Abuja is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated in the middle of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Planning Associates (IPA), a consortium of three American planning and architecture firms made up of Wallace, Roberts, McHarg & Todd as the lead, Archi systems International, and Planning Research Corporation. The Central Business District of Abuja was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. It replaced Lagos, the country's most populous city, as the capital on 12 December 1991.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is a federal territory in central Nigeria. Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, is located in this territory. The FCT was formed in 1976 from parts of the states of old Kaduna, Kwara, Niger, and Plateau states, with the bulk of land mass carved out of Niger state. The Federal Capital Territory is within the North Central region of the country. Unlike other states of Nigeria, which are headed by elected Governors, it is administered by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, headed by a minister, who is appointed by the president.
Tiv is a Tivoid language spoken in some states in North Central Nigeria, with some speakers in Cameroon. It had over 4.6 million speakers in 2020. The largest population of Tiv speakers are found in Benue state in Nigeria. The language is also widely spoken in the Nigerian states of Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa, Cross River, Adamawa, Kaduna, and Abuja. It is by far the largest of the Tivoid languages, a group of languages belonging to the Southern Bantoid languages
Nasarawa State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by the states of Taraba and Plateau, to the north by Kaduna State, to the south by the states of Benue and Kogi, and to the west by the Federal Capital Territory. Named for the historic Nasarawa Emirate, the state was formed from the west of Plateau State on 1 October 1996. The state has thirteen local government areas and its capital is Lafia, located in the east of the state, while a key economic centre of the state is the Karu Urban Area—suburbs of Abuja—along the western border with the FCT.
The Gbari or Gbagyi are an ethnic group found predominantly in Central Nigeria, with an estimated population figure put at 5.8 million, spread in four States, including the FCT, and located in thirty local Government areas, according to the 2006 National Population Census figures. It is also the name of their language. Members of the ethnic group speak two dialects. While speakers of the dialects were loosely called Gwari by both the Hausa Fulani and Europeans during pre-colonial Nigeria they prefer to be known as Gbagyi/Gbari. They live in the Niger, the Federal Capital Territory - Abuja, and Kaduna State. They are also found in Nasarawa central Nigeria Area. Gbagyi/Gbari is one of the most populated ethnic groups in the middle belt and indigenous in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. This means Gbagyi people are the bonafide owners of the Nigerian capital city, Abuja.
New Karu is the headquarters of Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State. It is one of the largest towns that make up the greater Karu urban centre in Nasarawa state which is a conurbation consisting of towns and villages along the Keffi-Abuja expressway making up the Nyanya-Masaka urban centre. The major towns that make up this urban area are;
Gwandara is a West Chadic language, and the closest relative of Hausa. Its several dialects are spoken in northern Nigeria, predominantly in the north central region of Nigeria by the Gwandara people and some settlers who are about 30,000 people. They are found in large numbers in Abuja, Niger, Kaduna, Kogi and a resettlement town of New Karshi, Karu LGA, Nasarawa State. New Karshi has a Gwandara first class emir Muhammadu Bako III (PhD).
Karu is a Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, central Nigeria. It is close in proximity to the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It has an area of 2,640 km2. Karu local government has its headquarters in New Karu town. It was originally built to house the capital's civil servants and lower income families, but had no running water or good sanitation system. Karu has grown in population beyond its original planned capacity. Ensure Administrative convenience and bring government closer to the grass root people, Karshi Development Area was created with its administrative secretariat at Uke.
Toto is a Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Toto.
Masaka is a town in Nasarawa, central Nigeria. It is a district of Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State and is among the towns that forms the Karu urban area, a conurbation of towns under Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The neighbouring towns to Masaka, also in this urban area as a result of their merger following a population explosion in the zone, are:
Ado is a town in Nasarawa, central Nigeria. It is a district of Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State and is among the towns that make up the Karu urban area, a conurbation of towns stretching to Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory.
New Nyanya is a town in Nasarawa State. It is a district of Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, and is among the towns that make up the Karu Urban Area, a conurbation of towns stretching into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). New Nyanya is loosely considered as part of the metropolitan area of Abuja.
Kurunduma is a suburban town in Abuja Municipal area council, Nigeria. It is a major town around Asokoro Area, a conurbation of towns within Abuja's metropolitan area. Its neighbouring towns are:
The Karu Urban Area is an urban area in central Nigeria. The urban area is majorly located in the Nigerian state of Nasarawa, but with some parts stretching into the boundaries of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It has an area of 40,000 hectares (400 km2) and a population of some 2 million.
Auta Balefi is a fast developing district in central Nigeria. This town is located in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. It lies close to Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. Popular institutions located in this town include, Birgham University Campus (ECWA); Living Faith Church, Goshen City; The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Redemption Camp, Auta gurgu; and some developing estates. This district is rapidly growing due to its closeness to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
One Man Village is a village in central Nigeria. It is found in Karu Local Government area of Nasarawa State. It lies close to Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
Gade (Gede) is a Nupoid language of Nigeria. Glottolog 4.7 (2022) classifies it as an independent branch of Benue-Congo rather than as a Nupoid language.
On 14 April 2014 at about 6:45 am, two bombs exploded at a crowded bus station in Nyanya, Nasarawa State, killing at least 88 people and injuring at least 200. The bus station is 8 km southwest of central Federal Capital Territory.
On 1 May 2014, a car bomb exploded in New Nyanya, a town in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The explosion killed at least 19 people and injured at least 60.
New Karshi is a town in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria, founded in the 1980s by Muhammadu Bako II. It is a semi-autonomous local government created out of Karu LGA as Karshi Development area with the administrative secretariat in Uke. Karshi has a local government chairman as its administrative head and a seat in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly. Emir of Karshi Emirate, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammadu Sani Bako III, a first class chief is the traditional head of New Karshi. It has a population of about 30,000 people. The predominant tribes are Gwandara, Gbagyi, Gade, Bassa and Hausa.
