Abia State
Encyclopedia : A : AB : ABI : Abia State
| Abia State State nickname: God's Own State | ||
| Location | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Governor (List) | Orji Uzor Kalu (PDP) | |
| Date Created | 27 August 1991 | |
| Capital | Umuahia | |
| Area | 6,320 km² Ranked 32nd | |
| Population 1991 Census 2005 estimate | Ranked 15th 2,297,978 4,222,476 | |
| ISO 3166-2 | NG-AB | |
Location and overview
Abia State, Nigeria is a state in southeastern Nigeria created in 1991 from part of Imo State. The citizens are predominantly Igbo. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government outpost. Arochukwu is the third largest city.
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 most peaceful states of Nigeria and has been a haven for foreign investors. The state's population has grown rapidly since its creation.
History and population
Abia State was carved out of the former Imo State in 1991. It is one of the thirty-six (36) States which 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 2.4m 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.
Geography
Abia State which occupies about 5834 square kilometer, 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.
Administration
There are seventeen local government areas (LGAs). Each local government is headed by a democratically-elected Chairman working with an elected council. The State Government is led by a democratically-elected executive Governor who is working closely with an elected State House Assembly. The capital city is Umuahia. The major urban areas include Aba (a major commercial centre in southeastern Nigeria), Umuahia, Arochukwu, Abiriba, Nbawsi, Ohafia, Omoba, Ovim, Akwete, Obehie, Mgboko, Isuochi, and Osisioma.
Travel
The nearest Airport to Abia state is Port Harcourt ( Airport Code : PHC ) and is a 30 mins journey from the Airport to Aba and about 50 minutes to Umuahia.
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| Abia | Abuja Federal Capital Territory | Adamawa | Akwa Ibom | Anambra | Bauchi | Bayelsa | Benue | Borno | Cross River | Delta | Ebonyi | Edo | Ekiti | Enugu | Gombe | Imo | Jigawa | Kaduna | Kano | Katsina | Kebbi | Kogi | Kwara | Lagos | Nassarawa | Niger | Ogun | Ondo | Osun | Oyo | Plateau | Rivers | Sokoto | Taraba | Yobe | Zamfara | |
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