Must See Nigeria - Abuja

In a moment of misguided inspiration, the Nigerian government kicked out the local Gwari inhabitants and decided to up-and-move the capital from Lagos to Abuja. Unfortunately, they ran out of oil money before the grand vision was finished and parts of Abuja still look like a work in progress.

However, Abuja is slowly taking on the role of Nigeria's capital, and the city is filling. But while most federal ministries and civil servants have made the move, foreign agencies and diplomatic missions are still in Lagos and, as a result, there really isn't much to do in Abuja.

These include the burning issue of whether Abuja ought to be classified as a state or a capital city, instead of the mayoralty that it is. Abuja is about 500km (310mi) northeast of Lagos and, being the official capital, has several daily flights from Lagos. Bush taxis shuttle back and forth between Abuja and the major cities in the central district. Once you get there, though, there are relatively few cheap places to stay. It could be a while before the city's character begins to emerge.