Abuja city was created in 1976 and is the federal capital territory of central Nigeria. 1991 estimates place the ethnically neutral population at around 378,700. Projected estimates expect the population to rise to a few million over the coming years and there are still many large vacant areas within the city limits. Authorities had decided to shift the capital from Lagos to its present location and the related plans were approved in 1976. An area of 3,000-sq mi (7,770-sq km) of undulating grasslands in a scenic valley was identified near the old town of Abuja (renamed Suleja) and the capital territory was established there. Construction of the well-planned and methodically laid out city of Abuja got under way and continued throughout the 1980s. The master plan envisages the development of the city in four stages, of which the first has been completed.
The main reasons for the choice of the site were its central location in the Nigerian heartland surrounded by the states of Kogi, Niger, Kaduna and Nassarawa, its small population and its hospitable climatic conditions all year round. It forms the heart of the federal capital territory and it was officially declared Nigeria's capital in 1991. The original idea to build a new capital city was conceived in 1975 and, after 17 years, the seat of government was formally moved to Abuja from Lagos in 1992.
Abuja is a new city that is in the process of being developed. There is an attractive mosque, There is a rock in the vicinity of the city (insignificant in comparison to Ayers Rock), which is believed to have certain supernatural powers. It can be seen while driving from Abuja to Kaduna, along the same road that leads to Zaria and Kano.
The brand new Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (named after the first president of Nigeria) at Abuja has every modern facility and amenity that a traveler would expect to find. Domestic services have been operational since the early 1980s. The section that handles operation of international flights is being developed in stages and the first phase has been commissioned.