The chronicles of Abuja – an introduction
Abuja! Abuja!
What more is there to say to a person who hasn’t graced Naija shores in 9 years?
Oh excuse me, let me introduce myself;
“I go by the name Nubian Soul. Soul for short, a Naija Chick
I like words and how they are arranged, some people call it poetry,
passionate, silly sometimes, opinionated, likes to smile, a techie no doubt (power to the geeks),
Music is my rock, my lover, my companion and my bitch,
an all out simple… yet complicated chickâ€
Enough about me already, the most important thing is this, after so long, why even bother to go home?
Well I needed some sunshine, I needed some heat, and no way was I going to let it be a decade before I stepped foot on Naija soil. So, on a whim and with less than a week to prepare, I decided, it was time to re-visit my country of origin.
Ready or not, it was time to go back home.
My flight touched down at 5:30am at Nnamdi Azikiwe airport with no fuss, no nothing and it took me less than 10minutes to clear out of immigration. I just picked up my tiny suitcase and kept it moving.
On the way out, someone asked me what I brought for them from London, I said;
‘Haba, I’m wondering what you are going to use to entertain me over here’.
They laughed, I laughed and I moved on.
My ride turned up shortly and off we went. I tell you there is nothing better than seeing the sun dance across the African sky first thing in the morning. I started taking pictures immediately.
This was not just my first trip back home in a long time, it was also my first trip to Abuja. When I lived in Naija all those years ago, Lagos was the spot! Now my memories of Murtala Muhammed airport are very clear, I used to be in and out of that place like it was my home, and it was busy all the time and mostly filled with people who had no business being at the airport anyway.
Unlike Lagos airport, Abuja airport is very clam, very far from town, but as a consolation, the roads are smooth and the drive from the airport was extremely easy.
I couldn’t stop smiling; I reached around and took my jacket off, no need for that useless accessory anymore, even though by now it was only 6am in the morning, the temperature was already 22C. (71.6F) I turned to ‘my sisi’ (my nickname for my ‘aunt’) and said…
‘Sisi mi, this one na London summer o!’
she laughed.
Eventually, we got to the house, and the maiguard opened the gate, I headed straight for the bathroom, I turned on the taps and cold water came out of both of them… I smiled to myself and thought:
‘Naija! I have definitely come back to you o’
After my shower, I changed into a wrapper and started plotting my day.
I was fresh, I was excited and I was ready to explore. I was ready to see what this Abuja city I had heard so much of, was really about.
I sat there with a list I had gathered from NaijaYouth members (www.naijayouth.com) as well as some recommendations from friends and decided that one of the first things to do was head down to Eagle Square to see the first ever Abuja carnival.
But first, I needed some rest, I was so excited, I almost forgot that I had just come off a 6 hour flight. So I adjusted my wrapper (yes o, na wrapper I tie… it was hot!), put my head back on the couch, put my feet up, switched on the TV for some background noise and closed my eyes.
The carnival would have to wait for a little while I needed a quick nap to rejuvenate myself.
February 14th, 2006 at 2:14 pm
hey, this post has no song for streaming/downloading. and are you a girl? i doubt sha. anyways nice write up by Nubian Soul. Abuja rocks!
February 15th, 2006 at 4:40 pm
Er…..yeah….cute, nice story and all but where’s the music?
February 15th, 2006 at 6:30 pm
(this is just the intro, stay tuned for more…)
February 28th, 2006 at 5:03 am
Hello.
Trae.. this post doeswhat it says on the box (smile) it’s an introduction.
Thanks for the props and you are correct.. Abuja rocks big time!
Dubem… The next article will have some tunes for you.
Bobo.. thanks for the opps.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:16 am
I WANT TO SEE ABUJA
August 4th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Cool very nice!
August 22nd, 2006 at 11:44 am
OH!DA IS NICE, IS DAT ALL? TELL US MORE……i want to here cos i was in abuja too
April 28th, 2007 at 2:55 am
Before I begin, I have to make it clear that Lagos is not a place for leisure, sightseeing and definitely not safari animal hunting. It is not my intention to select such a strange location as my Travel Page but since I have been here for close to a year, it will be beneficiary to others to know how and what to expect if you are left with no choice but to visit this place.
I was relocated here because of my job. Most African countries do not have the convenience of basic infrastructure like telephone, power and water supplies that we enjoyed elsewhere. Communication is very vital in Lagos as land line is virtually none existance in this country. Every fibre optic line that was laid, would have been dug out from the earth by the people the next day. In Lagos, the number of radio towers or radio masts per square kilometer is more than the number of lamp post you may find in Malaysia. Radio towers and huge satellite dishes are common sights on every roof top and premises.
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A typical street sighting after heavy rainpour
Getting into the country
Although this is not the best place to visit and probably be in the last place in your wish list, however, getting into the country is not an easy task at all. All of my trips over the past one year, either into or out of the international airport, were always very eventful. From overcrowded plane to naked man running around the aisle of the aircraft, you will never know what is in place for you next.
Before travelling to Nigeria, ensure you have the following:
- A valid passport that does not expire in the next 6 months.
- A proper visa (business for visitors)
- A return ticket
- Malaria preventive tablets.
- Required vaccinations
- Make sure you lock your check-in bags. Use preferably hard case suitcase.
- Cash (US/Euro/GBP) to exchange into local currency.
Getting a entry visa will require you to produce a letter of invitation from Nigeria and a letter of employment from your end. Visit a closest Nigeria High Commission to you and process it. Some processing fees will also be charged to you.
Next, you have to make sure that you have all the necessay vaccinations taken, for examples Yellow fever, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis A&B, Meningitis A&C and Typhoid. Medical facilities are very poor locally and very expensive if you can find one. Make sure that you take extra care in all areas that can affect your health.
Nigeria is categoried as one of the high risk malaria countries. It is important that you take anti-malaria tablets 4 weeks before the visit and continue the prescription for another 4 weeks after you left the location.
Symptoms of malaria may include fever, chills, sweating, weakness, aches and pains, abdominal pains, diarrhea or vomiting. These symptoms are called “nonspecific” because they are not exclusively caused by malaria and are similar to those of the flu. If you experience some of these symptoms in the weeks following your recent stay in a high-malaria-risk country, “think malaria first” and see a doctor as soon as possible.
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Some locals by the beach
Things to remember
Immigration clearance at the airport can be a nightmare if you do not have anyone to guide you. You have to be extra patience with the clearing process which does not make any sense to me at all. Sometime you may find that they have as many as 3 immigration officers to check one passport!!! The arrival hall is usually overcrowded, just be watchful with you belongings and do not accept offers from the local to help unless you know the person before.
Getting from the airport to Victoria Island will take you 40 minutes if there is no traffic. International arrivals from Europe are usually after 4pm. After clearing the immigration and customs, you should be making your road journey around 6pm. Do not attempt to make road journey alone when night falls. Arm robberies are common especially when it is close to festive seasons like Christmas and New Year.
You are to practise extra awareness in handling your money in Nigeria. NEVER EVER use your credit card in the country. Nigeria is very famous for all credit card scam and fraud. When I say NEVER it means NOT AT ALL. Not even for paying hotel bills at a 5 star hotel. Many visitors who signed their credit card in country, suffer when they return home to find out that their cards were immediately charged with all strange transactions costing thousands of dollar. Don’t ask me how it happened, but the reality is they have the network to track you down once they have your full name as appear on the card and the signature.
Refrain from being flashy in your dressing when in public. All jewelleries, expensive watches, etc should be kept safely.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Nigerians are the best around the globe.