Federal Capital Territory

For the Australian Capital Territory which was called Federal Capital Territory until 1938, see Canberra

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is a federal jurisdiction of Nigeria home to the national capital, Abuja, sitting in the centre of the country. It was created in 1976 and has an area of 7,315 km² (2,824 sq mi).

Local government areas

Abuja

Abaji

Bwari

Gwagwalada

Kuje

Kwali

Cities

• 1 Abuja — the beautiful, purpose-built national capital city
• 2 Gwarinpa — the largest single housing estate in Nigeria, a little to the north-west of Abuja
• 3 Jikwoyi
• 4 Karshi
• 5 Lugbe
• 6 Orozo

Understand

The FCT was created due to a need to find a replacement for the capital city of Lagos which had become congested and had little space for expansion. The area chosen as the new capital was principally Gwariland with high concentrations of Muslims and Christians and high degree of neutrality from the dominant ethnic groups. It is the least populated jurisdiction of Nigeria.

Wildlife

The hills of the FCT provide home to many bushbuck, forest Black duiker, bush pig, chimpanzee and red-flanked duiker. Also found in FCT woodland are leopard, buffalo, roan antelope, Western hartebeest, elephant, warthog, grey duiker, dog-faced baboon, patas monkey and green monkey.

Get in

Abuja is the main point of entry to the territory.

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV  ^IATA) receives international flights from several destinations, including a direct flight from New York JFK, but many visitors fly through connecting flights from Lagos.

Nigeria Railway Corporation operates an inter-city railway line between Abuja and Kaduna, where you can connect with the rest of the Nigerian rail system.

You can travel to Abuja by bus from major cities like Lagos, Benin, Kano and Port Harcourt.

See

As the national capital, Abuja hosts many institutions that play a role in the life of the nation, including the National Assembly, the Nigerian Cultural Centre, the National Church of Nigeria, and the National Mosque.

Do

Go hiking in the mountains in Karshi.