Nigeria moved its capital from Lagos to Abuja in 1991.
Abuja officially replaced Lagos as Nigeria’s capital on December 12, 1991. The change followed a long planning process aimed at creating a capital that was more centrally located and viewed as less tied to any single ethnic, regional or religious power base.
Nigeria’s federal government initiated the move in 1976 through Decree No. 6. Construction began in 1979, and the new capital was designed as a planned city in the Federal Capital Territory. Its central position was intended to support national unity and encourage development away from the crowded coastal metropolis of Lagos.
Lagos remains Nigeria’s largest city and its major commercial and financial centre, so it is often mistakenly given as the present capital. Abuja, by contrast, is the political and administrative centre, hosting the National Assembly, Supreme Court, presidential complex and foreign embassies. The city’s best-known landmark is Aso Rock, a large granite monolith beside the main government district.