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ABUJA: DREDGING THE SOUL OF AN ARTIFICIAL CITY
As I opened the sealed envelope from the courier company,
the employment letter from the donor agency stared at me. I was to quit my job
at the Orthopaedic Hospital in Igbobi to pursue a career in the development
sector and I struggled to overcome the inner tussle of emotions that welled-up
within me. Lagos had become a second home for me and the thought of relocating
to Abuja stirred a potpourri of emotions. My heart tugged at me over this new
development; how do I leave the wonderful friends I have made in Lagos? Will
there be a vibrant artistic and literary community in Abuja that can meet my
cultural and artistic needs?
Notwithstanding, I took the plunge to leave Lagos
for Abuja as I yielded to the adventurous side of me, and in March 2005, I bid
Lagos farewell after resigning from my job as a physiotherapist!
For the first few weeks in Abuja, I struggled to adapt into
the seemingly bland lifestyle of the residents. Abuja residents seem to have
too much leisure time after work but seem to lack creative ideas on how to
mop-up the loose time. After closing early from work, guys gathered at the
different gardens (aka glorified beer parlors) spread across the city to smoke,
drink beer and pepper soup or eat grilled fish and nkwobi. Those who live in
the outskirts and satellite towns- which are not bereft of beer parlors- hurry
back home early to beat the traffic and relax after work.
Then Abuja streets were vacant most weekends as many
residents made weekend trips to Lagos or other neighbouring towns; for Abuja
then was like an unattractive maiden loathed by hot-like-fire bachelors. She
had no weekend attractions, and no bustling and vibrant night life to break the
boredom on the streets. The usual comments by most Abuja residents who’d
relocated from Lagos or the expatriates were, “Abuja has no soul”, “what a soul-less
city we live in!”
For sure I was restless but hopeful that some closet arts
enthusiast and aficionados like me who would someday come out of our huts to
collectively create and craft a soul that would fill up the hill-circumscribed
space called Abuja metropolis. My first break or you call it luck came through
a Dutch colleague with European Union who hinted me about a weekly Book Club
hosted by wives of diplomats and expatriates in Abuja. I was too shocked when I
realized I was the only guy among the women at my first meeting which held
inside the “US village’’ in Maitama. I never went back again for obvious
reasons. Sure it was a good initiative but didn’t cover the interests of a
wider group of residents who needed an outlet for their literary and artistic
interests.
Unknown to me, some people of like minds had found creative
ways to break the monotonous life in Abuja and chose to gather together at
weekends to drink from the literary pot brewed by artistic minds. A writer
friend, Ike Anya had told before I left Lagos to join Abuja Literary Society
(ALS) and it took me a while to locate them. Then ALS held monthly book
readings and poetry recitations at the British Council and Signature Gallery.
ALS provided the platform for the young and emerging writers to hone and
sharpen their writing and poetry performance skills through the critique
sessions, open-mike sessions and quarterly performance poetry slams supported
by Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
With the closure of Numetro Stores in Abuja, a new
multimillion dollar edifice Silverbird Entertainment Centre, Abuja was
constructed to provide world class entertainment for the residents now have a
juicy variety of entertainment options at their doorstep; class cinema halls
were both Hollywood and Nollywood films compete for space; night clubs,
fast-food joints and exotic shops for all kinds of stuff; books, music Cds and
dvds, designer clothes, electronics and sports equipment.
In addition Abuja Literary Society now holds a monthly book
jam inside Silverbird’s bookstore, whereby seasoned Nigerian authors are hosted
in an interactive session with readers. Other equally active literary groups in
Abuja include Abuja Writers Forum, Guild of Artists and Poets, and Association
of Nigeria Authors which have collaborated with ALS to host popular Nigerian
authors such as Chimamanda Adichie, Sefi Atta, Chika Unigwe, Lola Shoneyin,
Adobi Nwaubani, Toni Kan, Helon Habila, Unomah Azuah, Uwem Akpan, Abidemi
Sanusi, Eghosa Imaseun, Onyeka Nwelue among others.
The last weekends of each month in Abuja are usually packed full
with literary arts events. For instance, Abuja Infusion ( a fusion of poetry,
music and literature) holds every last Thursday of the month at a lounge; JB’s
Grill located within Maitama Amusement Park, and hosted by the poet and author,
Lola Shoneyin. Abuja Book Jam (hosted by ALS) holds every last Friday of the
month at Silverbird entertainment centre, while Abuja Writers Forum holds a
monthly Guest Author event every last Saturday of the month.
There are two different active play reading groups; one
holds at the Korean Cultural Centre, while for the second play reading group,
the members take turns to host the sessions at their respective homes. The
French Cultural centre also hosts a couple of events like stage plays, and films
on some weekends. The Abuja Film Club holds every Sunday evening, with members coming
together to enjoy private screening of classic films, and critically analyzing
at the end of the screening.
Abuja is not all about books, plays and films. For instance,
members of the Abuja Field Society do scheduled trips to sites of tourists’
attraction within Abuja and neighbouring states. Some expeditions include
visits to Bwari Pottery, Ushafa Caves, Fulani Market, Waterfalls, Arugungu
Fishing Festival, Kano Durbar, among others.
There’s an Abuja Hash group whose members do hiking along
some trails across Abuja twice a month and usually on Saturdays. The hash group
is one of the most exciting social get-togethers for those who enjoy outdoor
fun. There are live bands that play every night at different locations like
hotels and bars. On weekends, a lot of men play soccer at different locations
such as Jabi Lake, at the Astroturf in Maitama Amusement Park and other soccer pitches
across the city.
With time, Nduka Obaigbena set up ThisDay Dome in the heart
of the city centre where several comedy and music concerts have been held so
far, in addition to the regular concerts that are held at the Congress Hall of
the Hilton, the Ladi Kwali Hall of Sheraton, and the Africa Hall of the
International Conference Centre.
The real crowd puller is the yearly ‘all-night’, Jam Mega
Fest hosted by the Abuja branch of the House on the Rock at the Eagles’ Square,
which attracts over a million crowd, who come to watch top-rated international
and local gospel artists perform live in Abuja. Abuja City Carnival which holds
the last week of November draws cultural troupes from the 36 states of Nigeria.
Each state troupe designs a float that depicts the unique culture of their
people and the carnival involves display of cultural dances by each state team
along the streets of Abuja, boat regatta at the Jabi ‘artificial’ lake, horse
racing durbar, music concert etc.
Couples and families in Abuja have countless and well-mowed
and maintained gardens and parks located in every section of the city to relax
in, and the most prominent and biggest are the Millennium Park which overlooks
Transcorp Hilton Hotel. There are a couple of amusement parks for kids and
adults and ‘Wonderland Amusement Park’ which is a mini Disneyland that attracts
a huge traffic most weekends and festive periods.
Abuja’s night life is the most exciting time for most
visitors from other states and cities in Nigeria due to the relative peace and
security within the city. Numerous night clubs dot the Abuja’s neon-lit streets
at night, with bars, cafes and coffee shops, shawarma joints, and most hotels
have live bands that entertain clients most evenings and especially at
weekends. With police patrol vans strolling around to provide security and
taxicabs moving about easily, Abuja residents and visitors can move from one
club to the other in relative peace.
And should anyone say again that Abuja has no soul that
inhabits the magnificent edifices and offices sucked into its belly, many a
resident would be sure to defend this city that we have all come to love,
despite the annoyingly high cost of house rents, worsened by the display of stupendous
wealth by politicians and their associates. At the Abuja residents who pay
through their noses for decent housing are often consoled that at least it
offers us what every other city in Nigeria hardly can provide in abundance;
good roads, well-laid out streets, beautiful lawns and parks, and a dose of
salubrious air!
…..
