There were also Gelede Masquerades.

Picture 1 and 2: Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji (President-General of Market Women in Nigeria and mother of Bola Tinubu). She really danced during the procession.

Picture 3: President and Mrs Babangida and Governor Rasaki on the main float.

Picture 4: A street band during the carnival procession.

The Third Mainland Bridge and the Ring Road system was conceived in the late 1960s and construction began in the mid-1970s. The first phase of Third Mainland Bridge was opened by President Shehu Shagari on September 30th, 1980 to mark Nigeria's 20th anniversary.

However, Nigeria suffered a major economic crisis in 1982 when the price of oil collapsed on the international market. There wasn't enough money to continue with phase 2 of the project.

If you wanted to go from Lagos Island to Ikeja in the 1980s, you would get on the Third Mainland Bridge and get off the bridge at Ebute Metta. You would have to use Herbert Macaulay Way in Yaba and Ikorodu Road in order to get to Ikeja. As you can imagine, this led to massive traffic jams on Herbert Macaulay Way and Ikorodu Road.

You would see massive concrete blocks (with Julius Berger written on them) when you got to the end of the bridge. They were blocking the road so that you couldn't go straight and you had to use the Ebute Metta exit. As you were getting off the exit you could see the point at which the bridge suddenly ended. That's how the bridge was in the 1980s. Occasionally they would come and add a few inches to the bridge, but no major work was done.

Traffic jams
As you can imagine, there were massive traffic jams on Herbert Macaulay Way and the Yaba area due to the massive amount of traffic that passed through there. I remember the great traffic jam of 1989.

The Eko Bridge was closed for repairs in 1989 and this caused a ginormous traffic jam on Third Mainland Bridge.

There was someone in my house that attended Queens College at the time and she was meant to come home with the neighbours, but it was getting late and she had not come home. I went with the driver to find them.

The traffic jam was incredible. Herbert Macaulay Way was at a complete standstill. Policemen left their station and were joking with and making fun of motorists (there was nothing else that they could do).

We eventually got to QC and found out that the girls had left a long time ago. It was getting dark when I got home and found out that the girls were already at home.

Raji Alagbe Rasaki (the action governor) became governor in 1988 and saw the problem. He said that there was a time that he and President Babangida were coming back from the airport and they were also stuck in traffic, despite the presidential security.

He went to President Babangida to ask him to continue the Third Mainland Bridge project. President Babangida said that there was no money, but Governor Rasaki suggested that they should use the Abuja method to complete the bridge.

Governor Rasaki kept disturbing President Babangida about the bridge. At a point there was not enough money and Governor Rasaki suggested that the money should be deducted from Lagos State's federal allocation.

At another point, Julius Berger stopped working because the government was owing them. Governor Rasaki went to Chief Bode Emanuel, a Lagosian who was chairman of Borini Prono Construction Company (they had been involved at the initial stage of the project). Governor Rasaki convinced Chief Emanuel that Borini Prono should take over the project on credit.

There was a time that they had problems at Oworonshoki. The people that lived there refused to vacate the area so that the bridge could be constructed. Governor Rasaki met the Baale and pleaded with him and promised to pay compensation, but the Baale wouldn't agree.

Governor Rasaki met prominent lawyers in Lagos (Rotimi Williams, etc) and they advised him to demolish the houses on a Friday evening, when the courts would have closed for the weekend. The governor liked the idea.

He told the European executive with the construction company, but the European told him that it would be impossible to clear the area, especially with the resistance of the residents. Governor Rasaki responded that he was a soldier and he was trained to make the impossible possible.

He went to Ihejirika at the Nigerian Army Engineers Corp and ordered them that he wanted the whole area demolished before Monday. That's how he resolved the Oworonshoki issue.

The Third Mainland Bridge was commissioned on August 17th, 1990 (President Babangida's birthday). During his speech, President Babangida said that they had a new governor in Lagos, Raji Rasaki and that Rasaki always came to disturb him about the Third Mainland Bridge, to the extent that he had to tell his secretary not to allow Rasaki into his office again. He said that he knew that he had to complete the bridge if he wanted peace.

There was a huge party on the bridge after President Babangida left the ceremony. Sir Shina Peters performed and Colonel Rasaki danced. He was very happy.

On the day that the Federal Government moved to Abuja, a ceremony was held on the bridge (as the President was on his way to the airport) and the section of the bridge from Ebute Metta to Oworonshoki was renamed Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida Bridge.

There was a ceremony at Dodan Barracks on the morning that the Federal Government moved to Abuja. President Babangida signed the order moving the government to Abuja and he signed many other orders. He used a different gold pen for each order, then he gave the gold pens to senior government officials that witnessed the signing. I remember that one was given to Vice President Aikhomu, one was given to General Abacha, but I can't remember the other people that got pens.

The motorcade went to the airport via the Third Mainland Bridge.

All senior government officials were at the airport.

The President received a 21 gun salute and the National Salute, then he and Mrs Babangida said goodbye to people and then boarded the presidential jet (Nigeria 001). There were lots of school children and other people at the airport.

The presidential jet took off and fighter jets followed it. On Newsline a few days later, the NTA showed the scene from inside the plane. The reporter said that President Babangida ordered the pilot to fly round Lagos for one last view. The NTA cameraman pointed his camera at the window and we could see the fighter jets accompanying the presidential jet.


Picture 1: Halima Babangida boarding the presidential jet. (She was born in 1989)

Picture 2: The presidential jet.

Picture 3: The parade commander.

Picture 4: Engineer Funsho Williams and other government officials at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport.

Picture 1: Brigadier Ishaya Bamaiyi, commander Brigade of Guards.

Picture 2: President Babangida receiving the salute at the airport.

Picture 3: Senior government officials (l-r) the Second Lady, Mrs Rebecca Aikhomu, Vice President Augustus Aikhomu, General Sani Abacha (Minister of Defence), Lieutenant General Salihu Ibrahim (Chief of Army Staff), Vice Admiral Murtala Nyarko (Chief of Naval Staff), Air Marshal Nuraini Yusuf (Chief of Air Staff) and Mr Aliyu Attah (Inspector General of Police).

Picture 4: President and Mrs Babangida wave goodbye.

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I can't find Abacha anywhere in the pictures.

Modify.

I've found him. My guy Abacha. He's not wearing those killer shades of his. Dude always look dapper in them. 👌

Why is Babangida usually referred to as President?

Funny.
Be reasonable with the way you post stories on Nairaland.
@naptu2.

How time flies

Mayram Babaginda remains the most beautiful First Lady
Black beauty and bold..with good brains .. madam better life.


God bless The Godfather.

Apc don finally scatter Nigeria ..

I saw only my beautiful sister Maryam, Ada beykee, Ada ahaba, Ada di ora mma

Okay

Hmmm all for the north to get developed

Tinú Aina Badejo

Wow

It's always good to study history!!

However, the plans to move to Abuja were seriously negatively affected by the economic crisis that began in 1982 when the price of oil collapsed

So this madness didn't start today...

The dependence on oil...

Nigeria would cease to exist the day our oil goes dry.

That's when you'll realise we didn't really need or like eachother.

Nigeria is irredeemable unless God intervenes