Abuja vs Accra Abuja and Accra are no doubt, shining symbols
what Africa as a hub for both cultural and infrastructural beauty and uniqueness embodies.
These two cities are the particularly well known for their historical significance in
shaping the countries they now call home.
In the scope of things, when talking about Ghana or Nigeria, it is virtually indispensible
to complete the conversation without mentioning the two iconic capital cities of both countries,
here is our attempt at looking into the matter and bringing out only the most accurate and
precise, jaw dropping facts that would elaborately explain in detail the better of the two cities.
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria, it is located basically in the middle of the country.
The skyline of the city, which was built largely in the 1980s, is dominated by Aso Rock, an
enormous monolith.
It rises up behind the Presidential Complex, which houses the residence and offices of
the Nigerian president in the Three Arms Zone on the eastern edge of the city.
Nearby are the National Assembly and the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Abuja is known for being one of the few purpose-built capital cities in Africa, as well as being
one of the wealthiest.
Abuja is Nigeria's administrative capital but it is its political capital as well.
It is also a key capital on the African continent due to Nigeria's geo-political influence in
regional affairs.
According to the United Nations, Abuja climbed by 139.7% between 2000 and 2010, which makes
it the fastest growing city in the world.
As of 2015, the town is experiencing an annual growth of 35%, retaining its position as the
weakest city on the African continent and among the fastest-growing in the world.
As of 2016, the metropolitan area of Abuja is estimated at six million individuals, placing
it behind only Lagos as the most populous metro area in Nigeria.
Major religious websites include the Nigerian National Mosque and the Nigerian National
Christian Centre.
The town is served by the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
It is also an integral capital on the African continent due to Nigeria's geo-political influence
in regional affairs.
Abuja is also a conference centre and hosts various meetings annually, like the 2003 Commonwealth
Heads of Government meeting and the 2014 World Economic Forum meetings.
On the other hand, Accra is the capital of Ghana, on the Atlantic coast of West Africa.
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park honors Ghana’s first president, who helped lead the country
to independence.
The park contains Nkrumah’s mausoleum and a museum charting his life.
Makola Market is the city’s vast, colorful bazaar.
Popular seafront spots Labadi Beach and Kokrobite Beach offer golden sand and high-energy nightlife.
Accra is the most densely populated city in Ghana.
The central business district of Accra contains the city's main banks and department stores,
as well as an area known as the Ministries, where Ghana's government administration is
concentrated.
Economic activities in Accra include the financial and commercial sectors, fishing, and the manufacture
of processed food, lumber, plywood, textiles, clothing, and chemicals.
In 2020, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network think tank designated Accra
as a "Gamma -" level global city, indicating a growing level of international influence
and connectedness.
Now some Nigerians and Ghanaians alike, have voice out their discomfort with having anything
compared about both nations, but their objectives are questionable just listen to some comments
and you’re sure to fish them out.
These people would rather claim superiority over the other meanwhile making it clear that
there is no ground for comparison between them.
This is clearly a case of hypocrisy and cowardice.
No one is being favored here and no one’s opinion matters more than the other.
Rather, everyone should simply look and the facts and decide for themselves, no one in
coercing anybody into believing anything because the facts don’t lie and on that note, this
is where we take out all the trash talk and the noise and only present to you cold hard
facts that would give you a clear picture of exactly which of these two cities is better.
We begin with a very interesting topic, Demographics
A city’s population is undoubtedly a huge attribute that affects everything from the
quality of life to the various social amenities available.
Populous cities or countries usually offer better employment opportunities because of
their large economies.
Big cities attract companies and business investment, and are usually important cultural
centers and research hubs.
Abuja has a population of 1.5 million people and Accra has a population of 2.29 million.
Population density is another huge aspect that influences the general over view of the
city.
Population density shows how cramped or spread out inhabitants are.
Cities or countries with high population densities can be considered overpopulated, which can
be a problem if the infrastructure is underdeveloped.
Abuja has a population density of 6275.6 people per squared kilometer, while Accra has a population
density of 9590 people per squared kilometer.
The average population growth rate reflects the annual increase or decrease in population.
Currently, the world’s population is growing at a rate of approximately 1.07% per year.
The higher the growth, the more dynamic society feels.
Abuja has an annual population growth rate of 9.3%, while Accra has an annual population
growth rate of around 3.36%.
Another huge category is, Quality of living
The unemployment rate is a huge determiner of a city’s productivity with that said,
Low unemployment rate indicates better career opportunities and economic growth and vice
versa.
The unemployment rate of Abuja is around 11.8% while 11% of Accra’s inhabitants are unemployed.
The average salary per person is probably one of the most attractive attributes of a
particular city and it indicates a higher quality of living, Abuja’s inhabitants have
an average salary of 161.69 dollars while that of Accra, is nearly triple Abuja’s
at 393.59 dollars per person.
The average rent of a single-bedroom apartment located in the city center.
This indicates how much of your salary would be allocated to rent expenses, and the general
cost of living of the city.
A one bedroom apartment in Abuja cost’s around 1800 dollars while in Accra this figure
is around 800 dollars that’s a thousand dollars less in rent for Accra’s inhabitants.
According to Mercer, an annual survey that ranks 221 cities across Africa and around
the world, based on living standards, using certain criteria, Important criteria are safety,
education, hygiene, healthcare, culture, environment, recreation, political-economic stability and
public transport.
Abuja was ranked as the 213th on the list while Accra was the 165th.
The average cost of monthly basic utilities like electricity, heating, cooling, water,
and garbage for an 85squared meter apartment in Abuja is around 45 dollars in Accra this
would put you back short about 52 dollars.
The average monthly price of internet in Abuja is around 35 dollars while Accra’s average
cost of internet per month is about 49 dollars.
According to a survey by numbeo, 3 in ten Abuja inhabitants claim they don’t feel
safe commuting at night while for Accra’s inhabitants about 5 in ten claim to feel unsafe
commuting at night.
This
aspect throws light on so many other attributes like crime rate and so on.
Another vital category is, Transportation
When it comes to commuting large cities like Abuja and Accra, the cost per monthly transportation
is indispensible, Cost of the monthly public transport ticket indicates affordability of
public transportation for an average inhabitant.
This amounts to about 27 dollars per person in Abuja and 26 dollars per person in Accra.
Cities with shorter average commuting time have usually better organized public transportation
system which allows citizens to waste less time in a traffic.
This figure is difficult to know for sure but according to numbeo, Accra has a more
than double the commute time of Abuja.
A cheaper single ticket will allow you to move through the city for less money.
Whether you are a visitor or a resident, it will help your economy.
Abuja has an average cost that is 3 dollars cheaper than Accra’s average cost at 66
dollar compared to Accra’s 69 dollars.
Conclusion As earlier mentioned, no sides have been taken
here, this is simply a rundown of facts that are accurate and provided by newsworthy surveys
and statistical analysis by investigative journalist.
There is no reason to think otherwise, what this is, is merely a presentation of the factors
that these cities have common and a showcase of how these cities measure up against each
other.
And we hope you find it informative and entertaining.
With that said, we still want to know what your individual opinion of the comparison
was.
Is going to be Accra or Abuja for you?
Let us know in the comments.
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