Africa · capital city
What Is the Capital of Nigeria?
Abuja
The capital of Nigeria is Abuja. About 3.8 million people live in the Abuja urban area — 1.6% of the country's population.
3.8 million
Urban area population
UTC+1
Time zone
9.08°N
Latitude · 7.53°E
No
Largest city: Lagos
Abuja at a glance
Name origin
The newly built city of Abuja replaced Lagos as the capital city in 1991; Abuja takes its name from a nearby town, now renamed Suleja, that was named after Abu JA ("Abu the Red") in 1828.
Time zone
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). No daylight saving time.
Coordinates
9 05 N, 7 32 E · IANA time zone Africa/Lagos
Location of Nigeria
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Largest cities in Nigeria
1
Lagos
15.9 million2
Kano
4.3 million3
Ibadan
3.9 million4
Abuja Capital
3.8 million5
Port Harcourt
3.5 million6
Benin City
1.9 millionUrban-area population · CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Capitals of neighbouring countries
Capitals closest to Abuja
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea — 609 km
Porto-Novo, Benin — 614 km
Yaounde, Cameroon — 728 km
Niamey, Niger — 769 km
Lome, Togo — 770 km
N'Djamena, Chad — 886 km
Accra, Ghana — 941 km
Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe — 977 km
Straight-line distance between capitals.
Frequently asked questions about Abuja
What is the capital of Nigeria?
The capital of Nigeria is Abuja. About 3.8 million people live in the Abuja urban area — 1.6% of the country's population.
Is Abuja the largest city in Nigeria?
No. The largest urban area is Lagos (15.9 million), while Abuja has about 3.8 million.
What time zone is Abuja in?
Abuja is on UTC+1 — UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). There is no daylight saving time.
Where does the name Abuja come from?
The newly built city of Abuja replaced Lagos as the capital city in 1991; Abuja takes its name from a nearby town, now renamed Suleja, that was named after Abu JA ("Abu the Red") in 1828.
Which capital is closest to Abuja?
Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Porto-Novo (Benin) is the closest, 614 km away in a straight line.
Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).