Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]

Q:Where is the location of Abuja Boulevard?

Strategically located in the very heart of the Federal Capital City, the Boulevard is very close to the Three Arms Zone, the seat of Government. .  It accommodates parts of the Ministries and cultural zones as well as the Central Business District. The boulevard area is contained within four major Axial Roads [which are Roads B06, B08, B10 and B12 - also called Constitution Avenue, Hospital Avenue North, Hospital Avenue South and Independence Avenue respectively]. Abuja Boulevards stretch from the Shehu Shagari Way (near the Eagle Square) to the National Hospital, traversing several major Arterial Roads such as Ahmadu Bello Way, Sani Abacha Way, Herbert Macaulay Way and Olusegun Obasanjo Way.  It also cuts across two Transit Ways, NS2 and NS12. The proposed roads [referred to as boulevards] are situated along two of these four axial roads, that is Roads B08 and B10.

Q:what is the size of the boulevard area?

The total coverage of the boulevard area is approximately 4.5km² or 4,550,000m² or 455Hectares. It is 6.5km long by 0.7km wide. The original Master Plan, in recognition of the special features and use of the land in this area, demarcated it into what is referred to as mega-blocks of size 200mx200m or 40,000m² or 4Hectares and there are approximately 50Nr of such. It is expected to be the perfect business and living environment geared towards developing a healthy and ideal community. The Abuja Boulevard will be characterized by an efficient road network (with multiple motor ways and wide sidewalks which will allow for effective pedestrian movement   Tramway.

Q: How does developing a boulevard within the FCT rank as one of the major priority in the list of the so many stones yet untouched?

1.	The location of the FCT is geographically central to all of Africa making it internationally significant and accessible from/to most of the continent’s capital cities. The Central Area thus forms. The heart of the City just as the City itself is regarded as the heart of Nigeria and, by extension, the heart of the continent of Africa. This makes the whole of Abuja and, in particular, the Central Area, a natural magnet for the centralization of Pan-African and world-class commercial, financial and political institutions.
2.	The above status of the City has informed the strong desire of the FCT Administration to embark on this development in the Central Area of the City to provide Abuja with a downtown and make the City more befitting of its status as a world-class city. The boulevard area or Abuja Downtown when fully developed is expected to attract and facilitate 24/7 commercial activities complemented by 24/7 vehicular and pedestrian movements similar to the Champs Elysee in Paris, or Oxford Street in London as mentioned in consonance with the vision of making Nigeria one of the top twenty economies of the world by the year 2020.
3.	The scheme will promote the physical development of the City.
4.	The Scheme is a potential source of Foreign Direct Investment FDI.
5.	It will enhance trade and commerce.
6.	It will raise FCT’s Gross Domestic Product [GDP].
7.	It will attract international brands such as Marks and Spencer, Harrods, Spar, McDonalds, KFC, etc and will provide cheaper options for Nigerians who burn a lot of foreign exchange travelling and shopping abroad.
8.	It will create employment. First the construction work comprising the development of the engineering infrastructure and second the development of individual plots will inject over N200billion into the construction sector. Further, the offices, shopping malls, luxury hotels and apartments, casinos, cinemas, etc that will emerge will employ thousands of Nigerians for both blue and white collar jobs.
9.	The development of the City currently depends almost wholly on budget allocation. This project will change that and serve as a useful model for the development of the FCT through PPP. The same model will be applied to the development of district infrastructure especially for Katampe, Mabushi, Durumi, Wuye, etc - thus taking pressure off budget and enhancing the provision of other competing dire needs especially of the masses such as social infrastructure - hospitals, schools, economic infrastructure - water, power, etc.
10.	It will change the status of the FCT from the expensive civil service or government city to a world-class commercial and financial centre.
11.	It will boost tourism and attract more expatriate entrepreneurs to contribute to the development of the city.
12.	It will enhance FCT’s Internally Generated Revenue IGR through rates and taxes.

Q: how much will this cost and how do you intend to finance this project

Estimated to cost about 50 billion naira, the FCT Administration is collaborating with the private sector for the funding of this state of the art scheme.  While the private sector will provide this estimated amount for the engineering infrastructure (roads, power, water, telecommunication, security system, etc), the FCT will facilitate the repayment of the private sector funds by levying owners of plots in the boulevard area.  Such levies would be computed by spreading the total cost of infrastructure over the area of land serviced.

As a means of keeping Abuja and indeed the Nigerian economy vibrant and flourishing, the scheme is designed to attract international brands like Marks and Spencer, JC Penny, Harrods, Selfridges and a host of others, thereby cutting down on the number of Nigerians who travel abroad for shopping.  Nigerians can now shop in malls of same standard and save their travel costs.

Q: How much of demolition is going to be involved and are the affected plot owners going to be fully compensated for their property?

In the boulevard area presently, the total number of plots available is 244 plots (205 hectares) of which 72plots (60.5 Ha) are fully developed, 70plots (58.9 Ha) are partially developed while the remaining 102 plots (85.7 Ha) are undeveloped.
Most of the fully developed plots are already in compliance with the boulevard concept, although they will need upgrading in one or two areas.

Q: What is the relationship of the boulevard project with the Abuja Master Plan?

The Abuja Boulevard Scheme is an implementation of the Abuja Master Plan in the sense that it is the development of what are described in the Master Plan as the Axial Roads B08 and B10 and Adjoining Arterial Roads of which the corridors are completely free as at now. The scheme also comprises the development of the plots serviced by this infrastructure. The original Master Plan, in recognition of the special features and use of the land in this area, demarcated it into what is referred to as ‘super-blocks’ of size 200mx200m or 4Hectares each (approximately 50nr of such) for the development of huge building structures of the likes of the NNPC Towers.

However, recently the FCT Administration, in collaboration with the world renowned planning consultants, Albert Speer & Partner GmbH, concluded the review of the ‘super-blocks’ concept of the Master Plan making each ‘super-block’ sub-divisible into smaller lots of 1hectare or even 3,000 - 4,000m2 to accommodate smaller developers.

Q: What do you consider as the benefit(s) of this scheme?

The facilities in the Boulevard would guarantee a continuous flow of business in the City, hence contributing to enhancing the economic and social value of   Abuja.  This would translate to a lot of job opportunities and an exciting rejuvenation of the Federal Capital City.

The realization of the Abuja Boulevard scheme will make Abuja, our Federal Capital, a natural magnet for the centralization of Pan-African and world class commercial, financial and political institutions which is in consonance with our country’s vision of making Nigeria one of the top twenty economies of the world by the year 2020.

As a means of keeping Abuja and indeed the Nigerian economy vibrant and flourishing, the scheme is designed to attract international brands like Marks and Spencer, Spar, JC Penny, Harrods, Selfridges, and a host of others, thereby cutting down on the number of Nigerians who travel abroad for shopping.  Nigerians can now shop in malls of similar standard and save their travel costs.

The scheme will change the status of the FCT from the expensive civil service or government city to a world-class commercial and financial centre.

It is expected to boost tourism and attract more expatriate entrepreneurs to contribute to the development of the city in particular and the country in general.

It is also expected to significantly enhance FCT’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through rates and taxes.

Q: What is the legal framework for the scheme?

The legal framework for the scheme is a special one considering the fact that some of the plots in the area are already allocated and some even fully developed. Of the approximately 205Ha of land in the area, 70Ha are fully developed and in use, 55Ha are undergoing development while 80Ha is undeveloped. This has constrained the FCT Administration to treat the scheme as a transformative project comprising the upgrading, renewal and rehabilitation of the area. The legal framework has, therefore, been derived from a combination of relevant provisions of the Land Use Act 1978, the Nigeria Urban and Regional Planning Law, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission [ICRC] Act of 2005, etc.  Section 28(2) of the Land Use Act is particularly relevant.

The whole of Part V of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law, particularly clauses 79-82 provide for the designation and declaration of an area as an Improvement or Special Development Area for Rehabilitation, Renewal or Upgrading. This is also understood as the law of Eminent Domain.

The ICRC Act is the law that governs government procurement through public private partnerships and section 4(2) which provides for all contractual arrangements to be procured through competitive bidding is of relevance. Also of relevance is Section 9 of the ICRC Act which provides for a Special Concession Account into which shall be credited money accruing to the project and from which shall be defrayed monies to be paid in respect of the project. Notwithstanding the above legal basis for the scheme it is the intention of the FCT Administration to carry along and collaborate with existing allottees of land in the area in a tripartite relationship with the private sector financiers of the scheme