Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

🇳🇬 Umuahia is the capital city of Abia State in south-eastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to its south,and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia is indigenously Igbo.

Umuahia is renowned for being a railway and agricultural market centre, which attracts traders and farmers from neighboring towns to sell their produce, such as yams, cassava, corn (maize), taro, citrus fruits, and palm oil and kernels. There are industries that help drive its economy, such as a brewery and a palm-oil-processing plant. Nigeria's National Root Crops Research Institute, at Umudike, is adjacent to the town. Umuahia also has several colleges including Trinity College (theological), Government College Umuahia, Holy Rosary Girls Secondary School and hospitals like the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia (formerly Queen Elizabeth Hospital).

Umuahia comprises two local government areas: Umuahia North and Umuahia South. These local governments are also composed of clans such as the Umuopara, Ibeku, Olokoro, Ubakala and Ohuhu communities.

History According to popular legend, the name Umuahia derives from the Igbo word AmaAhia or "Ama Ahia", which means "market place or market center", respectively. The British, who arrived the region and annexed it sometime around the mid-to late 19th century, upon learning the name, mistakenly pronounced and spelled it as "Umuahia". Other legends exist regarding the origin of Umuahia, but the foregoing version seems most probable by consensus. In precolonial times, it served as one of the central marketplaces in the region for commerce. Given its serenity and proximity to other towns, such as Ohafia, Abiriba, Arochukwu, Obowo, Ngwa, Okigwi, Uzuakoli, Bende, Nnewi, Akwa Akpa (Old Calabar), and Kalabari, merchants of produce, pottery, crafts, textile, traditional medicine, palm wine, and tools travelled from afar, to trade at the busy market centre, with many roads leading to it.

However, the name Ama Ahia was not the town's name; rather it was located in a place called Afor Ibeji, near Olokoro Town. With increasing British administrative and commercial activities in the region and yonder, Umuahia, as it came to be known and written, was relocated to Ibeku Town for better oversight by administrative offices and the convergence of roads at Ibeku. The new location became one of the major trading posts along the rail route built by the United African Company (UAC) for carting produce, raw materials, and minerals along the trade route from Sub-Sahara to the Atlantic Ocean, for onward exportation to Europe. The trading post was named Umuahia-Ibeku Station to reflect the new market square and domain. Over time, the area became known as Umuahia, while the original market town at Afor Ibeji was renamed to Old Umuahia. The hyphenated Umuahia-Ibeku became a source of dispute, given that neighboring towns such as Ohuhu, Umuopara, Afugiri, Ofeme, etc., were constituted into the Umuahia administrative area, entitling them to be under Umuahia, not Umuahia – Ibeku, since Ibeku is on the same level as the constituent parts of Umuahia.

Umuahia, though comprising several villages and communities, is composed mainly of five sister clans, socially and phonologically homogenous at most, with each clan having its own version of autonomy, and social evolution.

Umuahia was established by the British colonial administration of Nigeria in the early 20th century. Umuahia was declared the second (and soon became the longest serving) capital, of the short-lived nation of the Republic of Biafra, on 28 September 1967 after the first capital, Enugu was captured by Nigerian troops. On April 22, 1969 Umuahia was occupied and nearly taken by Nigerian troops but they were forced to retreat, due to a stiff offensive by Biafran Maj. E.A. Eutuk. After Umuahia's capture on 24 December 1969, the last Biafran capital before its dissolution became Owerri.

Formerly known as Ikwuano/Umuahia Local government council until the Babangida-led government divided it into two LGAs—Ikwuano LGA and Umuahia LGA in 1991—and then later in 1996, the former Umuahia Local Government Area was split by Abacha-led government into two local governments: Umuahia North and Umuahia South. The first executive chairman of the old Umuahia local government area is Chief Chibiko Ukanwoke, elected in December 1991.

Government College Umuahia and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) formerly Federal University of Agriculture (FUAU) now fall into the domain of Ikwuano people.

Government There are two LGAs in Umuahia, namely; Umuahia North and Umuahia South. Both LGAs are made up of Clans, and villages in turn, made up the Clans.

The South has three major clans, namely – Ubakala, Olokoro and Umuopara. Some of the communities/villages in Umuahia South constitute what is known as Old Umuahia. The Local Government council Headquarters is located at Apumiri in Ubakala.

The North consists of Ibeku and Ohuhu. Its Local Government council Headquarters is located at Ibeku.

Infrastructure and economy Crude oil and gas production is a prominent activity, as it contributes over 39% of the State's GDP. 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 GDP. The industrial centre of the state is in Aba, with textile manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, soap, plastics, cement, footwear, and cosmetics. 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 that produces yams, maize, potatoes, rice, cashews, plantains, taro, and cassava. Oil palm is the most important cash crop.

Oil and gas exploration There are over 100 oil wells 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 Rivers State to Abia. This would have meant Abia was r fourth largest oil-producing state in the country. 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.

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.

Raw Materials • Gold • Lead/Zinc • Limestone • Oil/gas • Salt • Kaolin • Limestone

University and colleges There are six universities in the state: the federal-owned Michael Okpara University of Agriculture at Umudike, the state-owned Abia State University in Uturu, the privately-owned Gregory University in Uturu, Rhema University in Aba, Spiritan University in Umu Nneochi, Clifford University in Owerrinta, and Nigerian British University in Asa, Uma Ukpai Polytechnic, Asaga-Ohafia, Abia State College of Education (Technical) in Arochukwu, Abia State College Of Health Sciences and Management Technology in Aba, Temple Gate Polytechnic in Aba and Abia State Polytechnic are the other tertiary institutions in the State.

Culture and tourism Tourist destinations include: • Arochukwu, 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 Ojukwu Bunker in Umuahia • Museum of Colonial History in Aba • Akwete” cloth weaving at Ukwa-East LGA • Ohafia War Dancers • AmaforIsingwu biannual Iza aha ceremony • Ekpe Festival in Umuahia