The Abuja City Gate that reopened recently to the public after it was remodeled by the FCT Administration is fast becoming the preferred hotspot for convergence, hospitality and social media content creation, Olawale Ajimotokan writes
H.K Manuel, an indigene of Okigwe, Imo State was relishing the night and having a pleasurable moment in company of his friend at a corner at the newly renovated Abuja City Gate.
Amid the blaring music that serenaded the visitors, a feeling of great satisfaction manifested on his face when he was asked about his impression on the City Gate redesigned by the Minister Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike after the idea was broached by the First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
“It is a welcome development and I can say that this is one of a type. If you go around Abuja, you will understand. It a well-designed, comfortable environment for people to relax without even paying to come in. In this place you can reflect over your business plan or relax with your family and loved ones,” Manuel said.
He gave kudos to Wike and those who thought it necessary to redesign the garden, saying: “Everything about this place is breathtaking. Wike has done one, we are waiting for him to do two more because we know him right from Rivers State as Mr. Project”.
Indeed, the Abuja City Gate is a sight to behold every time of the day with revelers, students on excursion, content makers, cultural tropes, and hawkers and different types of people thronging into the park every time either to recreate, record videos, sell food, reflect and have photo opportunities.
Commuters traversing the International Airport Road on the western corridor of the federal capital city are now used to the presence of large crowd of revelers of different social standing, enjoying an outing in the manicured and reconstructed garden illuminated by neon lights.
The concrete monument of structural arches, which is approximately 25 metres high is topped out with a flag designed in the shape of the FCT flag and Nigeria’s coat of arms strapped in between the two supporting columns with the inscription: “You Are Welcome”.
The structure, designed to represent national unity and diversity sits on a site near the National Stadium Complex, Kukwaba at the intersection where Umar Yar Adua Road meets the Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue that originate from the Three Arm-Zone.
Intriguingly before the recent transformation by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, which some critics regarded as a misplaced priority, the spot used to be one of the most dangerous places in the nation’s capital, providing cover for robbers, drug addicts and other undesirable elements, foisting crime on innocent persons.
“Before now this place used to be a playground for hooligans. If you parked your car there, they would attack you straight away, rob you or steal your car. It is a fact, right on top of the bridge. But it is a different situation now. Even you could not pass through here in the night. There were always bad boys around here. We should appreciate this transformation. We don’t need God to descend and do some things for us. We need to use our initiatives. As government has been able to provide this for us, we, the citizens also need to protect it. That is my little advice,” Manuel added.
The entire environment is reminiscent of an eye when viewed from above the sky. It was totally overhauled by the construction firm, Julius Berger contacted by the FCTA.
It is fenced to deter intruders and paved with interlocking stones while the glow of neon lights brings out its magnificence in the night. It features a newly added grand water fountain system representing Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT and most importantly has a huge parking lot that makes it very safe to hang out till late in the night.
A motif on the wall, immediately after the walkway illuminates the car park. The painting of some of Nigeria’s independence fathers that never evades the eyes of any visitor to the garden, also adds some aura to the city gate.
Don Zaya Awuru makes a living at the City Gate by selling meat pie, smoothie and shawarma to visitors. He said he had been making a living daily while the line of business had been quite profitable since the facility was opened to the public in June.
“On the business, we give God the glory. Like yesterday (on a Sunday), wow! Everywhere was seriously choked. We love the business. Today business is ongoing, but the sales is not on the same scale as that of the previous day. But I am still hoping for more patronage,” Awuru said.
He applauded the authority for transforming the spot into a thriving tourist garden saying: “The government has done its bit. What is expected for the public to take ownership by coming to the City Gate in numbers to come and flex and celebrate. Honestly, this is an initiative worthy of commendation.
“It is a fantastic place because when you see the pictures everywhere, the background of Abuja has changed just because of this place. Many international tourists are now posting pictures and even uploading videos of the City Gate on the Social Media. This whole place was buzzing when that Dutch influential content maker, Traveltomtom set his foot here.
You can see everybody here setting up their phone cameras and using the City Gate as a background. We love what we are seeing and this is what this generation wants from those in authority. We love this country and things that can promote us”.
Awuru urged his fellow youth to eschew crime and take advantage the facility has to offer by exploring business opportunities or ideas that can generate money.
“The business will thrive. You will marvel at what I am saying because here, nothing goes waste here. You can see hawkers of soft drinks and buns. Imagine if those consumer goods don’t go waste, is it Shawarma, smoothies that will? Look at the kind of people here. Business is going well,” he added with a facial expression.
For John, an operator of virtual reality game, the Abuja City Gate is simply a gamechanger. He reckoned the whole idea is transformative and would like the federal government to consider opening another type of a garden like such in another part Abuja given the uplifting aura of the City Gate on tourists that small-scale business owners like him are cashing on.
“They should do more of this because it will attract more development to the country. More visitors will visit the country when we have more of these attractions, instead of us travelling out for tourism”.
Coincidentally he discovered this new spot after his business was disrupted following the closure of the Jabi Lake park by the FCTA.
John noted that the virtual reality game that has many elements, including simple, scary and adventurous scenes, which he brings on to the streets and random spots like the city gate helps people to get over their sorrow
“They have virtual reality game in the malls, but I have decided to take it to the streets. This one is mobile. They have it in different places. You go to house, pay for game house and play. This is mobile. Anywhere you are, I can bring it to you. You don’t need to go to mall before you play it as you can have it anywhere. That is why I’m into it and people are embracing it,” he said.
He added that the manicured environment will allow patrons to reflect, forget their sorrows and proceed to another level of life.
Yunusa Lawal, who opened a smoothies and fruit juice shop near the gate’s car park more than two weeks ago, said the monument was another form of opportunity to earn a daily living through patronage in the evening when the crowd is large.
He described the renovated facility as a very important place for tourism and for people to come and unwind.
“It is just that the market cannot be parallel like that. But we thank God for the few days. We made a bit of sales while we recorded some losses,” Lawal said.
Lawal, who was forced to relocate to the City Gate because of the closure of Jabi Lake, said the new place now allowed him to make up for the lost patronage.
“We are very okay with this place. I ask people, families to visit this place for relaxation. I am definitely in support of the clamour for another type of this facility to be built in Abuja”.