Abuja’s N3trn ambitious city within the city

Despite the daunting security challenge in the country, one event that the present administration celebrated in style was the nation’s centenary – 100 years of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates to form Nigeria.

To show the significance attached to the project by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, a year-long programme was designed. Awards were given, competitions held, lectures were delivered and dinner was held, among others.

One outstanding thing however is the Federal Government’s decision to create another city to be known as the Centenary City from Abuja. Based on the grand dream, all the challenges being faced by dwellers of other big cities in Nigeria will be absent in this unique haven. There will be no security challenge, power will not be a problem, flood will not threaten its existence. Name them. It sounds as if one is reading from scripture but this is what this administration says it is set out to do.

Although activities marking the centenary celebration were rounded off on March 2, with an interdenominational thanksgiving service at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, the groundbreaking of the new city did not hold until June 24 for one reason or the other.

The city is not hidden as it is located strategically on a hill on the popular Airport Road inward Abuja. The cost of the project designed to cover 1,200 hectares of land is put at N2.976 trillion ($18.6 billion). A Dubai firm, Eagles Hills Properties, will develop it from scratch at no cost to the government.

Jonathan had, during the ground-breaking of the city, said no other sign could demonstrate the symbol of his administration’s determination for excellence than the city which, he said, promised a unique and global standard in real estate project.

When completed, the President added, the project would turn out to be a modern city where modern beauty will merge with architectural creativity.

“We don’t want to build a city where everybody will have maiguard (security guards). We don’t want a city where everybody will dig their bore holes and where everybody will be buying generators,” he said.

The sum of N2.976 trillion was said to have been mopped up to develop the 1,200 hectares of land earlier earmarked by the Federal Capital Territory Administration for the purpose.

A total of N1.2 billion, being 100 per cent compensation, was also said to have been paid for economic trees of the original inhabitants as well as structures of some non-natives situated in the area. While 20 per cent of the plots has been earmarked for residential houses, 80 per cent is for mixed use and commercial purposes.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, whose office organised the centenary celebration, said the new city would be modelled after the likes of Dubai, Monaco and Singapore. He explained that it would serve as a political and economic tool for securing foreign investment.

According to the information available on the website of the promoters of the new city, it is designed to be the financial hub of the capital of Nigeria.

Describing it as a project of the future, they said it would be a high profitable entity for the government agencies, investors and users because of its designation as a “duty free zone” and “tax shelter” with special banking regulations.

It is also said to be conceived as a centre for the preservation of Nigeria’s political history and documentation of her contributions to the political, cultural and economic development and the advancement of peace and security in the world, as well as the hub of economic activities.

The goal, they added, was to create a modern urban centrality for the sustainable development of this magic land, where natural beauty and architecture icons must merge together to create an environment that is alive and productive.

One of the city’s features is zero waste management wherein domestic waste will be used to create nutrient-rich soil, fertiliser and incinerated as an additional power source while other wastes such as plastics and metals will be recycled or re-purposed for other uses.

The city will also boast an independent power source with a gas-fired 500MW power plant connected directly to a gas terminal. The claim is that constant power supply to the city can be taken for granted.

In terms of water management, they said, it was planned in an environmentally sound manner where approximately 60 per cent of the water used will be recycled and waste water reused as many times as possible.

For the city’s commercial area, what you will find are exquisite office towers, exotic hotels, magnificent shopping malls and cozy theatres and cinemas, among others, while the residential area will feature high-rise apartments, semi-detached houses, row houses and apartment blocks.

There will also be new ceremonial arcades called Unity Square to compliment the existing Eagle Square in Abuja, while a new Abuja City Gate will also be there to introduce the Centenary City and welcome visitors to Abuja.

“In sum, the city will be a revolutionary approach to urbanisation in Africa and champion private sector role in projects of significant magnitude. By the end of its planned five-year development cycle, this innovative and vibrant city would have created over 50,000 construction jobs and 5,000 permanent well- paying jobs.

“The city is planned for a residential population of about 100,000 people but to host about 500,000 visitors daily. It shall promote world-class multinational and domestic businesses in a world-class and master-planned environment that gives meaning to life, energy for work and pleasure for play, while permanently contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth, diversity and greatness into the next centenary,” the proponents said.

For the wealthy who may have started plotting how to relocate into the city on completion, Anyim told those who attended the ground-breaking that the city is not a housing project but strictly an economic project. He said the residential area that would be provided would only complement the business concerns.

This is indeed an ambitious project which the present administration said it was committed to. But how far it will go to deliver on this unique project? Only time will tell. This question is pertinent especially based on the many laudable projects that have either been corrupted, hijacked, sabotaged or abandoned by governments in Nigeria.