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Witness History: The creation of Abuja

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The Origin of Abuja

20/12/2019 GMT

The creation of Abuja

BBC World Service - Witness History, The creation of Abuja

Why Nigeria built a brand new capital city from scratch.

Why Nigeria built a brand new capital from scratch and created one of the world 's fastest growing cities.

Why Nigeria came to build a brand new capital from scratch.and created one of the world 's fastest growing cities. During the 1970s oil boom, Nigeria's military rulers wanted to create a new symbol of national unity and decided to spend billions on constructing a new capital in the geographic centre of the country.  Alex Last speaks to Professor John Paden of George Mason University, a veteran political scientist and expert on Nigeria who was hired to advise the American consortium tasked with planning the new city. 

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