Abuja, Nigeria: Capital of Africa's Most Populous Nation

WELCOME TO THE "HEART OF AFRICA"

And where is that, you may ask! Well, it's Abuja, capital of Africa's most populous nation!

Abuja is glaring proof that Africans can plan and build a modern city, good enough to host the Queen of England for the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the All Africa Games, and if it gets the nod, the 2019 Commonwealth Games!

But the actual "Heart of Africa" is more than a geographical expression. It's a political image blitz by the government of Nigeria to raise the leadership profile of the country and make Abuja the destination of choice for international conferences and other events.

So far, the campaign has been a pleasant success. Despite its numerous social problems, and rampant corruption, Nigeria is the leading power on the continent. No quarter passes by without an international talk shop in this brand new capital with more hotels per square kilometer than any other city in Africa!

Last August, the NEPAD Fish for All Summit brought participants from all over the continent, including delegates from the UN and donor agencies around the world to Le Meridien, show- piece hotel that housed the leaders of the Commonwealth in December 2004.

From December 4-9, 2005, the 14th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa will hold at the International Conference Center. Before then, an investors meet on Nigeria's telecoms sector, the fastest growing in Africa, is slated for mid September.

But Abuja is not all about diaries. Abuja is live painting of beautiful rocks and scenic hills, wide clean streets and smiling people everywhere. This city is a slice of all that is good about Africa, a vibrant theatre of big dreams and bigger achievements.

To think that it is only thirty years since the first brick was laid here! Clearly, Abuja is a baby among cities everywhere, is as warm and welcoming as the oldest of them.

The rocks of Abuja set a stolid tone for its scenic skyline. Zuma on the outskirts, with its weeping king and queen is a brownish cousin of the rock face painting by Paul McCartney. Some one should ask that aging Beatle if he has ever been to the Heart of Africa! Also, standing guard behind the Presidential Villa, hides a legend in a secret underground cave. Whoever sleeps in that buried chamber will rule the land! Don't ask me if the president knows the entrance to the mystic bedroom! Katampe, they say, is the geographical center of Nigeria. From the aesthetic point of view, therefore, you could be standing in the exact aorta of the continent when you ascend its height…