Caboose

It’s good to see that the BBC has finally noticed the reality of Abuja rather than just following the official line about how shiny and modern the city is.

The contrast between the city centre and the “satellite towns” is amazing, from multi-lane expressways to dirt roads in a few hundred metres. Most people working in Abuja can’t afford to live in the city, having to commute in every day. Some of my former colleagues at Radio Nigeria travelled in from as far away as Keffi because that was the nearest place they could afford a decent home for their families. This isn’t easy or cheap given the lack of good public transport.

Although the FCDA claim to be enforcing the “master plan” they seem to be doing so in a way that ignores the idea of building neighbourhoods and providing housing for all levels of society. So long as your mansion is in a residential area and isn’t built on what should be a park it doesn’t matter that there should be tens of houses in the space you’re taking up for one.

On a technical note, the link to Google’s map of Keffi shows that their idea of where Abuja is is a bit wrong and some of the roads and place names are slightly suspect too.