Abuja / Nigeria

Abuja is the young capital of Nigeria. A country that consists of diverse tribal groups and religions, Nigeria relocated its capital from Lagos to Abuja near the center of the country in 1991 to symbolize its unification as a federal state. Compared to economic center Lagos, politics and government administration are concentrated in Abuja. In other words, Abuja is Washington while Lagos is New York. Abuja's population has risen rapidly in the last few years with an influx of people from all over the country, and has now reached about six million. The master plan for building the city was apparently designed by the famous architect Kisho Kurokawa, but being Nigeria, the plan has not necessarily been followed to the letter. Still, compared to other cities, Abuja has high-quality roads and unlike Lagos, there are no caved-in roads or traffic congestion, which reduces damage to cars and allows you to calculate journey times. The town's appearance is far from the general image of Africa that Japanese people would possess. I myself was surprised to discover that such a big city exists in Africa, reminding me once more that Nigeria is a great nation in Africa.

As for climate, there is a five-month rainy season and a seven-month dry season. At the turn of the season, the Hamatan, a dust-laden north wind carrying sand from the Sahara desert, arrives. During this period, the town is completely white and visibility is reduced to 100 meters. Even in a closed room, sand will pile up during the day, which wreaks havoc on electrical appliances. During the dry season, the temperature can reach as high as 45°C, so an air conditioner is essential. You need to be careful about sunstroke as well while playing golf.

Abuja's food culture represents the features of each tribe, but the staple is generally yam, cassava and rice. Side dishes are mostly soup and stew, which contain lots of ingredients with rich flavors. Pepe soup is made out of large quantities of ground chili peppers with meat, fish and vegetables and is extremely hot but soon becomes a favorite (although you will certainly regret it the following morning). Barbecue chicken cooked on a drum at street stalls is also very tasty as long as you don't mind the hygiene standards. I do believe that their simply raised chickens taste as good as any in the world.

Nigeria is known for its instability, but Nigerians are very cheerful and open in everything, despite their difficult lives. They also have a positive attitude toward Japan. If you are bored with ordinary sightseeing destinations, I recommend you visit here once for a holiday.

In Abuja Street barbecue "Wuse Market" dried fish yam

Marubeni Group magazine "M-SPIRIT" VOL.22 (July, 2004)