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7 Things To See And Do In Abuja

By Michael Bamidele
05 July 2020   |   7:59 am
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria located in the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It is a planned city and was built mainly in the 1980s, replacing Lagos as the capital on 12 December 1991. Below are some things you see and do in Abuja: Jabi Lake For a…

Jabi Lake | Image: Jumia Food

Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria located in the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It is a planned city and was built mainly in the 1980s, replacing Lagos as the capital on 12 December 1991.

Below are some things you see and do in Abuja:

Jabi Lake
For a landlocked city, Jabi lake is the closest you can have to a beach experience in Abuja. Jabi lake is a natural body of water in the Jabi district of Abuja. It is about ten minutes drive from the city centre. There is a recreational park beside the lake called the Jabi Park. There is also a shopping mall beside the Lake – Jabi Lake Mall which houses shopping malls. Jabi lake also offers boat rides, different kinds of water sports, and beautiful shots, especially in the evenings.

Visit a park

Millennium Park Abuja | Image: Seun James Taiwo

Abuja is home to several parks and green areas with the largest one being Millennium Park. Millennium Park was designed by architect Manfredi Nicoletti and was officially opened by the United Kingdom’s Elizabeth II in December 2003. Another open area park is located in Lifecamp Gwarimpa; near the residence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The park is located on a slightly raised hilltop which contains sporting facilities like Basketball and Badminton courts another park is the city park, it is located in Wuse 2 and is home to numerous outdoor and indoor attractions such as a 4D cinema, astro-turf, lawn tennis court, paintball arena and a variety of restaurants.

Visit a bush bar
Abuja has a variety of informal spaces known as “Bush Bars” that, though not always, include a covered area with tables and chairs where people can sit and have drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and sometimes there are snacks such as suya and grilled catfish.

Watch a car show or Drive around

Car show | Image: Transcorp Hotel PLC

If you love cars and races, then Abuja is the place to be. The city hosts a number of car shows including the Abuja international motor fair, the Rimz and Beatz car show and the drift league.
Abuja boasts of some of the best roads in Nigeria, they are wide and mostly free. So you can enjoy a drive around just to see the city.

Visit National Monuments

Abuja National Mosque | Image: Twitter/DrJoeAbah

Whether you are a visitor or resident, you can learn more about Abuja by visiting some of the monuments. They include the Abuja National Mosque, which was built in 1984. The mosque is an explorer’s delight and is open to the public except during prayer times. The National Christian Centre, with its neo-gothic design, is another architectural monument that will delight the tourist. Others include the National Library, the Ministry of Defence (built in the shape of a ship), ECOWAS Secretariat, and so much more.

Go Golfing

IBB international golf and country club | Image: Transcorp Hotels PLC

Abuja has a number of golf courses and clubs. The most famous is the IBB International Golf & Country Club. The course has 18 beautiful holes (long front 9 and challenging back 9). The ambience of this golf course is spectacular. There’s great food combined with affordable drinks and you could sit on the terrace for hours with friends without any disturbances. It’s also a great place to meet people. There are two tennis courts, great caddies and golf pros, all in a really nice atmosphere.

Watch films

Silverbird Entertainment centre Abuja | Image: Hotelsng

You can never run out of places to watch films in Abuja. Some of the major cinemas are Silverbird Cinema, Jabi Lake Mall; Silverbird Entertainment Centre and Genesis Deluxe Cinema.

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