Speaking at the launch of the new route, Aaron Munetsi, SAA Acting Chief Commercial Officer, said: “What better way to celebrate the New Year and 2016, which promises to be a great year for continued growth on the continent, by adding a second point in Nigeria – one of the most popular and profitable routes in the SAA African route network.
“Introducing Abuja adds more travel options for our customers, especially for the business community, and enhances our footprint on the continent.”
Most travellers to Nigeria only get as far as Lagos, the sprawling metropolis, which is the largest city on the African continent, with those wanting to go onto Abuja facing a further 45-minute connecting flight.
Now, however, there is the option of a direct, five-hour flight from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to Abuja – and everything that this city which was expressly built in the 1980s to be Nigeria’s capital city has to offer.
While Abuja’s growing population sits at an estimated five million, it is still by most estimates, some 15 million less than Lagos in the south.
Upon landing though, one can expect to tread water for a little while as the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport only has two desks to process travellers through immigration. The airport is small and busy, so requires a degree of patience.
African Analyst Adetunji Omotola said the new route from Johannesburg will greatly assist the growth of Abuja, which was not designed as most cities around a central business district (CBD).
If you were to look for the CBD of Abuja you would not find it, as the capital city has been described as a “political town” and not what you would expect from major metros such as Johannesburg.
“The flights will increase the growing of the city,” Omotola said.
According to Omotola, there is a huge infrastructure deficit in Abuja with no large mall or cinema complex yet in place.
“It’s all clustered in one area and they had to forcefully move government workers to Abuja as people didn’t want to move here, and many left their families in Lagos because there weren’t any schools.”
But the face of Abuja is slowly changing.
“There are direct flights to many European capitals directly from Abuja, so there is a lot of movement in and out of Abuja,” Omotola added.
Omotola said that with the federal government located in Abuja, it would always attract government-related business and people.
“Federal government people will come to Abuja for budget allocation physically to get the money, the central government funds come in, from let’s say the oil, to the centre and gets distributed to the states and the state government will distribute to the smaller municipals, so Abuja is important.”
Omotola said that all the government ministries where in Abuja, which represented the country’s administrative and political centre.
“It’s become the capital of the north because Lagos is remote from the north,” he said. “The elite will spend more time in Abuja because its got all the facilities.
“This (SAA) flight is more significant because northern Nigerian, which has the highest population, has been remote from the outside world, so this flight will open opportunities for people who will need to get to the southern parts of Africa, especially when it comes to investments, as well as going into the north of the country through Abuja.”
Abuja itself is a city of contrasts. The prices of goods vary dramatically, from paying 3,500 Naira for a double gin and tonic water at the hotel (the equivalent to R280), to paying only 2,299 Naira for a one litre bottle of Skyy Vodka from the local Shoprite (R184).
Best to shop around then, and with Abuja’s burgeoning population and associated growth, hopefully it won’t be much longer before there are greater choices for shopping excursions.
For those landing in Abuja, which is located almost in the centre of Nigeria, a guided tour to get one’s bearings may be a good idea. A four-day guided tour is available for 25,000 Naira, or R2,000.
Chikezie Osuagwu, CEO of CGSK Tours, which was awarded the best tour company in Abuja in 2013 said: “It would be better to have a tour guide to assist you, someone who will advise on how the local food is etc.”
Osuagwu added that Abuja was mostly visited by business men and women, who weren’t in the capital for long, hence the company’s drive to create different packages to suit busy time schedules.
