In focus: Abuja Centenary City

The Abuja Centenary city is a federal government project, awarded to Front Range Developers, a United Arab Emirates based Real Estate investment company. The City is located at Kuje, just along the airport road. The project, sitting on a total construction area of 91,000 square meters, is aimed at promoting world-class urban infrastructural development to the federal capital territory.
On completion, the city will consist of over 260 luxury villas; 256 apartment buildings; 13 water fronts; 139 office buildings; 30 floors of luxury apartments; 46 floors of premium offices and five major retail centers.
The city will also have 313,697 meters square of hotel suites and serviced apartments; 36,000 meters square of entertainment and centers as well as 466,298 meters square of integrated golf community.
Despite being a Public – Private Partnership (PPP), Mr. Jaimal Shergill the Executive Director of Front Range explained that the centenary city, as a free trade zone, would be exempted from both federal and state taxes, pointing out that it would also be exempted from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) property tax.

The executive director revealed that 87, 000 jobs would be created. “In addition to that, ‘ he said, we will have 137, 000 residents a bulk of the workers will be Nigerians, and in our estimate for every resident, two or three jobs would be created, which is close to about 300 to 400, 000 jobs. “There will be two stages of job creation which include the construction phase and the services stage. The first phase which is the five star hotel and residence would be completed within four years.” Shergill noted that centenary city is not for the rich alone as it is an all inclusive project, adding that the first phase is a bit expensive but the housing phase is all encompassing.

The idea is to get a better city than the present Abuja where people will not need to provide basic amenities by themselves.”
The Good News is that, this fast rising \”Dubai-like\” City is just a 10 minutes drive after our Cherry View Estate at Aco Estate Phase 2 when you are driving towards the airport. And it is also just a 7 minutes drive before our Ballers Court Estate site at Kuchyako Kuje.

The City is also conceived as a center for the preservation of Nigeria’s political history and documentation of her contributions to the political, cultural and economic development and the advancement of peace and security in the world, as well as the hub of economic activities.

The goal is to create a new City, a modern urban centrality for the sustainable development of this magic land, where natural beauty and architecture icons must merge together to create an environment that is alive and productive. The City will re-introduce Abuja to the world with the following features:
A GREEN CITY – with a natural buffer that envelopes the entire City and encircles the central neighborhood that protects and nurtures the whole with world-class public facilities;

ZERO WASTE MANAGEMENT – The City will aim at reducing waste to zero. Domestic waste will be used to create nutrient-rich soil, fertilizer and incinerated as an additional power source. Other wastes such as plastics and metals will be recycled or re-purposed for other uses;

A CENTRAL PARK – that provides the green-spirit which gives orientation, clarity and iconic power to the City as a whole but most powerfully to the City Centre.

FLEXIBLE TOPOGRAPHIES – that are all conceptually related to one another so that they can be placed together to create a rich, elegant, textured and vibrant City.

AN URBAN GRID – super-block system that is modular and organic,yielding a resulting grid of arteries, streets and pathways with an efficient traffic system where pedestrians, bicycles, motorcars, trams and monorail can co-exist in a friendly human way;

INDEPENDENT POWER SOURCE – With a gas-fired 500MW power plant connected directly to a gas terminal, constant power supply to the City can be taken for granted.

WATER MANAGEMENT – Planned in an environmentally sound manner where approximately 60 percent of the water used will be recycled and waste water reused as many times as possible.

PUBLIC AREAS – A prominent cultural core with various symbols of Nigeria’s Unity and Strength, Parks, Galleries etc.

COMMERCIAL – Exquisite Office Towers, Exotic Hotels, Magnificent Shopping Malls, Imposing Expo/Convention Centre, Cozy Theatres and Cinemas;

RESIDENTIAL – Elegant High-rise Apartment & Apartment Towers, Single Family Houses, Semi Detached Houses, Row-Houses, Apartment Blocks;

CIVIC – Primary & Secondary Schools, University Campus, Health Centres, Health Farms and Theme Parks;

INSTITUTE OF SPORTS – Sports shall be given prominence in the City with top-of-the range sporting facilities, which shall include a signature golf course.

SPORTS HOSPITAL – A modern sports hospital that will be on the cutting edge of sports medicine and providing 5-star level services The Sports Hospital will offer state-of-the-art diagnostic tools and services

BUSINESS CENTRE – A preferred destination for multi-national and domestic businesses. It is expected that the top most corporate bodies in Nigeria will have their show rooms in the City.

PRESIDENTIAL ARCHIVES – To house the history of our political development and the contributions of our Presidents and the Nigerian Institute of Federalism.

PRESIDENTIAL RETREAT – An alternative operational base for the President.

A NEW CEREMONIAL ARCADES (UNITY SQUARE) – To compliment the Eagle Square and to add color to Government ceremonies and activities.

NEW ABUJA CITY GATE – A magnificent and awe-inspiring architectural masterpiece that will eloquently introduce the Centenary City and welcome visitors to Abuja.

In sum, the City will be a revolutionary approach to urbanization in Africa and champion’s private sector role in projects of significant magnitude. By the end of its planned 5-year development cycle, this innovative and vibrant City would have created over 50,000 construction jobs and 5,000 permanent well- paying jobs. The City is planned for a residential population of about 100,000 people but to host about 500,000 visitors daily. It shall promote world-class multinational and domestic businesses in a world-class and master planned environment that gives meaning to Life, energy for Work and pleasure for Play, while permanently contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth, diversity and greatness into the next centenary.