Crossword Clue: Capital of Nigeria
Here's the answer to the Capital of Nigeria crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: ABUJA
The answer to "Capital of Nigeria" is ABUJA. Abuja runs 5 letters — 3 vowels and 2 consonants — opening with A and closing on A. In a grid it fills a 5-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
Abuja was purpose-built and became Nigeria's capital in 1991, replacing Lagos. It sits in the center of the country and is dominated by the giant Aso Rock monolith. The planned city was chosen for its neutral, central location.
Common usage
You'll see ABUJA in grids regularly — its 5-letter, 3 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the A or A, ABUJA tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like ABUJA are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet ABUJA again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and ABUJA will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue ABUJA — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing ABUJA into the grid took no time at all."
- "Abuja is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Capital of Nigeria' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in ABUJA almost immediately."