My First Time in Abuja: My First Experience in the Capital City
I always dream of traveling to Abuja ever since my cousin relocated to the city from Lagos. I needed a good reason to travel down there and last year I got several opportunities but I couldn’t go as it was clashing with the dates set for NYSC clearance. Eventually one of my trip to Abuja came after my clearance and it was a perfect one.
That Sunday morning, I left Abakaliki early to catch my 11 a.m. flight from Enugu to Abuja. I had prepared mentally but I didn’t know something special was waiting for me in the sky.
As usual, I chose the window seat, that place beside the glass that makes travel feel personal. I love it there. It’s where I see the world change beneath me and sometimes feel my own world shift inside.
Once we were in the air, I opened a page of my spiritual book, Rhapsody of Realities by Pastor Chris. Reading it while flying felt peaceful, a kind of grounding I didn’t expect. Before long, I was half reading, half just gazing out the window.
Below me, Enugu looked beautiful. From the sky, the city looked small, dense, and orderly like a tiny model someone carefully arranged. Roads looked like lines on a map, houses like dots and blocks, and every little corner seemed slower than life on the ground. The higher we climbed, the more everything looked peaceful and intentional.
Naturally, I took pictures and even recorded a few videos. These are the moments I like capturing not for the sake of showing off, but for remembering how powerful they felt in real time.
Then we began approaching Abuja, and honestly… I wasn’t prepared for what I saw.
From the sky, Abuja didn’t look like a random city. It looked engineered, planned, and organized in a way I’d never seen before. The roads wide, well laid out, and cutting straight across the land, stood out immediately. You could see highways, intersections, and bridges forming patterns that gave structure to the whole city.
Some landmarks caught my eye instantly as we descended, such as The Moshood Abiola National Stadium which was a huge structure that stood out clearly from above. Its round shape made it easy to spot even from a distance. The Abuja National Mosque with its large dome and elegant design, The National Christian Centre not far from the mosque, City Gate and the main road arteries, Bridges and elevated roads that connected parts of the city like pieces of a puzzle, evidence of intentional planning and modern infrastructure.
Everything looked almost drawn like someone sketched a perfect city and then filled it in with real buildings, trees, and lights.
When we touched down, it was still morning, and I felt that first Abuja impression was already unforgettable.
After we got off the plane, my seat partner and I ended up taking pictures of each other, portraits beside the arrival signs, smiles that said “we made it.” Moments like that make travel feel human and joyful.
At the arrival hall, I waited for my co-founder’s flight so we could go together to the hotel where we were staying for the week. Once he arrived, we headed straight to Wuse 2, our temporary home for the bootcamp. The hotel was comfortable and right in the heart of things.
The purpose of the trip was the I-FAIR Build It Challenge Bootcamp at Innov8Hub just off Airport Road, a program organized by the Israeli Embassy designed to support builders, tech thinkers, and innovators. For a week, we immersed ourselves in lessons, conversations, workshops, and real connections. The experience was sharp, insightful, and motivating in more ways than one.
But Abuja wasn’t all about the sessions. The city itself made a big impression as The roads were smooth and clearly marked, the city layout was clean and easy to navigate, also buildings looked structured and neat from every angle and the general energy of the place felt organized yet warm.
Abuja is truly a place worth visiting if you’re in Nigeria.
The food was good, different flavours compared to what I was used to, but enjoyable. The people I met were friendly, easy to talk to, and full of stories. And the blend of modern structures and open spaces made the city feel comfortable to explore.
By the end of the bootcamp, I had made new friends, gained fresh insights, and walked away with memorable experiences, not just from the sessions but from the city itself.
This was my first time in Abuja, and I can honestly say it won’t be my last. I’ll be going back more often now not just for work or programs, but because Abuja feels like a place worth returning to, exploring deeper, and understanding better.
