Abuja countries relocated their embassies to Abuja, and many maintain their former embassies as consulates in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria. Abuja is the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the regional headquarters of OPEC. Abuja and the FCT have experienced huge population growth; it has been reported that some areas around Abuja have been growing at 20% to 30% per year. Squatter settlements and towns have spread rapidly in and outside the city limits. Tens of thousands of people have been evicted since former FCT minister Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai started a demolition campaign in
Abuja bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games games to Abuja should be conditional on these matters being addressed" General Yakubu Gowon, said that his country was also "confident", despite the adverse evaluation of its bid by a four-member team in September. The group's report found fault with the city's plans for budgeting, transport, legacy, marketing and venues. "As far as we are concerned our bid is not only an Abuja bid but an African bid," said General Gowon. "We are going there for a good, good fight, remember I am a general." "A vote for Abuja means a vote for whole of Africa," appealed Nobel Peace Prize