Abia State (Igbo: Ȯha Abia) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, it is bordered to the northwest by Anambra State and northeast by the states of Enugu, and Ebonyi, Imo State to the west, Cross River State to the east, Akwa Ibom State to the southeast, and Rivers State to the south. Abia is the only Southeastern state that has boundaries with the other four Southeastern states in Nigeria. [5]It takes its name from the acronym for four of the state's most populated regions: Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo (but Afikpo was later joined with a part of Enugu state to create Ebonyi state in 1996).[6] The state capital is Umuahia while the largest city and commercial centre is Aba.[7][8]
Modern-day Abia State has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, but it is predominantly inhabited by the Igbo people. In the pre-colonial period, what is now Abia State was a part of Arochukwu-based Aro Confederacy before the confederacy was defeated in the early 1900s by British troops in the Anglo-Aro War. After the war, the British incorporated the area into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate which later merged into British Nigeria; after the merger, Abia became a centre of anti-colonial resistance with the Women's War that started in Oloko.
After independence in 1960, the Abia was a part of the post-independence Eastern Region until 1967 before the region was split and it became part of the East Central State. Less than two months afterwards, the former Eastern Region attempted to secede in the three-year long Nigerian Civil War with Abia as a part of the secessionist state of Biafra. At the war's end and for the reunification of Nigeria, the East Central State was merged as one until 1976 when Imo State (including now-Abia) was formed by the Murtala Muhammed regime. Fifteen years afterwards, Imo State was divided with eastern Imo being broken off to form the old Abia State; but in 1996, part of Abia's northeast was removed to form a part of the new Ebonyi State.[10]
Abia State occupies about 4902 square kilometres, it is bounded on the north and northeast by the states of Enugu for about 25 km, and Ebonyi for 70 km (43 miles), Cross River State for about 52 km (partly across Cross River) and Akwa Ibom State for 151 km (94 miles) to the east and southeast respectively, Rivers State to the south and west for 87 km (54 miles), Imo State and Anambra 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, while the rest of the state, lies within the Cross–Niger transition forests.[13] The southern portion gets heavy rainfall of about 2,400 millimetres (94 in) per year and it is intense between the months of April through October.[14] The most important rivers in Abia State are the Imo and Aba Rivers which flow into the Atlantic Ocean through Akwa Ibom State.[15]
Environmental Issues
Solid waste
Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) deals with the collection, storing, treatment and disposal of solid waste, to ensure that it does not affect humans, living things and the environment at large. There are factors that influences the Municipal solid waste generation such as income level, local climatic condition, urbanization and economic development.[16] 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 generates 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.[17]
Climate
Aba experiences a warm and gloomy wet season as well as a scorching and oppressive dry season. The temperature rarely drops below 61 °F (16 °C) or rises over 91 °F (33 °C) throughout the entire year, fluctuating between 68 and 88 °F (20 and 31 °C).[18][19]
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.[20][21]
In Aba, the rainy season is warm and cloudy, 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.[18][22]
Since Aba experiences so small seasonal temperature variations, talking about the hot and cold seasons isn't very helpful.[23][24]
History and population
Abia State is one of the thirty-six States in Nigeria, and has about seventeen Local Government Areas, out of the 774 Local Government Areas that make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Abia State was created on the 27th of August 1991, during the government of General Ibrahim Babangida. 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 Umuahia 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, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo.[25][26]
The Igbo people, who are one of the indigenous peoples of the South-eastern part of Nigeria, make up 95% of the population. Their traditional language, Igbo, is in widespread use. Ibibio is spoken as a minority language, especially in Arochukwu[27] 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.[28] According to there are 689,668 Catholics (2020) in the Umuahia Diocese (1958) with 70 parishes under Bishop Michael Kalu Ukpong (2022) [1] and Aba Diocese (1990) with 90 parishes under Bishop Augustine Ndubueze Echema (2019), both suffragans of Archdiocese of Owerri.[29]
Infrastructure and economy
Crude oil and gas production is a prominent activity, as it contributes over 39% of the State's GDP.[30] 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.[31]
The manufacturing sector only accounts for 2% of the GDP.[30] The industrial centre of the state is in Aba, with textile manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, soap, plastics, cement, footwear, and cosmetics.[13] 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.
There are over 100 oil wells and 3 installed flow stations in Abia State.[31][32] There is also an associated gas plant, Abia/NNPC gas plant.[32] As of 2012, boundary Commission said it returned 42 oil wells from neighbouring Rivers State to Abia.[32] This would have meant Abia was r fourth largest oil-producing state in the country.[32] Oil giant, Shell, holds most of the licenses for the wells in the State, and has concentrated on the estimated 50 wells that are considered high-yield.[31]
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.[33] 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.[32]
Aba
The MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) for a very long time now, like many other cities and urban areas in Nigeria, has in its records reached appalling dimensions.
Due to the poor waste management, the attendant deaths and illnesses from diarrhoea, respiratory and lung diseases, malaria, parasitic worms, typhoid fever, cholera, etc. are on the rise. This has its own detriment in no small measures by poor MSW management practices have implications on the social, political and economic development of the population[16]
The rail transport is also available in the state very effective. Aba is connected to Port Harcourt by rail. Umuahia is connected to Aba and Enugu by rail.[13] The coastal parts of the State are equally accessible using boats and canoes.
Federal Highways are;
A3 northeast from Port Harcourt (Rivers State) via Umuahia, Umuokwara (Imo State) and across the north of Abia State again via Lokpauku to Enugu State,
Umuahia Catholic Diocese (1958) [2] with 70 parishes is under Bishop Michael Kalu Ukpong (2022) [3] and Aba Diocese (1990) [4] with 90 parishes under Bishop Augustine Ndubueze Echema (2019) [5], both suffragans of Owerri Archdiocese.
The State Government is led by a democratically elected Governor who works closely with members of the state's House of Assembly. The capital city of the state is Umuahia.[43] and there are 17 local government areas in the state.
In 1999, Nigeria returned to democracy, and Orji Uzor Kalu was elected governor on the platform of the 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 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 (PPA) defeated Onyema Ugochukwu (PDP) in the 2007 gubernatorial election, to become Abia's next Governor. In 2011, Theodore Orji defected from the PPA to the PDP before being re-elected for another four-year term later that year.
In 2023, Alex Otti of the Labour Party Nigeria (LP) emerged as the eleventh governor of the state having defeated the candidate of the PDP in a fiercely contested race.[46]
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.[47]
Jaja Wachuku – First Minister of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria, First indigenous Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria and first Nigerian Permanent representative to the UN.[105]
Joe Irukwu – Nigeria's First Professor of Insurance.
Pascal Atuma – Canadian-Nigerian actor, screenwriter, film producer, director and CEO/Chairman TABIC Record Label. born in Ikwuano Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.[133][134]
Pascal Ojigwe – Nigerian former professional footballer and Abia State Commissioner of Sports.
Uche Chukwumerije – 3-time Senator of Fed Rep of Nigeria; Former Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture; Former Biafran Minister of Information; Publisher Afriscope Magazine.[145]
^ abcdeHoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). "Abia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. I (15th ed.). Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. pp. 32. ISBN978-1-59339-837-8.
^"abia". www.usafricaonline.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
^"Wyborcza.pl". lodz.wyborcza.pl. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
^Department, Abia State (Nigeria) Ministry of Information, Culture, and Sports Information (1997). Abia State Official Handbook: 1991–1997. the Ministry.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Nigeria
