Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria)

Federal Capital Territory
Federal territory
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  Centre of Unity
Location of Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria
Coordinates: 8°50′N 7°10′E / 8.833°N 7.167°E / 8.833; 7.167
Country	Nigeria
Date created	3 February 1976
Capital	Abuja
Government
• Body	Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)
• Minister[1]	Nyesom Ezenwo Wike
• Minister of State	Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure
• Permanent Secretary	Ajakaiye Babatope
• National Assembly delegation	Senator: Ireti Kingibe (LP) Representatives: List
Area
• Total	7,315 km2 (2,824 sq mi)
Population  (2006 Census)1
• Total	1,406,239
• Estimate  (2022 estimate)	3,067,500[2]
• Density	190/km2 (500/sq mi)
GDP
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (WAT)
ISO 3166 code	NG-FC
HDI (2021)	0.646[3] medium · 7th of 37
Website	www.fcta.gov.ng
^1 Preliminary results

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^[4] 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.^[5]