Nigeria and Ghana are two West African nations with a shared history of friendship and rivalry, as well as socio-economic relationships. Population and economy-wise, Nigeria is much bigger than Ghana; there is no debate here. Abuja and Accra are the capital cities of Nigeria and Ghana respectively.
Both of these capital cities are among the finest on the African continent – they both have the aura of modern development that characterize a capital city. But comparing Abuja and Accra, which is more beautiful?
You will get a detailed answer to this question by reading on. In this article, we will be discussing the capital city that is more beautiful Abuja and Accra.
Abuja and Accra: Which is More Beautiful?
Abuja is more beautiful, bigger, and more developed than Accra. It is generally more well-planned and its landscape is more organized with eye-catching architectural designs, highrise buildings, and more.
Abuja is located at the very heart of Nigeria within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and is easily the most beautiful city in the country. It is a well-planned city mainly developed and built in the 1980s. The master plan upon which the city was built was designed by a Japanese architect, Kenzo Tange, who was hired by the Nigerian government of then. Abuja became the administrative capital of Nigeria on 12 December 1991 – a position that Lagos has held since independence.
Abuja spans a land mass of 1,769 square kilometers (683 square miles), and as of 2016, the metropolitan area of Abuja was estimated as having a population of 6 million people – only second to Lagos which is the most populous metropolitan area in Nigeria.
Some of the popular parts of Abuja with exquisite estates and highbrow residential areas are Wuse, Asokoro, Garki, Maitama, and Central Business District (CBD) while its five suburban districts are Nyanya, Gwagwalada, Karu, Kubwa, and Jukwoyi. There are some other settlements that are on the outskirts of Abuja.
Abuja is Nigeria’s administrative and political capital with the Nigerian Presidential Complex, Force Headquarters, Supreme Court, National Assembly, headquarters of government agencies, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) headquarters all domiciled there. The ECOWAS Building in Abuja is also a pointer to the fact that Abuja stands as a key capital on the African continent which is due to Nigeria’s geo-political influence in regional affairs. Some other landmarks in Abuja are Zuma Rock, the Millennium Tower, National Stadium, National Christian Center, and National Mosque among others.
Aside from Lagos, Abuja is where many other foreign embassies and consulates are located. Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport – the second busiest airport in Nigeria after Murtala Mohammed International Airport (Lagos) – is present in Abuja. Abuja has lots of top-notch amenities such as 3-5 star hotels, international-standard shopping malls, restaurants, parks, eateries, relaxation centers, etc. Also, the nightlife in Abuja is a beauty to behold.
Real estate, corporate buildings, and commercial buildings are not left out in Abuja, as its skyline is majorly made up of mid-range and a few tall buildings. It is only recently that tall and multi-story buildings started springing up in Abuja. Most of the buildings and other infrastructures are of modern design – reflecting that it is a relatively new city. Adding to this, Abuja is recognized as one of the few purposely-built capital cities in Africa and even one of the wealthiest on the continent.
Now, when compared to Accra in terms of aesthetics, Abuja is more beautiful. This is because Abuja is well-planned and has a more organized landscape compared to Accra. The city of Abuja has very good road networks with drainages, coupled with a serene and generally clean environment. Also, Abuja has more interesting architectural designs and more greenery than Accra. Though Accra is also a beautiful city – that even has beaches – but it is not more beautiful than Abuja.
Wrap-up on Abuja vs. Accra
Abuja and Accra are the capital of West African regional powers, Nigeria and Ghana respectively. These two countries, which have a shared history of being friends and foes, are most times compared based on different criteria. In this article, we have been able to talk about and compare the beauty of the capital city of Nigeria and Ghana.
Based on aesthetics, we have been able to inform you that Abuja is more beautiful than Accra. The reasons why Abuja comes out on top here are because it is well-planned, has a more organized landscape, has very good road networks, has more eye-catching architectural designs, has more greenery, and is generally cleaner than Accra.
Which is the richer between Nigeria and Ghana?
There are several ways of measuring how “rich” a country is. Using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Price Purchasing Power (PPP) – based on 2021 International Monetary Fund data – Nigeria with $1.14 trillion is far richer than Ghana with $193.63 billion.
Is Ghana richer than Lagos?
Though the comparison here is between a city and a country, Ghana is not richer than Lagos. If Lagos were to be a country, it would have been the 5th largest economy in the African continent. Lagos is the richest state in Nigeria and it attracts huge investments from different parts of the world.
How is life in Ghana compared to Nigeria?
Ghana makes life generally easier for its citizens compared to Nigeria where a lot of its citizens strive so hard on a daily basis. In terms of power generation (electricity), Ghana is doing better than Nigeria. Also, Ghana is more secure and peaceful which may be attributed to its low population. Though Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy and is better than Ghana in quite a number of other areas.