Abia State
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| Abia State State nickname: God's Own State |
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| Location | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Date Created | 27th August, 1991 | |
| Capital | Umuahia | |
| Official language | English | |
| Area | 6,320km² Ranked 32 of 36 |
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| Population - 2005 (estimate) - 1991 Census |
Ranked 15 of 36 4,222,476 2,297,978 |
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| Current Governor Previous Governors |
Theodore Orji (PPA) | |
| Senators | Eyinnaya Abaribe (PDP) Uche Chukwumerije (PPA) Nkechi Nwaogu (PDP) |
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| Representatives | List | |
| ISO 3166-2 | NG-AB | |
| Website | www.abiastate-ng.com | |
Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government outpost. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State and its citizens are predominantly Igbo people (95% of population). [1] It is one of the nine constituent states of the Niger Delta region.
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[edit] History and population
Abia State was carved out of the former Imo State in 1991. The name "Abia" is an abbreviation of four of the state's densely populated regions Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, and Afikpo [2]. It is one of the thirty-six (36) States that constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Abia people are of the Igbo ethnic group who predominates much of the Southeastern part of Nigeria. Their traditional language is Igbo. English is widely spoken and serves as the official language in governance and business. Globally, Igbos are well travelled. Abia's 2.4mm people are mainly Christians and entrepreneurial. They are known and reputed to be industrious, highly market oriented, very hospitable and accommodating, probably due to their migratory nature. Most of the people in that state are one of the by the map pf
[edit] Politics
In 1999 Nigeria became a democracy, and Orji Uzor Kalu contested on the platform of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and won the Governorship election in Abia State. Consequently he was sworn-in on the 29th of 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.) Theodore Orji (PPA) defeated Onyema Ugochukwu (PDP) in the 2007 general elections to become Abia's next Governor. Theodore Orji was later found unfit to be the governor based on the constitution of Nigeria. However, Theodore Orji appealed the court ruling and the final ruling is being expected.
[edit] Geography
Abia State, which occupies about 5834 square kilometers, is bounded on the north and northeast by the states of Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi. To the west of Abia is Imo State, the east and southeast are Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, and to the south is Rivers State. The southern part of the State lies within the riverine part of Nigeria. It is low-lying with a heavy rainfall of about 2400 mm/year especially intense between the months of April through October. The rest of the State is moderately high plain. The most important rivers in Abia State are the Imo and Aba rivers which flow into the Atlantic Ocean through the Niger Delta.
The State Government is led by a democratically-elected executive Governor who works closely with an elected State House Assembly. The capital city is Umuahia. There are Seventeen (17) local government areas (LGAs):
- Aba
- Umuahia
- Igbere
- Alayi
- Arochukwu
- Abiriba
- Item
- Isialangwa
- Ohafia
- Omoba
- Ikwuano
- Isuikwuato
- Akwete
- Obehie
- Mgboko
- Bende
- Osisioma Ngwa
- Obingwa
- Ugwunagbo
- Ukwa East
- Ukwa West
[edit] Infrastructure and economy
Abia is sometimes referred to as "the Japan of Africa" due to its numerous factories. With its adequate seasonal rainfall, Abia has much arable land that produces yams, maize, potatoes, rice, cashews, plantains, and cassava. Abia also has large crude oil deposits. There is the Federal University of Agriculture at Umudike, and the state-owned Abia State University in Uturu. Two tertiary hospitals, the Federal Medical Center in Umuahia and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital in Aba, serve as referral hospitals in the state. The Abia State Polytechnic is also in the city of Aba. Abia is one of the more peaceful states of Nigeria and has been a "haven" for foreign investors. The state's population has grown rapidly since its creation.
[edit] Travel
The nearest airport to Abia state is Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport (Owerri Airport), a 20 minute drive to Aba; and Port Harcourt International Airport (airport code: PHC), a 30-minute to Aba and about 50 minutes to Umuahia.
[edit] References
- Abia State official web site
- ABIA State of Nigeria -- A Profile
- Abia State Background Information
- Abia Union USA
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