When Was Abuja City Gate Built?
You probably already know the story of how the capital city was relocated from Lagos State to Abuja. It was also around that time that the Abuja City Gate came into existence. There is an article that I wrote on that story, talking about how the capital city relocated to Abuja from Lagos, that you can read for the full story.
The deliberations to move the capital city from Lagos started in 1975 during the regime of General Murtala Mohammed. And a 7-man panel was set up to look into it.
They concluded that Lagos wasn’t suitable to continue to be the capital city for several reasons. First, Lagos was a coastal city and so was too susceptible to invasion from outside forces. That was a risky thing because if anything happened to Lagos, the whole country would be affected.
Another reason why the capital moved to Abuja was that, unlike Lagos which was already so populated leaving limited room for expansion, Abuja had more than enough room for development and expansion.
Abuja is also a planned city, and that was done with the intention of moving the capital city from Lagos.
What Has This Got To Do With Abuja City Gate?
Well, Abuja officially took its place as the capital city of Nigeria in 1991. That was also the year that the Abuja City Gate was erected.
About The Abuja City Gate
The Abuja City Gate is a monument in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. It is located at 1 Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Road, Kwaba 900108, Abuja. The purpose for the erection of the City Gate was to solemnize the movement of the seat of power to Abuja.
The gate serves as a ceremonial pavilion but since it is located at the entrance of Abuja, it is also a symbol of welcome to everyone entering Abuja. It symbolizes unity among the Nigerian people and it also provides a beautiful view to people who visit the City Gate for sightseeing.
Features Of The Abuja City Gate
The concrete blocks on each side of the Abuja city gate gives it the appearance of an inverted funnel with an arch in between. A block of concrete connects them in the middle. On the middle block is where you will find the Coat of Arms of Nigeria and a statement that reads “You Are Welcome.” Above the middle block is the flag of Nigeria shaped like the map of Nigeria.
Who Built The Abuja City Gate?
While there isn’t a particular person we can actually point to that is responsible for the idea of erecting the Abuja City Gate, all I can say is it was erected during the regime of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida to mark the relocation of the capital city to Abuja.
Is A New City Gate Going To Be Erected In Abuja?
There was a plan underway some years back to construct a new city gate which would be located at the Kuje Junction, some kilometers away from where the present gate is located. But that plan has been put on hold and there are no talks about when it would actually take place.
Conclusion
Abuja City Gate was built in 1991 to solemnize the Capital City moving to Abuja. It is quite a beautiful monument that unifies the people of Nigeria. And you can visit he gate to enjoy its beauty and what it symbolizes.
Did you enjoy reading this article? Check out these previous posts that you might have missed:
And keep following aroundabuja.com to know more about the city.
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