Obasanjo’s said this during the 40th-anniversary celebration of the Methodist Church Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday, where prominent leaders gathered to promote unity and prosperity.
Obasanjo reminisced about Abuja’s development, recalling the Japanese group that designed the city’s master plan with a population limit of 3 million. Today, Abuja has nearly 5 million residents.
He said, “When we were planning Abuja, we invited a Japanese group to develop the master plan. They advised that Abuja should be limited to a population of 3 million, which we accepted. After their presentation, I was worried it seemed too artificial. I told the leader of the Japanese group that I didn’t want a city where I couldn’t buy suya and boli. After explaining these to him, he assured me that they would be incorporated. Today, Abuja has a population of almost 5 million, exceeding the 3 million limit, and I can still buy suya and boli.
“Abuja itself will celebrate its 50th anniversary in two years, and we will all be there. I pray that your church will continue to grow from strength to strength and that God, who made you the first church in Nigeria, will continue to place you at the forefront of Christianity and the spread of the Gospel.”
Other Nigerian leaders, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, and former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, joined Obasanjo in promoting unity and prosperity.