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Abuja - The Five Districts
The city is divided into five (5) districts of the Phase1. They are:
Central District, Garki District,
Wuse District,
Maitama District, and Asokoro District.
There are also five districts of the Phase II; these are: Kado, Durumi, Gudu, Utako
and Jabi. Phase 3 Districts are: Mabuchi, Katampe, Wuye and Gwarimpa.There are also
five suburban districts, which are Nyanya, Karu, Gwagwalada, Kubwa, and Jukwoyi.
Along the Airport Road are clusters of satellite settlements these are namely: Lugbe,
Chika, Kuchigworo and Pyakassa. Other satellite settlements are Idu (The Main Industrial
Zone), Mpape, Karimu, Gwagwa, Dei-Dei (housing the International Livestock market
and also International Building materials market).
Weather and Climate
The FCT experiences three weather conditions annually. This includes a warm, humid
rainy season and a blistering dry season. In between the two seasons, there is a
brief interlude of harmattan occasioned by the North East Trade Wind, with the main
feature of dust haze, intensified coldness and dryness. The rainy season begins
from April and ends in October, when daytime temperatures reach 28-30 degrees and
nighttime lows hover around 22-23 degrees. In the dry season, daytime temperatures
can soar as high as 40 degrees and nighttime temperatures can dip to 12 degrees,
resulting in chilly evenings. Even the chilliest nights can be followed by daytime
temperatures well above 30 degrees. The high altitudes and undulating terrain of
the FCT act as moderating influence on the weather of the territory. Rainfall in
the FCT reflects the territory's location on the windward side of the Jos Plateau
and the zone of rising air masses. The annual total rainfall is in the range of
1100mm to 1600mm.
Vegetation
The area now designated the Federal Capital Territory falls within the Savannah
Zone vegetation of the West African sub-region. Patches of rain forest, however,
occur in the Gwagwa plains, especially in the gullied train to the south and the
rugged south-eastern parts of the territory. These areas of the FCT form one of
the surviving occurrences of the mature forest vegetation in Nigeria. The dominant
vegetation of the Territory is, however, classified into three savannah types
The Park or Grassy Savannah
This is about 53 percent (i.e. 4,231 square km) of the total area of the FCT. Vegetation
occurs annually and tree species found include; Albizia, Zygia, Butyrospernum paradoxum,
Anniellia, Oliveri and Parkia Clappertoniana.
The Savannah Woodland
This region covers 12.8 percent of 1,026 square km of the territory. It occurs mostly
on the Gurara, Robo and Rubochi plains and surrounding hills. Common trees found
in this region include; afzelia, africana anogeissus, leiocarpus,, khaya senegalensis,
prosopis africana, uapaca togoensis, albizia, costatum and ptrecarpus erinaceus.
The Shrub Savannah
This class of vegetation occurs extensively in rough terrain close to hills and
ridges in all parts of the territory. It covers about 12.9 percent or 1,031 square
km of the land area. Tree species found in it include: antiaris africana, anthocleista
nobils, ceiba pentandra, cola gigantean, celtis spp, Chorophora excels (iroko),
khaya grandifolia (Benin Mahogany) terminalia superb (afara), triplochiton scleroxylon
and dracacna arborea. Certain tree species normally associated with other parts
of the rain forest in the south of Nigeria are also found in some of the forest
patches, e.g. piptadeniatrum africanum (agboin), lophira alata (ekki) and terminalia
ivorensis (idigbo).
Transportation
Abuja International Airport is the only airport in Abuja. The airport with an international
and local terminal is under going serious upgrades in order to make it ready to
host an event such as the Commonwealth games. Abuja also has a running and efficient
BRT and green cab system. Construction is underway for an LRT system for the city.
Abuja does not as yet have a connection to the national railway network of Nigeria.
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