The Abuja Master Plan report defines the Central Area as the hub of both the city and the nation itself. From November 29 to December 2, 1999, an International Workshop was held to review the Abuja Master Plan. Architect Mansur Kurfi Ahmadu presented a paper titled “Central Area Urban Design: Expectations Versus Realities,” stating that the Central Area is expected to symbolize Nigeria to the world, extending beyond national concerns alone.
The Central Area Design Team was formed under the leadership of Kenzo Tange and URTEC of Japan, with three Nigerian firms included: Benna and Associates, Oluwole Olamuyiwa and Associates, and E.A.D. Nsiegbe and Associates. The final report, including drawings and a model, was submitted in 1981. Since that time, the Central Area has become a significant element in the capital city, achieving notable levels of plan implementation.
The main design objective of the Abuja Master Plan was to create a functioning and cohesive central area early in the life of the new capital, concentrating facilities along an axis to convey a sense of completeness and urbanity, even though large parts of the central area would remain unbuilt for some time. This presupposes a systematic development of relevant infrastructure, allowing further development at each stage with minimal disturbance to existing areas.
It can be observed that the direction of traffic flows is constantly changing as the Expressways B-6 and B-12 continue to expand, and other proposed arterial roads are implemented as development progresses. This explains why the development of various arterial roads and expressways in the Central Area is carried out in phases, depending on current requirements and, most importantly, financial availability. Many areas in the Central Area District may appear vacant, but they are not. Most have been earmarked for arterial roads and transit ways that have yet to be implemented. These areas are continually encroached upon by illegal developers, while Development Control works to remove them.
The Central Area urban design provided an implementation strategy, discussing each area in terms of the responsible development body. Areas for public and private developments were identified, dividing the Central Area into zones. It begins with the Three-Arms Zone, which includes the Presidential Complex, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court, followed sequentially by the Ministries Zone, the Cultural Zone, and the Central Business District. These zones are separated by major arterial roads.
The major features proposed for development in the Central Area District, as outlined in the parent document by International Planning Associates (IPA) and emphasized by the Kenzo Tange plan, may not necessarily be located where originally planned. Alterations have been dictated by different administrations as city development progresses. Many reasons given for these changes are tenable, while others are driven by the personal interests of those in power.
The first significant alteration was the relocation of the Presidential Complex from its original location in the Three-Arms Zone to its current position outside the circle for security reasons during the military era. The original Presidential Complex now houses the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government. However, the locations of the National Assembly and the Supreme Court remained unchanged.
Many other proposed features for the Central Area have been realized, while others have not. Some were not discarded but are still expected to be implemented. Delays are often linked to financial constraints, including the Vice President Complex, which has not changed location but has faced considerable delays until very recently.
The Ministry of Defense was initially located near Millennium Park and close to the Vice President’s Complex, according to the Kenzo Tange proposal. However, it was moved to the zone designated for the Central Business District (CBD). This location was originally earmarked for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). In agreement with its retirees association, the NPA used its superannuation fund to build a complex shaped like a large ship, initially called the Ship House.
Due to the Obasanjo regime’s reluctance to transfer the NPA Headquarters out of Lagos, the Ministry of Defense took over the building. This controversial seizure led to significant conflict between the NPA retirees and the NPA management for an extended period, as the NPA could not access the alternative provided in Lagos.
The land designated for the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in the Central Area District along Ahmadu Bello Way has also suffered from such alterations. For reasons known only to the particular administration at the time, the FHA was relocated to the Asokoro District, and the land was subdivided and used by private organizations. Subsequently, there were reports of a former FCT Minister who could not resist the influence of a former First Lady interested in the land.
To be continued.
