Professional Assessment of ICT Infrastructure Readiness for Smart City Implementation in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory

Smart city initiatives require comprehensive ICT infrastructure foundations encompassing broadband connectivity, IoT sensor networks, data management systems, and integrated city operation platforms, and assessing the readiness of Abuja's current infrastructure for smart city implementation provides an essential baseline for strategic planning. This study professionally assesses the ICT infrastructure readiness of Abuja for smart city implementation, using the ITU Smart Sustainable City Key Performance Indicators framework. A document analysis and stakeholder survey methodology was applied, combining review of FCTA ICT master plan documents, NCC broadband deployment data, AEDC power distribution reports, and smart city feasibility study publications with structured questionnaire surveys of 50 city infrastructure and planning officials and ICT procurement managers. Readiness was assessed across seven infrastructure domains: broadband coverage, power supply reliability, sensor network coverage, data centre capacity, e-government service integration, cybersecurity infrastructure, and digital skills workforce supply. Descriptive statistics and radar chart gap analysis were applied. Available smart city literature from Nigerian capital city contexts identifies power supply intermittency and data governance policy gaps as the highest-ranked infrastructure readiness barriers. The ISO 37101 Sustainable Communities Framework and the ITU-T Y.4900 Smart Cities and Communities standard provide the professional reference. Findings indicate strong broadband coverage in central Abuja but significant readiness gaps in IoT sensor deployment and data governance frameworks. Recommendations address phased smart city pilot zones and data governance legislation. Keywords: smart city, ICT infrastructure readiness, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, ITU framework.