Abuja, space in the city

so many roads lead to Abuja

Coming from Lagos, Abuja throws one in disarray. Is this Nigeria, the chaotic and busy Nigeria we Lagosians are familiar with? What has caused all of the Central Business District (CBD) to be practically free of pedestrians? However concrete has been spent without restraint and asphalt too. Massive infrastructures seem oversized, perhaps as a result of the ambitious dream of a nascent nation. The wide roads might carry traffic on all lanes at peak time, but the whole affair rhymes more with policed traffic on a US highway than what would be considered peak time traffic anywhere else in Nigeria.
Abuja is visibly the youngest born of the Nigerian Nation, concretely sterile, unfinished and yet fast-spreading. Built in the 1980s, it became the capital of Nigeria officially in 1991 and is the centre of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

millenium promise under construction

Abuja is a city of architecture. All government buildings, from federal state houses, federal government ministries, all have been built with heavy funding by architects who met the need for differentiation from their respective clients. Lagos State House has the shape of two Eyos standing next to one another. The Federal Ministry of Finance looks like an FBI inspired truncated pyramid.
As I was leaving the city from Garki II to go to the airport, we drove through a double-laned road which obviously felt lonely considering that the space left for traffic in the opposite direction had been left undeveloped. I asked the driver about it. He said that the road in the opposite direction had not yet been built, although it had been paid for. Of course it had been planned, judging by the ready interconnections at crossroads. The government is now asking all contractors to finish their work or bring back the money that was paid to them. A few kilometres down the road, construction in the opposite direction has (re-)started.

neat and clean

It looks like money is again available for construction, as many construction sites are popping-up. New shopping centres, somewhat fancy, are emerging with an air of refinement previously unseen in Abuja. For instance, Dunes, a shopping complex, has just added a whole new wing, very spacious to welcome numerous boutiques and shops. The fourth floor is dedicated to Made In Nigeria.
There are also many skeletons of buildings, probably interrupted a few years ago for lack of money or lack of authorisation to continue building.

Lagos State house in the shape of Eyo twins

New entertainment places are opening, with western standards, such as Blue Cabana, a lebanese run fitness centre with a nice restaurant and a large pool. It lies on the outskirt of the city centre.
The skyline of Abuja is relatively flat, besides the central mosque, the National Christian centre, and the millennium tower, which was supposed to be completed for the previous millennium on Sani Abacha Way. But it could be just in time for the Third Millennium!
The city is dominated by the Aso Rock, which is at the centre of a military area. It is indeed a strategic point of observation and defence. Then, there is the diplomatic area of Maitama which has a few rich mansions with the a nice overview of the city.
Outside of the sanitised CBD, the Nigeria we are used to is filling-up the space with lively and chaotic markets. Could its undaunted spirit possibly spill over one day on CBD, its sleepy neighbour?

The Ogiamien family in Benin City: about wood and history

Roland Ogiamien in his wood-carving workshop Wood Roland Ogiamien is a renown wood carver. He is now retired in his home town of Benin City and is now in his 80s. We met him in his simple workshop, a barn opened on the surrounding greenery. A part of the studio is used to store wood pieces and make sure they are well dried. He is using a collection of german ustensils to carve and polish the wood. He spent most of his career working out of Lagos before relocating to Benin. Roland was explaining that the wood he uses today is different that the one he worked on in his early days. Ebony has become rare and wood carvers have had to switch to other types of wood. Traditional heritage is a large part of his inspiration which he translates on wood with his own particular style, exploring various techniques for the finish of his pieces. Roland Ogiamien and two of his favourite masks History Ogiamien is the name of an important royal family in Benin Kingdom. Towards the end of the

no hawkers allowed on kingsway

no hawking Sign of hawkers this was my discovery of the week in the urban signage section. I had to think hard what the "damaged hat" was all about? Until I saw a couple of people walking with large flat baskets on their heads loaded with small portions of peanuts wrapped-up in plastic bags right by the signage. I then understood that they were not supposed to be there if the signage is of any relevance. Exactly why is another matter. Perhaps for safety reasons as in the past people hijacking cars could have been mistaken with the hawkers selling wares in the traffic. Today Kingsway, the large avenue crossing Ikoyi and coming straight out of Victoria Island through the Falomo bridge, is fairly safe. Its 2*2 lanes are often packed with slow traffic and therefore a good place for hawkers to do business. Youth's future on Kingsway Two billboards attracted my attention along Alfred Rewane avenue (the new name for Kingsway). One was a representation of a young a

The mysterious stones images of Esie

turned into Stones Chief J. Agbo Ooye had been waiting in the shade of a large tree, in front of the National Museum of Esie, dressed in ceremonial costume with a velvet hat incrusted with crystal beads sown in the shape of his title and his name. He was sitting next to his wife on a bench, expecting our arrival. His wife, he would tell us later, was his best friend and she was actually demonstrating it by guiding his frail body from one place to another and guiding his hand when it came to sign autographs of his books. Chief Agbo Ooye is the author of two booklets on the Esie Stones. The first one, called A Personal Account of the Esie Stones is giving an overview of the differences between the scientific and the traditional interpretation of the Esie Stones. The second one is called the History of Esie and gives a brief account of Esie's history from the early settlement of Yorubas in various groups (Esie, Oro, Eku Apa, Igbonla, Edidi, Igbesi, etc...) to the present day. Thos

Nigeria, the land of plenty

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