NEW General information

About the Host City the Federal Capital City (FCT) of Nigeria, Abuja

Abuja is a purpose-built city consciously located in the middle of the country, its original inhabitants comprising Gbagyi, Gwandara, Gade, Bassa, Dibo, Egburra, Nupe and Koro were substantially resettled at new locations, some as distant as the surrounding Niger State. The Abuja Master Plan was designed by International Planning Associates, a consortium of three American firms which was commissioned in June 1977. It submitted its final report in February 1979.  It was incorporated on 1^st October 1984 and officially pronounced as the administrative and political capital city of Nigeria on 12^th December 1991. The entire area is 1,476 km² while its urban area is 927 km². The estimated population by 2022 was 1,693, 400 and this is marked by a massive influx into the capital which is turning the adjoining towns into mega slums. Phase 1 of the city comprises ten districts designated as Cadastral Zones 1-10. The Phase 2 is composed of sixteen zones while Phase 3 has eleven cadastral zones. There are the satellite towns of Bwari, Kubwa, Karshi, Kusaki Yanga, Kuje, Dobi, Anagada. There are local government areas of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Kwali and Abaji.

• The presidential structure called Aso Villa, the National Assembly complex, and the Supreme Court are located north of the capital. Other landmarks are the Millenium Tower, the Central Bank, the National Stadium, the National Mosque, the National Christian Centre, Cultural Centre, Abuja World Trade Centre that attract the attention of visitors. The management of the city is the responsibility of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) presided over by a Minister of the FCT. In status Abuja is constitutionally equal to a state in Nigeria though the administrative head is not a governor but a federal Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). 
• Not too many tall buildings occupy the skyline of Abuja as this kind of structures are a recent addition, Abuja World Trade Centre, the Central Bank Headquarters, Nigerian National Petroleum Company are examples. But the entire city is dominated by modern buildings. Many parks, gardens and green areas adorn the city, and it satellite towns.

Visa

Letters of acceptance are the ones participants use to apply for visas, unless a participant requests for a special letter to the Embassy.

To obtain the Nigerian visa, applications can be processed online, submitted to the Nigerian embassy or consulate.

Participants may have to make available the following- passport, photos, birth certificate, marriage certificate, or other documents.

Intending visitors are advised to visit the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) portal https://portal.immigration.gov.ng/ for the details of obtaining the Nigerian visa.

Security Tips

The following security tips might be of use to you during your stay for the conference:

i. There are touts at the airport who are eager to assist you carry your luggage or give you information. While you can ask them for information, you might have to be careful about handing over your belongings to anyone you do not know.

ii. If you have foreign currency to change, there are exchange offices as you come out of the arrival security checks. Do not patronize any individual who says he is a money changer.

iii. Do not leave your valuables in your hotel rooms. If you cannot carry them about, drop them at the reception desk. Most reception desks have storage facilities for guest’s valuables.

iv. Whether at the conference venue or wherever you might be, do not leave your computers, phones, or other devices on the table unattended to. If there is no trusted person to look after your belongings, move around with them.

v. If you find yourself taking a walk in the streets, be careful about people who come to you asking questions about directions or something else.

Climate of Abuja, Nigeria 

Apparently three seasons are prevalent in Abuja, Nigeria. Its dry, tolerably hot season is from October to March. Between April and October there is a hot, humid rainy season. From November to February there is the windy, dusty and cold harmattan season. The vegetation is predominantly savanna while some areas are forested. These various climatic factors support agriculture activities that produce yams, maize, millet, sorghum and beans. The landforms are plain in the main but substantially mountainous in some areas. The Zuma Rock is a natural monolith with 2, 379 feet elevation and a circumference of 3.1. kilometres in Madalla, it is the Abuja gateway from Suleja, Niger State. Aso Rock is about 1,300 feet above sea level with a peak height of 3,071 feet. The seat of government is located close to the latter. 

The Weather of Abuja Month-by-Month: