Did The BBC Declare Abuja as Africa’s Most Beautiful City in 2025?
A user on the microblogging platform, X, made a claim that Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, was declared by the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC as the most beautiful city in Africa in 2025. This claim was posted on May 10, 2025 with four pictures showing high towers and a supposed highway, it was captioned, “Abuja, Nigeria has been named Africa's most beautiful city in 2025, by BBC ❤️🇳🇬”.
As of the time this report was published, it had gathered about 188,000 views and over 2,500 comments, retweets, quotes and likes. In the comment section, @OkahEwahEdede wrote, “As of now, there is no official report or announcement from the @BBCAfrica stating that Abuja, Nigeria has been named Africa's most beautiful city in 2025, but the illiterate Ronu dullards will believe this fallacy, all the same, and defend it with their borrowed data.”, while @SonterBaak78434 said “Where do you people get your news from 😎 No official BBC article or announcement declaring Abuja as the most beautiful city in Africa in 2025”.
Same claim was posted by the same person on their Facebook page, with mixed reactions in the comment section.
VERIFICATION
NV-A subjected all four images to Google reverse image search to verify if these images are domiciled within Abuja. Search revealed that these were already existing on the social space like the video posted in 2024, showcasing the good road network within Abuja, the Afreximbank Africa Trade Centre, AATC, in Abuja, posted on April 14, 2025, an image of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s office, posted on March 7, 2019, and a clip showcasing the Abuja Continental hotel, posted on June 17, 2024.
Does The BBC Have An Award Program for Cities?
The BBC does not have an official award program for cities in Africa. However, the BBC has featured African cities in its travel and culture coverage. For instance, in 2020, BBC Travel published an article highlighting Rwanda’s federal capital, Kigali, as the ‘most inviting city in Africa’. The report focused on the city’s cleanliness, safety, and community-driven initiatives like Umuganda. Umuganda is a monthly national holiday in Rwanda held on the last Saturday of each month. It is a mandatory community service event where Rwandans are expected to come together to partake in activities such as cleaning, building, or planting trees.
A further search into the official handle of the BBC on X, the @BBC_Travel page on X and the ‘Travel’ page on the BBC’s official website does not feature any such story on Abuja being ranked as the best city in Africa.
Are There Any Other Awards for Cities?
Yes. In January 2025, Time Out, a British media and hospitality company, released its annual ranking of the world’s best cities. Out of 50 cities, only 3 African cities were mentioned: Cape Town, Marrakech, and Lagos. Cape Town was ranked highest among them, securing the top spot globally due to its vibrant culture, scenic beauty, and high ratings from locals. Lagos, the only Nigerian city on the list, was ranked 41st. The ranking highlighted Lagos’s dynamic energy, nightlife, and the ease with which locals make new friends.
As of now, there is no evidence that the BBC has officially named Abuja, Nigeria, as Africa’s most beautiful city in 2025. A review of BBC News articles and travel features reveals no such award or designation. While Abuja has been featured in BBC’s ‘Africa’s Week in Pictures’ for events like the ECOWAS Africa Wrestling Tournament, these mentions do not include any rankings or titles related to the beauty or architecture of the city.
However, Abuja is often recognized for its modern infrastructure, planned urban design, and natural landmarks such as Aso Rock and Zuma Rock. The city is considered Nigeria’s best-planned city, attracting residents and visitors with its effective and organized layout and amenities.
CONCLUSION
The claim that the BBC declared Abuja, Nigeria as the most beautiful city in Africa in 2025 is FALSE. There is no such award program for rankings of cities by the BBC. While Lagos, Nigeria has received recognition for its vibrancy and cultural significance, it still stands at the 41st position in the rankings done by the British media and hospitality platform, Time Out; and Abuja did not make it to the list.
