Abia is a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

in the Southeastern region of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. The state's capital is

Umuahia Umuahia () is the capital city of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to its south, and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Ni ...

and its most populous city is Aba. Abia is bordered the west by Imo, east by Cross River, south by

Rivers A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...

, northwest by

Anambra Anambra () is a state in Nigeria. It is located in the South-eastern region of the country. The state was created on 27 August 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State and Rivers State to the south, Enugu State to ...

and northeast by

Enugu Enugu () verbally pronounced as "Enụgwụ" by the Igbo indigenes is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the so ...

and Ebonyi. The state is divided between the

Niger Delta swamp forests The Niger Delta swamp forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical moist forest ecoregion in southern Nigeria. It consists of freshwater swamp forests in the Niger Delta of the Niger River. This swamp forest is the seco ...

in the south and the Cross–Niger transition forests. The Imo and Aba Rivers flows along the state's western and southern borders respectively. The land for agriculture as well as the production of

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

and

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

ranks Abia as the joint-eighth highest

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

in Nigeria since 2019. Abia's history begins as part of the Aro Confederacy until their defeat in the early 1900s by the

British troops The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Gurkhas, 25,742 volunteer reserve personnel and 4,697 "other personnel", for a total of 108,4 ...

during the Anglo-Aro War. After the war, the area was incorporated into the

Southern Nigeria Protectorate Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River. The L ...

. After Nigeria's independence in 1960, Abia became part of the post-independence

Eastern Region Eastern Region or East Region may refer to: * Eastern Region (Abu Dhabi): Al Ain *Eastern Region, Ghana *Eastern Region (Iceland) *Eastern Region, Malta *Eastern Region, Nepal *Eastern Region, Nigeria * Eastern Region, Serbia *Eastern Region, Ugand ...

until 1967 before the region was split, and it became part of the East Central State. The Eastern Region attempted to secede in

Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Biafran War, Nigeria-Biafra War, or Biafra War, was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a Secession, secessionist state which had declared its independen ...

with Abia as part of the secessionist state of

Biafra Biafara Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicized as Biafra ( ), officially the Republic of Biafra, was a List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria ...

. After the war and the then reunification of Nigeria, the East Central State was merged until 1976 when Imo including Abia, was formed by

Murtala Muhammed Murtala Ramat Muhammed (; 8 November 1938 – 13 February 1976) was a Nigerian military officer and the fourth head of state of Nigeria. He led the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup in overthrowing the military regime of Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi a ...

. Eastern Imo would later become the old Abia State after a split. In 1996, part of Abia's northeast was removed to form a part of the new Ebonyi. Abia's state legislature is the Abia State House of Assembly. The governors are to serve four years.

History

Abia is one of the 36 states in Nigeria, and has about seventeen

Local Government Areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The ph ...

, out of the 774 Local Government Areas that make up the

Federal Republic of Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. Abia State was created on 27 August 1991, during the government of General

Ibrahim Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August 1941) is a Nigerian statesman and military dictator who ruled as military president of Nigeria from 1985 when he orchestrated a coup d'état against his military and political arch-rival Muhammadu ...

. The State is located in the south-eastern part of Nigeria. Abia state was created out of Imo State, and the two sister states share boundaries. Abia State is known as one of the constituent states of the Niger Delta region. The state has its capital at

while the commercial city of the state is Aba. Abia State is also referred to as ''God's own state''. The name "Abia" is an abbreviation of four of Abia state's densely populated regions

Aba ABA may refer to: Aviation * AB Aerotransport, former Scandinavian airline * IATA airport code for Abakan International Airport in Republic of Khakassia, Russia Businesses and organizations Broadcasting * Alabama Broadcasters Association, Uni ...

, Bende,

Isuikwuato Isuikwuato is a local government area in Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. This local government area falls under the Abia North senatorial district in Abia State, Nigeria. The name Isu-Ikwu-Ato translates from Igbo as 'three Isu families or l ...

, and

Afikpo Ehugbo often referred to as Afikpo, is the second largest urban area in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. It is the headquarters of the Afikpo North Local Government Area. It is situated in the southern part of Ebonyi State and is bordered to the north by ...

. The

Igbo people The Igbo people ( , ; also spelled Ibo" and historically also ''Iboe'', ''Ebo'', ''Eboe'', / / ''Eboans'', ''Heebo''; natively ) are an ethnic group found in Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Their primary origin is fo ...

, who are one of the indigenous peoples of the South-eastern part of Nigeria, make up 95% of the population. Their traditional language,

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a t ...

, is in widespread use.

Ibibio Ibibio may refer to: *Ibibio language, Niger-Congo language of Nigeria *Ibibio people an ethnic group of southern Nigeria *Ibibio Sound Machine, an English electronic afro-funk band who sing in Ibibio See also * Ibiblio, a digital library and ar ...

is spoken as a minority language, especially in

Arochukwu Arochukwu Local Government Area, sometimes referred to as Arochuku or Aro Oke igbo is the third largest local government area in Abia State (after Aba and Umuahia) in southeastern Nigeria and homeland of the Igbo subgroup, Aro people. It ...

English is also widely spoken and serves as the official language in governance and business. In Abia State over 3 million people are mainly

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

. According to there are 689,668 Catholics (2020) in the Umuahia Diocese (1958) with 70 parishes under Bishop Michael Kalu Ukpong (2022) and Aba Diocese (1990) with 90 parishes under Bishop

Augustine Ndubueze Echema Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosophy ...

(2019), both suffragans of Archdiocese of Owerri.

Geography

Abia State occupies about 4902 square kilometres. It is bounded on the north and northeast by the states of

for about 25 km, and Ebonyi for 70 km (43 miles),

Cross River State Cross River State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named for the Cross River, the state was formed from the eastern part of the Eastern Region on 27 May 1967. The state has its capital as Calabar and is bordered to ...

for about 52 km (partly across Cross River) and

Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state ...

for 151 km (94 miles) to the east and southeast respectively,

Rivers State Rivers is a states of Nigeria, state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed on 27 May 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Nigeria, Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include Imo State, Im ...

to the south and west for 87 km (54 miles),

Imo State Imo () is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its name from the Imo R ...

and

to the west for to the west in the vicinity of the Imo River) for about 18 km and about 104 km respectively. The southernmost part of the State lies within the

Niger Delta Swamp Forests The Niger Delta swamp forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical moist forest ecoregion in southern Nigeria. It consists of freshwater swamp forests in the Niger Delta of the Niger River. This swamp forest is the seco ...

, while the rest of the state, lies within the Cross–Niger transition forests. The southern portion gets heavy rainfall of about per year and it is intense between the months of April through October. The most important rivers in Abia State are the Imo and Aba Rivers which flow into the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

through Akwa Ibom State.

Environmental Issues

Solid waste

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) deals with the collection, storing, treatment and disposal of

solid waste Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, ...

, to ensure that it does not affect humans, living things and the environment at large. There are factors that influence

Municipal solid waste Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the American English, United States and rubbish in British English, Britain, is a List of waste types, waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. ...

generation such as income level, local climatic condition,

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

and economic development. MSW in Aba, Abia State is classified into; # Domestic waste (waste from households, food centers, markets, and commercial premises) # Industrial waste (excluding toxic waste that requires special handling) # Institutional waste (waste from government establishments, schools, hospitals and recreational facilities In recent times, it was reported that Aba and Umuahia generate up to two hundred and seventy truckloads of domestic and commercial waste daily. This information was made known to the public by Governor Alex Otti during his inauguration speech after taking the baton of government from the former governor,

Okezie Ikpeazu Okezie Victor Ikpeazu (born 18 October 1964) is a Nigerian politician and former Governor of Abia State, who was in office from 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023. He was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He was re-elected as the ...

Climate

Aba experiences a warm and gloomy

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...

as well as a scorching and oppressive dry season. The

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...

rarely drops below or rises over throughout the entire year, fluctuating between . The beach/pool score indicates that the best time of year to visit Aba for hot-weather activities is from late November to early February. In Aba, the

rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * '' ...

is warm and

cloud In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may ...

y, the dry season is hot and largely gloomy, and the climate is uncomfortable all year long. The average annual temperature ranges from 68 °F to 88 °F, with occasional exceptions when it falls below 61 °F or rises over 91 °F. Since Aba experiences so small seasonal temperature variations, talking about the hot and cold seasons isn't very helpful.

Demographics

Religion

The residents of Abia state are predominantly

. Churches Umuahia Catholic Diocese (1958

with 70 parishes is under Bishop Michael Kalu Ukpong (2022

and Aba Diocese (1990

with 90 parishes under Bishop Augustine Ndubueze Echema (2019

both suffragans of Owerri Archdiocese. The Aba Province of Anglican Church of Nigeria led by Archbishop Isaac Nwaobia (2019) comprises the nine Dioceses of

led by Bishop Christian Ugwuzor (2011), Aba Ngwa North (2007) led by Bishop Nathan Kanu (2009), Arochukwu/Ohafia led by Bishop Johnson Onuoha, Ikwanuo led by Bishop Chigozirim Onyegbule, Isiala Ngwa led by Bishop Temple Nwaogu, Isial-Ngwa South (2007) led by Bishop Isaac Nwaobia, Isikwuato (2005) led by Bishop Manasses Chijiokem Okere (2013), Ukwa (1994) led by Bishop Samuel Kelechi Eze (2004), and

led by Bishop Geoffrey Obijuru Ibeabuchi (2019)

There are also other pentecostal churches located within Abia State including Living Faith Church Worldwide, Living Faith Church which has more than 100 branches within the state.

Languages

Below is a list of Languages of Abia State organised by the LGA:

Local Government Areas

Abia State is made up of seventeen (17)

. They are: * Aba North *

Aba South Aba South is a Local Government Area in Abia State, located in southeastern Nigeria. It is one of the 17 LGAs that make up the state and forms part of the Aba urban area, a major commercial and industrial hub in the region. The LGA shares bounda ...

* Bende *

Ikwuano Ikwuano is a Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in Isiala Oboro. The name 'Ikwuano' etymologically indicates that there are four different ancient kingdoms that make up the community called Ikwuano. These include ...

Isiala Ngwa North Isiala-Ngwa North is a Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is Okpuala-Ngwa. It has an area of 283 km and a population of 153,734 based on the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 451. Some notable indige ...

* Isiala Ngwa South *

Obi Ngwa Obingwa is a Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Mgboko. It has an area of 395 km and a population of 181,439 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 453. Obingwa's Geography The ...

Ohafia Ohafia refers to the town and local government area (LGA) of same name located in present-day Abia State, Nigeria. It is an Igbo-speaking town. The ancestral capital of Ohafia town is the centrally located village of Elu. The Ohafia Local Govern ...

Osisioma Ngwa Osisioma Ngwa is a Local Government Area of Abia state of Nigeria. Its headquarters are located in Osisioma town. It has an area of and a population of 219,632 as per 2006 census data of Nigeria. Origin of name The name "Osisi" means ''tree'' ...

Ugwunagbo Ugwunagbo is a Local Government Area (LGA) in Abia State, located in the southeastern region of Nigeria. It shares boundaries with Aba South, Obingwa, and Ukwa East Local Government Areas, and serves as part of the greater Aba metropolitan are ...

Ukwa East Ukwa East is a Local Government Area located in Abia State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Akwete. Ukwa East is bordered by Akwa Ibom State and Rivers States. It has an area of 280 km and a population of 58,865 at the 2006 cens ...

Ukwa West Ukwa West is a Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area in Abia State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Oke Ikpe. It has an area of 271 km2 and a population of 88,555 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the are ...

Umuahia North Umuahia North is a Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the city of Umuahia. It has an area of 245 km and a population of 220,660 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 440. Economy The Umuahi ...

Umuahia South Umuahia South is a Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is at Apumiri in Ubakala.towns include apumiri,ezeleke,ekenobizi etc It has an area of 140 km and a population of 138,570 at the 2006 census. The postal co ...

Umu Nneochi Umu-Nneochi or Umunneochi is a Local Government Area (LGA) in Abia State, Nigeria. Officially known as "Nneochi", Umunneochi is made up of three major septs: Umuchieze, Nneato, and Isuochi. The major towns of Umunneochi are Umuelem, Ndiawa, Amud ...

Economy

Crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

and

gas Gas is a state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape and is a compressible fluid. A ''pure gas'' is made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon) or molecules of either a single type of atom ( elements such as ...

production is a prominent activity, as it contributes over 39% of the State's

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance o ...

.Nigeria's 36 States and the FCT, Economic, societal and political profiles, World Bank Report However, the indigenous oil companies – through the Marginal Fields Programme (MFP) – have not found it easy to attract the requisite funding and infrastructural capacity, to explore some of the marginal oil fields which are about 50 in the State. The manufacturing sector only accounts for 2% of the

. The industrial centre of the state is in

, with

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

manufacturing,

pharmaceutical Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

soap Soap is a salt (chemistry), salt of a fatty acid (sometimes other carboxylic acids) used for cleaning and lubricating products as well as other applications. In a domestic setting, soaps, specifically "toilet soaps", are surfactants usually u ...

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protective clothing, protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature. *Shoes and si ...

, and

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

. In addition to the above, Abia State Government has just built a 9,000 capacity multipurpose International Conference Centre in Umuahia. This edifice of international standard was built by Governor T.A. Orji, to enhance tourism as well as boost the state economy, through hosting of major International and Local events. Representing 27% of the GDP, agriculture – which employs 70% of the state workforce – is the second economic sector of Abia. With its adequate seasonal rainfall, Abia has much

arable land Arable land (from the , "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the purposes of a ...

that produces yams,

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

es,

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

cashew Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree ''Anacardium occidentale'', in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as t ...

s, plantains,

taro Taro (; ''Colocasia esculenta'') is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and Petiole (botany), petioles. Taro corms are a ...

, and

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

Oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms, called oil palms, containing two species, native to Africa and the Americas. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. Description Mature palms are single-stemmed, and can gro ...

is the most important

cash crop A cash crop, also called profit crop, is an Agriculture, agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate a marketed crop from a staple crop ("subsi ...

Oil and gas exploration

There are over 100

oil well An oil well is a drillhole boring in Earth that is designed to bring petroleum oil hydrocarbons to the surface. Usually some natural gas is released as associated petroleum gas along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce only gas m ...

s and 3 installed flow stations in Abia State. There is also an associated gas plant, Abia/NNPC gas plant. As of 2012, boundary Commission said it returned 42 oil wells from neighbouring

to Abia. This makes Abia the fourth largest oil-producing state in the country. Oil giant,

Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...

, holds most of the licenses for the wells in the State, and has concentrated on the estimated 50 wells that are considered high-yield. The state produced 36,000 barrels of crude oil per day; "Imoturu produces 23,000 barrels per day and Isimili flow station produces over 8,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Then four oil wells in Izaku go to Obigo flow station. About 30 oil wells from my village go to Umuri, and about eight oil wells from Umurie go to Afam", said Samuel Okezie Nwogu, Chairman of Abia State Oil Producing Development Area Commission (ASOPADEC). However, the State has complained of poor funding from its oil revenue federal allocation.

Education

Abia's educational system consistently ranks in the top five states on the Nigeria Board of Education, with students outperforming the average in all subject areas and class tests. All school divisions both primary, secondary, and university must adhere to educational standards set forth by the Abia Department of Education. opulation of studentsin local and regional schools.

Colleges and Universities

There are eight universities in the state (two are public while six are privately-owned):

Public Universities:

* The federal-owned

Michael Okpara University of Agriculture The Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, originally the Federal University of Agriculture, is a federal university in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria was established as a specialized University by a Federal Government of Nigeria Decree No 4 ...

Umudike Umudike is a semi-urban settlement in Oboro, Ikwuano Local Government Area in Abia State, Nigeria. It is about 11 kilometers southeast of Umuahia, the state's capital city. It is home to the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture and the Natio ...

, * The state-owned

Abia State University Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) is a Nigerian public university. It is one of the state-owned universities in Nigeria. These state academic institutions were created to expand admissions and bring professional skills, expertise and modern res ...

Uturu Uturu is a town located within latitudes 05.33°N and 06.03°N, in the northern part of Abia State, Nigeria. It is in the transition from rural to urban status, so it is witnessing many development activities. It is popularly known as a locatio ...

Private Universities

Gregory University Gregory University (GUU) is located in Uturu, Abia State in Nigeria. It is a Private University named after Pope Gregory I. The Vice-chancellor of the university is Professor Augustine A. Uwakwe. History The Gregory University is a christians ...

* Rhema University in

, * Spiritan University in

* Clifford University in Owerrinta, * Nigerian British University in Asa-Nnetu. * Amadeus University in Amizi, Ikwuano * Lux Mundi University in Afaraukwu-Ibeku, Umuahia. Other higher institutions of learning includes: * Uma Ukpai Polytechnic located in Asaga-Ohafia, * Abia State College of Education (Technical) in

, * Abia State College Of Health Sciences and Management Technology in Aba, * Temple Gate Polytechnic in Aba, * Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic (formaly Abia State Polytechnic) and * The National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba, a federally-owned inter-university centre for the study and development of Nigerian Languages.

Transportation

The nearest airport to Abia is Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport (Owerri Airport), it is an hour drive to

and

. It is two hours' drive to

Port Harcourt International Airport Port Harcourt International Airport is an international airport serving Port Harcourt, the capital city of the Rivers State in Nigeria. The airport has two terminals for both international and domestic flights. The new International terminal w ...

Akwa Ibom Airport Victor Attah International Airport , is an airport serving Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria. The airport is Southeast of Uyo, and northwest of the river port of Oron. The Akwa Ibom non-directional beacon (Ident: AI) an ...

(

) can also serve would-be visitors. The distance between Uyo (''Akwa Ibom'') and

(Abia) is: . The

rail transport Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

is also available in the state very effective.

is connected to

Port Harcourt Port Harcourt (Pidgin: ''Po-ta-kot or Pi-ta-kwa)'' is the capital and largest city of Rivers State in Nigeria. It is the fifth most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Benin. It lies along the Bonny River and is locate ...

by rail. Umuahia is connected to Aba and

by rail. The

coastal A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

parts of the State are equally accessible using boats and canoes. Federal Highways are; * A3 highway (Nigeria), A3 northeast from

(Rivers State) via Umuahia, Umuokpara, Umuokwara (Imo State) and across the north of Abia State again via Lokpaukwu to Enugu State, * F103 east from Akwa Ibom State, Akwa Ibom via Ikot Ubo to Oron people, Oron, *F104 highway (Nigeria), F104 from Aba via Azumini, Etinam, and Ndiya to F103 at Ikot Ubo, * F107 highway (Nigeria), F107 from Umuahia via Bende to F234 in Ohafia, * F108 highway (Nigeria), F108 from Arochukwu, in the southeast, via Ikot Okpora and Orira to A4, * F112 the Okigwe-Afikpo road east from

via Okigwe to Ebonyi State International Airport, Ebonyi State. Other major roads includes; * Southeast from Okigwe to Amiyi-Uhu (Ogboro Junction) to Amaba * The Ahaba-Umunekwu east and south from Amaba as the Ohafia-Ogo Ubi-Agu Eze Rd to join the Umuahia-Ohafia Rd, * The Umuahia Rd south to Akwa Ibom, * The Obohia-Azumini Rd east to Akwa Ibom, * North from A3 at Uzuaku to Owaza (Rivers State), * The Asa-Akwere-Obohia Rd west from A3 at Obehie Junction to Owaza * The Eberi-Umu Uyo Rd southwest from A6 at Umuvo to Rivers State.

Politics

The Abia State Government, State Government is led by a democratically elected Governor of Abia State, Governor who works closely with members of the state's Abia State House of Assembly, House of Assembly. The capital city of the state is

, and there are 17 local government areas in the state. Renovated Abia State House of Assembly

At statehood in 1991, Abia was ruled by

-appointed Military Administrator Frank Ajobena before Ogbonnaya Onu was 1991 Abia State gubernatorial election, elected governor later that year under the Third Nigerian Republic. Onu governed for nearly two years before Sani Abacha ended the Third Republic and reinstated full military rule. Under the Abacha regime, three more Military Administrators (Chinyere Ike Nwosu, Temi Ejoor, and Moses Fasanya) were appointed before Abacha's death and the accession of Abdulsalami Abubakar. Abubakar appointed one more Military Administrator, Anthony Obi, before starting the transition to democracy in 1998. In 1999, Nigeria returned to democracy, and Orji Uzor Kalu was 1999 Abia State gubernatorial election, elected governor on the platform of the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria), People's Democratic Party. Consequently, he was sworn in on 29 May 1999. In 2003, when it was time for fresh elections, Kalu re-contested on the platform of the PDP and 2003 Abia State gubernatorial election, got a second mandate to govern (the Constitution of Nigeria limits Governors to two terms in office). At the end of Kalu's term in 2007, Theodore Orji (Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA) defeated Onyema Ugochukwu (PDP) in the 2007 Abia State gubernatorial election, 2007 gubernatorial election, to become Abia's next Governor. In 2011, Theodore Orji defected from the PPA to the PDP before being 2011 Abia State gubernatorial election, re-elected for another four-year term later that year. In 2015,

(PDP) was 2015 Abia State gubernatorial election, voted in as the ninth Governor of Abia State. Four years later, he won 2019 Abia State gubernatorial election, re-election, defeating Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, Uche Ogah of the All Progressives Congress and Alex Otti of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA to be sworn in as Governor for a second term on 29 May 2019. In Abia State, 70 percent of politicians belong to the PDP. In 2023, Alex Otti of the Labour Party (Nigeria), Labour Party Nigeria (LP) emerged as the eleventh governor of the state having defeated the candidate of the PDP in a fiercely contested race.

Electoral system

The electoral system of each state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two -third of the State local government Areas. If no candidate passes threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government Areas.

Culture

Tourist destinations include: *

, which is associated with slave trade. * Azumini Blue River waterside * The Amakama wooden cave; a hollow tree that can accommodate up to twenty people. * Caves located in the north, ranging from Umunneochi to Arochukwu. * Traditional festivals and dances * National War Museum, Umuahia and C. Odumegwu Ojukwu, Ojukwu Bunker in Umuahia * Museum of Colonial History in Aba * "Akwete" cloth weaving at Ukwa-East LGA *

War Dancers * Amafor-Isingwu biannual Iza aha ceremony * Ekpe Festival in Umuahia * Ezumezu Festival in Igbere, Bende (held triennially)

Notable People

Sports

* Felix Anyansi-Agwu - Former Chairman of Enyimba FC and NFF Vice President. * Samuel Chukwueze - Nigeria National Team football player. * Michael Emenalo - Nigerian sports director and former professional footballer. * Kenneth Omeruo, Kenneth Josiah Omeruo - Nigerian professional footballer.

Arts

* 2Shotz - AfroRap Artiste and music producer. * Ejike Asiegbu - Nollywood veteran. * Bright Chimezie - Highlife Musician. * Chelsea Eze - Award-winning Nollywood actress. * Chinedu Ikedieze - Nollywood actor. * OC Ukeje - Lagos based Award-winning Nollywood Actor.

Politics

* Ikechukwu Emetu - Nigerian engineer and politician. * Okezie Ikpeazu, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu - Nigerian politician. * Orji Uzor Kalu - Nigerian politician and businessman. * Alex Otti - Nigerian economist, banker, investor, philanthropist, and politician. * Theodore Orji - Nigerian politician.

References

External links

Government

State Government website

Abia House of Assembly

Abia's Judicial system
{{Authority control Abia State, States of Nigeria States in Igboland States and territories established in 1991 1991 establishments in Nigeria Cities in Nigeria Climate of Africa Climate of Nigeria