Abuja International Peace Park
By Osita P. Akwah II

From Left: Ambassador A. Esan; President Olusegun Obasanjo; Dr Judith Asuni;
Mr. Don McKinnon, Secretary General of the Common Wealth;
Ms. Agatha Chukwueke; Ms. Derin Asuni;
and Mr. Reginald Ihebuzor, Coordinating Secretary, CHOGM, BSG.

The story of the Abuja International Peace Park dates back to the early 1990s (1993 to be exact) when the then Director of Marketing at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ms Agatha Chukwueke, conceived the idea of starting a horticultural society to bring together professional and amateur gardeners and other lovers of the environment within the FCT. The hotel bought the idea and sponsored the society under its “going green” program. Thus the Abuja Horticultural Society was born. The society provided a forum for environmental enthusiasts to interrelate and exchange ideas about issues concerning them. It also provided a powerful and unified platform for gardeners and enthusiasts in the FCT to lobby for the protection of the green areas in Abuja, as provided in the Abuja Master plan. It was so successful in this regard that the then minister for the FCT, Major-General Mamman Kontagora, in appreciation, ceded a strategic plot right next to the International Conference centre to the society to develop as a world standard park.

Due to various challenges the society faced in the years that followed, the park project (then named the “Abuja Horticultural Garden”) practically ground to a halt. Several attempts were made to revive the project, but these failed due to one thing or the other. It was not until the year 2003, that Agatha (now retired from the Sheraton, and having become the Chairperson of the Society’s Board of Trustees) took the bold step of contracting a project coordinator (me!), whose entire brief revolved around making the park a reality.

Probably my earliest major success was pulling onto the Board of Trustees the Executive Director of Academic Associates PeaceWorks, Dr. Judith Burdin Asuni. Judy came with all her usual energy, and dragged along Mr. Murphy Ola Ojikutu, an Abuja-based businessman. Between them, Agatha, Judy and Ola breathed new life into the project (and nearly sucked the life out of the rest of us mere mortals with their superhuman endeavors!). From then on, the project was firmly on its way. The name of the park evolved and metamorphosed through “Abuja Horticultural Park”, “Abuja Commonwealth Park”, and a host of others, into its current form, the “Abuja International Peace Park” – emphasizing the vision behind its founding. We also had our first major outing, the launching of the “Uzo-Ulo” walkway at the 2003 Sullivan Summit in Abuja. Though not too successful in terms of revenue generation, that event yielded a lot of experience, exposure and goodwill.

Back from the Sullivan summit, we did not rest on our oars, but forged on ahead. Uncle Ola took our case to the Minister of Works, and through him was able to get the Surveyor-General of the Federation to sponsor a topographical and perimeter survey of the park site. Judy brought the project to the attention of Mr. President. Architect Ugot, another member of the BOT, revised and updated the site plan for the park. Perhaps, most importantly, the Presidential Taskforce for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) chose our project site as the media centre venue for the meet, and Agatha, through her links with the Business Support Group for CHOGM, was able to convince them to sponsor the landscaping of the centre, and subsequently, jumpstart the park project.

From Left: Mr. Ola Ojikutu, Member BOT;
Osita Akwah, Project Coordinator, AIPP;
Ms. Agatha Chukwueke, Chair, BOT.

Thus, finally empowered, our project team was able to get down to work. Uche, a horticulturist, was our landscape designer, resident female and all-round terror. Bernhard was our magician who could make anything work. Ifeanyi and John worked wonders with the men and labourers on site. The AAPW volunteers Kaneng and Dora were wonderful at the Sullivan summit and Roberto and Derin helped with pre-CHOGM activities. Oh, and I held it all together, and did everything else. (OK, maybe not everything!) And our trustees never once let up, encouraging, cajoling and even getting down and dirty with us on the site. Special mention too of the AHS President - she and some members of the executive did their part with distinction.

Our thanks also have to go to the good people of GlobeCast S. A.: Sandy, Stefan, Mandy, Alan; the media centre contractor, Engineer Usman, and everyone else who worked on the media centre. They were absolutely fantastic! It’s strange to admit that in our own country, we needed the help of foreign visitors to enter our own project site!

The story is long, but in brief, we took a flat, barren wasteland, and in one month, worked a minor miracle on it. We worked from early morning to late night, Sunday to Sunday. We threw in everything, but we worked a miracle nonetheless. The miracle came to a satisfying climax when Judy was able to convince Mr. President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, to commission the park and unveil the commemorative plaque inside. This he did, on the final day of CHOGM 2003, at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon.

Post-CHOGM, the way is still long, and the distance far. Tentatively, we have some sponsors-to-be: the National Tree Nursery Development Commission and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources spring to mind.

We have, by and large, completed the first phase of the Abuja International Peace Park project. The next phase may be the most taxing, in terms of time, energy, money and materials, but now our minds are focused and our hearts are strong. We have overcome tremendous hurdles to get this far: finances (or the lack thereof!), credibility, and the ever- lurking twin spectres of the Federal Capital Development Authority and the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory. We have come this far, and we are confident we can go the rest of the way.