Abuja to Enugu: A Road Traveller's Guide

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by Loretta O. Adamu / 10 Sep 2016

Abuja is 470 kilometres away from Enugu, the capital of Enugu State (also known as the coal city) and it will take about 7 hours to get to Enugu from Abuja.
Travel between this route is very popular especially around the end of the year, as Igbos generally spend the Christmas holiday in their country homes.
Travelling from Abuja to Enugu takes you through the usual North-to-South highway and then you veer off and move slightly south-east on the way to Enugu, passing through more of Kogi State a little bit of Benue State before you get into Enugu State.
It takes an extra 45 minutes or so to get to the city of Enugu once you're within the state limits.

Where To Go

Here are a few transport companies that ply this route and their phone numbers and addresses.

Ifesinachi Transport Co.  

Address: No. 22 Ekukinam Street, Utako.
Phone: 08036071744
Website: http://www.ifesinachitransport.com/

Peace Mass Transit

UTAKO Terminal
Address: 39 Ajose Adeogun Street, Utako.
Phone: 08055091829

BWARI Terminal
Address: 9 Shagari Road, opposite Market, Bwari.
Phone: 08055091813

GWAGWALADA Terminal
Address: Along Abuja/Lokoja Expressway, Opposite Brifina Hotel, Tagiri, Gwagwalada.
Phone: 08055091833

KUBWA Terminal
Address: Opposite Kubwa Market.
Phone: 08055091830

KUJE Terminal
Address: Gwagwalada Road, Near secretariat Junction, Kuje.
Phone: 08055091813

MARARABA Terminal
Address: By last bus stop, Keffi Road.
Phone: 08055091822

Website: http://www.peacegroupng.net/
Email: [email protected]

Chisco

UTAKO Terminal:
Address: Plot 176, Ekukinam Street, Utako. District, opp. Mountain of Fire Ministries.

NYANYA Terminal
Address: AP filling Station, Keffi Road, Nyanya.
Phone: 08106517669, 08089273799

Website: https://www.chiscotransport.com.ng/

ABC Transport

GWAGWALADA Terminal
Address: Jibeco Nigeria Ltd

UTAKO Terminal
Address: No 36, Ekukinam street, Utako District.
Phone: 08142552437, 08142552441, 08063789157

Website: http://www.abctransport.com/

Guo Transport Co

Address: Guobadia Plaza, Plot 171, Ekukinam Street, Utako.
Phone: 08075090643
Website: http://guotransport.com/terminals/

GIGM

MARARABA Terminal
Address: Abuja/Keffi Road, by Abacha Junction, opp Chrisgold Plaza.
Phone: 08150846941

ZUBA Terminal
Address: Market Space 206, Zuba Market.
Phone: 08150848952

UTAKO Terminal:
Address: Plot 113, Utako District.
Phone: 08150846946

KUBWA Terminal
Address: Block 43, Gado Nasko Way, Opp. 2/2 court, Kubwa. Phone: 08150846940

Website: https://gigm.com/

Price Range

A bus ticket to Enugu from Abuja will cost about NGN3500 to NGN6000.

How To Choose A Transport Company

The transport company you decide to use will depend on my three favourite things.

  1. Budget: This is always first on my list because if you cant afford a ticket from a certain company, the other two factors don't matter much. So do your research with the numbers and websites provided above.

  2. Convenience: The type of bus, if they have a specific route or are known for nice drivers, and their preferred stop. These things contribute to the quality of your trip, so do not take them for granted when making your decision.

  3. Proximity: For this factor, travellers on this route will be spoiled for choice as almost all the transport companies mentioned above have several terminals at different places in Abuja which makes it all the more convenient. So choose accordingly.

What To Carry

Most of these Transport companies use 14-seater buses, which isn't very luggage friendly, so keep it light if you don't plan to purchase an extra seat.
P.S: This factor can influence your choice of transport company as some of them on this route are heavy luggage-friendly, so just call and ask.

Time Taken

Travel time along this route is actually pretty long as it will take you about 6 to 7 hours to make the trip.
Sitting on a bus with limited leg space for about 6-7 hours will make me classify this as almost-long distance. Coupled with the fact that the route is rife with traffic triggers, this is a fair assumption.

Snack Options

Most of the transport companies that ply this route will stop for meal times at Lokoja in Kogi State.
Lokoja is like the main stop for most transport companies plying the north to south route, so this means that you will be spoiled for choices when it comes to food.
Eat responsibly.
This is also the last real bathroom stop, and so it is advisable to take care of business before you go hunt for food.
You can always buy food and extra snack to munch on in the bus for the rest of the trip.

Tips For First-Time Travellers

First time traveller on this route? I've got your back with these few tips.

  1. The bus ride is as comfortable as your seat in the bus and the transport company, so choose wisely. My favourites on a 14-seater bus are seat numbers 5,7,8 and 10.
  2. Brace yourself for the long trip. Especially after the stop in Lokoja, that's when the real trip starts.
  3. Sleep if you can, with at least 6 hours to go on the road at least, you will have the time.
  4. Bring a book, it'll help.
  5. A phone and headphones with our favourite songs on it, you can look out the window and pretend you're in a music video or an emo movie.
  6. Brace yourself for traffic and wait patiently.
  7. Be polite to the other passengers and the driver.
  8. You cross the River Niger two times on this journey, so don't worry about going in a loop. Once when you cross from Abuja into Lokoja, and again when you cross from Kogi State into Benue State.
  9. Signposts are your friends. Read them if you need to get your bearings, and if there isn't one around at that moment, wait for the next ones.
  10. Expect stretches of bumpy roads. Keep a packet of panadol in your bag for the resulting headache.
  11. Make sure you have a fully charged battery at best or some battery life. It's never advisable to allow your phone die fully on a road trip.
  12. Another must have is airtime. There are a lot of recharge card sellers at the bus park for this reason.
  13. Keep someone at home or at your destination abreast of your progress via text or phone call.

For up to date information on bus fares and routes, please contact the transport companies directly as these are subject to change at any time at their discretion.
Safe Journey!

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