Abuja: A Success Model in Civil Engineering and Planned City Construction

Written by Bruno Teles

Published on 02/01/2024 at 16:23

Foto: Divulgação/Abuja – Nigéria

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In An Impressive Turnaround Of The Usual Patterns Of Planned Cities, Abuja, The Capital Of Nigeria, Emerges As An Extraordinary Example Of Success In Civil Engineering And Construction. This City, Conceived In The 1970s As A New Capital For The Country, Not Only Was Successfully Built But Also Thrived, Attracting Millions To Its Urban Core.

Abuja, A City That Defied Common Expectations Of Mega Construction Projects, Is A Rare Success Story Among Planned Cities And Civil Engineering. While Many Of These Initiatives Are Remembered For Their Disastrous Outcomes, Abuja Stands Out As A Notable Exception.

Originally, Lagos, The Former Capital Of Nigeria, Was An Expanding Metropolis With Around 24 Million Inhabitants. However, It Faced Severe Issues Such As Wealth Inequality, Lack Of Permanent Housing For Many Of Its Residents, Poor Sanitation Conditions And The Threat Of Rising Sea Levels. These Challenges, Along With The Legacy Of Colonialism And The Need For A More Central And Accessible Capital, Led To The Decision To Build Abuja.

How Was The Construction Of Abuja?

The Planning And Construction Process Of Abuja Was Meticulous And Gradual, Following An Approach Different From Typical Planned Cities. The City Was Developed In Phases, With A Constant Concern To Address The Real Needs Of The Population, Rather Than Simply Creating An Urban Structure Without A Defined Purpose. This Strategy Of Natural Growth Ensured That Abuja Did Not Suffer The Same Fate As Many Other Planned Cities That Remained Empty Or Underutilized.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Today, Abuja Is Not Only The Political Center Of Nigeria, But Also A Growing Cultural And Economic Hub.

With An Estimated Population Of 1.7 Million In The City And About 6 Million In The Metropolitan Area, Abuja Is The Seventh Largest City In Nigeria. The City Houses Significant Government Buildings, Financial Institutions, And Serves As A Focal Point For Tourism, Culture, And Religion.

However, The Story Of Abuja Is Not Without Criticism And Problems. Social And Economic Inequalities Persist, And Marginalized Areas Face Sanitation Problems And Access To Basic Services. The City Still Needs To Address Issues Of Equity And Sustainability To Continue Its Path To Success.

Nonetheless, Abuja Stands Out As A Notable Example Of Success In Civil Engineering And The Construction Of A Planned City. Its Existence And Prosperity Challenge The Notion That Planned Cities Are Fated To Fail, Showing That, With Careful Planning And Responding To Real Needs, Such Projects Can Not Only Succeed But Also Become Vital For The Growth And Development Of A Nation.

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ALBERTO MELO

#134

04/04/2024 14:10

Alberto Melo e Afro brasileiro especialista em comércio internacional quer ajudar na construção de ABUJA OU SEJA CONVIDAR EMPRESAS DE CONSTRUÇÃO DO BRASIL PARA TRABALHAR NA NIGÉRIA ABUJA
O pagamento será em petróleo. Counter trade trocas comerciais

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Abuja: A Success Model in Civil Engineering and Planned City Construction

How Was The Construction Of Abuja?

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Abuja: A Success Model in Civil Engineering and Planned City Construction

How Was The Construction Of Abuja?

Today, Abuja Is Not Only The Political Center Of Nigeria, But Also A Growing Cultural And Economic Hub.

Libya built over 4,000 kilometers of underground pipelines to bring water from the Sahara to coastal cities in a project that the government itself called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

Toyota launches “family hybrid van” with 7 or 8 seats, 1.8 hybrid engine, fuel consumption of up to 23.8 km/l, and a price equivalent to about R$ 104,000 without taxes, below the Tiggo 8 Pro Plug-in Hybrid sold in Brazil: meet the Noah Hybrid 2026 in Japan.

Scientists have created a material six times lighter than air, 75 times lighter than styrofoam, and that becomes stronger the more it is compressed: aerographite seems impossible, but it can reinforce structures, batteries, and satellites.

Described by astronauts as one of the most unlikely natural phenomena on Earth, the Okavango Delta spreads over up to 15,000 square kilometers in the middle of the desert and transforms Botswana into a living labyrinth of channels, islands, and flooded areas.

During the construction of the world’s highest bridge, the Huajiang Bridge in China, engineers discovered a giant aquifer and turned what would have been a serious problem into a 625-meter artificial waterfall, an engineering feat that no one had planned.

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In the cold desert of Ladakh, where it hardly rains, engineer Sonam Wangchuk created the ice stupa, a tower that freezes winter water and stores it for irrigating crops in the spring, a simple engineering feat that mimics nature.

For the first time in history, solar and wind energy generated more electricity than natural gas worldwide in a single month, April 2026, a milestone in the energy transition that shows renewable sources taking the lead in the global electric system.

Brazil is sitting on one of the largest lithium reserves in the world, in the Jequitinhonha Valley, but national mining has almost become an appendage of China: 97% of the metal’s export goes to a single country, which also dominates refining.

Petrobras is expected to complete the drilling of the Morpho well in the Foz do Amazonas in August 2026, the first well in the Equatorial Margin, an oil frontier that the ANP estimates at more than 30 billion barrels and could redraw the map of Brazil.

The Caspian Sea, the largest lake in the world, is drying up due to climate change and no one can stop the loss: evaporation could lower the level by up to 21 meters this century and turn ports in Kazakhstan, such as Aktau, into desert.