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Aba Aba Ngwa (Igbo) Enyimba City | |
|---|---|
City | |
 View of Aba from the Aba-Owerri road  City of Aba at night  Abia Multi-Specialist Hospital Aba,Abia State. .jpg) Night view of Abia Multi-Specialist Hospital Aba,Abia State  Azikiwe Road Aba,Abia State  Aba main park.  Geometric Power Plant Osisioma Aba,Abia State | |
| Nickname: Enyimba | |
  Aba Location in Nigeria | |
| Coordinates:5°07′N7°22′E / 5.117°N 7.367°E /5.117; 7.367 | |
| Country |  Nigeria |
| State | Abia |
| LGA (City) | Aba South,Aba North, |
| Local Government Areas (Urban) | Aba North, Aba South, Osisioma Ngwa, Ugwunagbo, Obingwa. |
| Incorporated (town) | Early 20th Century |
| Government | |
| • Type | Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) |
| • Governor | Alex Otti (LP) |
| • Director General (GADA) | Uche Ukeje |
| Area | |
• City | 72 km2 (28 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 773 km2 (298 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 1,984 km2 (766 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 205 m (673 ft) |
| Population (2006 census)[1] | |
• City | 531,340 |
| • Density | 7,400/km2 (19,000/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 1,030,121 |
| • Urban density | 1,300/km2 (3,500/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,534,265 |
| • Metro density | 1,300/km2 (3,300/sq mi) |
| • Ethnicity | Igbo 90% |
| • Religion | Omenala 7% Christianity 90% Islam 3% |
| GDP (PPP, 2015 int. Dollar) | |
| • Year | 2023 |
| • Total | $13.4 billion[2] |
| • Per capita | $11,300 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
| Postcode | 450...[citation needed] |
| Area code | 082 |
| National language | Igbo |
| Website | http://www.abiastateonline.com/ |
Aba is a city in southeasternNigeria. It lies along the west bank of theAba River and is at the intersection of roads leading to settlements such asPort Harcourt,Owerri,Umuahia,Ikot Ekpene, andIkot-Abasi.[3]
Aba was established by theNgwa clan of theIgbo people in Nigeria as amarket town. Later, a military post was placed there by theBritish colonial administration in 1901.[4] The city became a collection point for agricultural products following construction of a British-made railway running through it to Port Harcourt. Aba is a major urban settlement and commercial centre inAbia State, which is surrounded by small villages and towns. The indigenous people of Aba are theNgwa. Aba is well known for its craftsmen, and as of 2016, Aba had an estimated population of 2,534,265, making it the biggest city in southeastern Nigeria.[1]
The city was initially a trade centre, which eventually became an administrative centre ofBritain's colonial government. Aba has been a major commercial centre ever since it became part ofBritish Nigeria.[citation needed]
TheAro Expedition, which was part of a larger military plan to quell anti-colonial sentiment in the region, took place in the area of Aba between 1901 and 1902. During this military action, the British defeated the nativeAro people with a presumably large number of casualties.[5] In 1901, the British founded a military post in Aba and in 1915, a railroad was constructed to link it to Port Harcourt, which transported agricultural goods such aspalm oil andpalm kernels.[3]
In 1929, Aba was the site of a revolt by Igbo women, historically known asWomen's War, which was a protest against the colonial taxation policy.[6] The riot started as a peaceful protest against the initial census of women in the region and subsequent assumed taxation of the women based upon rumours. The protests spread throughout the region, but remained peaceful until a pregnant woman was knocked over during a "scuffle", and the lady lost her child.[7] News of this "act of abomination" spread rapidly, and violent reactions ensued. After more protests, a mass of 10,000 women marched on Aba. Sources dispute the casualty rate, with 55[8] to over 100 deaths being reported.[7] By the 1930s, Aba was becoming a large urban community with an established industrial complex.
During the height of theNigerian Civil War in 1967, the capital ofBiafra was moved toUmuahia fromEnugu. Aba was a very strategic Biafran city and was heavily bombed and air-raided during the Civil War.[9]
Upon the creation of Abia State in 1991, the old Aba township was divided into two local government areas, beingAba South andAba North, while the suburban neighborhood of what was then known as Obioma NgwaL.G.A. was divided into three L.G.A.s (namelyOsisioma Ngwa, Obingwa andUgwunagbo) for administrative convenience.
Aba is the home of many distinguished families such as the Emejiaka Egbu family of Aba la Ohazu, the Ogbonna family of Eziukwu-Aba, the Ichita family of Umuokpoji-Aba, the Omenihu family of Obuda-Aba, the Ugbor family of Aba-Ukwu, the Ugwuzor family Umuokpoji Aba, the Ihemadu family of Ohabiam, the Ukaegbu family of Aba-ukwu, the Ahunanya family of Ohabiam, among others.[citation needed]
Aba is surrounded byoil wells, which separate it from the city ofPort Harcourt. A 30 kilometres (19 miles) longpipeline provides Aba with gas from theImo Rivernatural gas repository.[3] Its major economic contributions aretextiles and palm oil,[4] along with pharmaceuticals, plastics, cement, and cosmetics. This trade makes theAriaria International Market the second largest market in Nigeria after theOnitsha Main Market. There is also aHeineken N.V., a glass-working company[4] and a brewery within the city. Aba is famous for its handicrafts.[3] There are ongoing construction projects in Enyimba Economic Area and Abia State Industrial Innovation Park in Ukwa East and West local government areas to overcome the challenges of unplannedurban sprawl facing the city.[citation needed]
Aba is a commercial hub of eastern Nigeria.[10][11] There are a few well-known markets, such as Ariaria International Market, Ahia Ohuru Market, and Eziukwu Road Market, among others, that serve the entire region with wares, food, cosmetics, and other material goods.
The city has played a lasting role in theChristian evangelism of Southeast Nigeria ever since the British brought over theChurch Mission Society (CMS), an evangelism vehicle of theChurch of England used to plant what today has become theAnglican Church of Nigeria. The evangelist church known as All the Saints originated out of the initiative of three oil traders: Opopo-Joseph Cookey, Gabrial Cookey and Zedekiah Cookey. These men sailed up theAba River in 1896 for trade and to spread Christianity. In 1897, they negotiated with the Abayi and Umuocham people for land to establish their oil business; these negotiations were successful. As their oil trade began to grow, so too did Christianity in Nigeria, and the Cookeys ended up converting the Abayi and Umuocham people toChristianity. From 1901 and especially in 1902, they planned an intensive crusade and invited their landlords. This led to the construction of twocongregational churches; one at the Abayi waterfront, and the other at the Umuocham waterfront, dedicated byJames Johnson. The earliest converts from the Abayi and Umuocham tribes attended church services at St. Ambrose on the Abayi waterfront until 1905, when they set up their own churches further inland. Joseph Cookey was the volunteer teacher for the Abayi, whereas Gabriel Cookey was the volunteer teacher for the Umuocham.[citation needed]
St. Michael's Cathedral Anglican Church was founded in the late 1920s, although St. James Parish on theUmuleri city limit is arguably the oldest church in the region due to the fact that thediocese's first mass was celebrated in 1916.[12] Most of the primary and secondary schools mentioned below were founded by the CMS along with their associated churches.
Earlymissionaries who arrived in Nigeria in 1842 established what is now known as theMethodist Church of Nigeria inBadagry. Methodism quickly spread toUzuakoli and down to Aba. Wesley Cathedral was the first cathedral to be built in Aba. It became a diocese and later an archdiocese which hosted the 2018 Methodist Conference. The Methodist Church is one of the most spiritually vibrant churches in the city of Aba.[13]
TheCatholic Church also created many churches; Christ the King Church (C.K.C), which for a long time was the biggest church in the city, became itsbishop's seat, and it is now known as Christ the King Cathedral.[citation needed]
With the arrival of thePentecostal brand of Christianity in Nigeria, the city got an enormous share for itself. TheAssemblies of God Church andDeeper Christian Life Ministry had massive followings in the early 1980s, followed by the Refiner's House International Church, one of the newest and fastest-growing Christian ministries in the city.[14] TheAfrican Gospel Church was founded by Bishop Ogudoro.[citation needed] This church is divided into 10 districts. The current bishop of the African Gospel Church is Rev. Dr. Robert Lang'at.[15]
In the late 1960s, a group of Nigerians discovered information on theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and established branches, but this Utah-based church did not establish any official presence in Nigeria until 1978.[16] The first stake of this church in Nigeria (and in fact in all of Africa outside ofSouth Africa) was established in Aba in 1988, withDavid W. Eka as president. There are presently four LDS stakes headquartered in Aba and the only LDS temple in Nigeria is located in the city, being theAba Nigeria Temple. There are three other temples announced forLagos,Benin City, andEket.[citation needed]
Mosques are also present in Aba; the largest mosque is the Hospital Road Mosque. A Chief Imam resides in theHausa-speaking settlements at the heart of the city.
Below are some schools in Aba.
The tertiary schools are:
Enyimba F.C., popularly calledThe Peoples Elephant, is the city's most popularassociation football club. Enyimba F.C.'s winning record is among the highest of all Nigerian football clubs. With twoCAF Champions League trophies, sixNigeria Premier League titles and a pair ofNigerian Federation Cup trophies, the club is currently ranked second in the CAF Club rankings.[17][18][19]
Aba is served by a station onNigerian Railways, but this station is rarely used. Aba is also a major hub for road transport in the region—a large number of transport companies operate coaches that transport people daily to various parts of the country. The city is second only toOnitsha in mass transportation daily volume within eastern Nigeria. Commercial motorcycles have been banned in the region and are being replaced by commercialtricycles popularly referred to as Keke and aminibus service. This minibus service is a popular means of transportation nowadays.[citation needed]
In 2012, amonorail system was proposed for the city.[citation needed] The plan was criticised as a potential scam, as the private company involved in the project had no experience in developing monorails.[20] As of 2021, there is no information that the proposal progressed past the signing of amemorandum of understanding.
The management of waste in Aba is primarily overseen by the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA).[citation needed] Although faced with significant challenges that are compounded by rapid urbanization and population growth the recent administration of Dr Alex Otti has had much greater success in solving waste management in the city, with one refuse dumps being cleared all over the city.[21]
Aba is powered by theEnugu Electricity Distribution Company, which was created by the division of the Nigerian Electricity Power Authority. On February 24th, 2024, a new power plant operated by electrical company Geometric Power Company was inaugurated byBola Tinubu.[22] Aba Power Limited Electric, the newestelectricity distribution company in Nigeria, is expected to take electricity from the new plant and supply 9 of the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia State, including Aba.[23] It is expected that the daily hours of available electricity in the city will rise, and theelectric generator will become a household item. For some places in Aba, an electric generator will be the only source of electricity due to remoteness or other factors.[24][better source needed]
Aba has a mainlytropical climate. Most months of the year see significantrainfall, and the briefdry season has little impact. The weather in the region is classified as Am in theKöppen climate classification system. Aba's yearly mean temperature is 25.6 °C (78.1 °F). The annual precipitation of the city clocks in to about 2,747 millimetres (108.1 in).
Due to Aba's proximity to theequator, the city is in a summer-like state most of the year. January, February, March, April, May, November, and December are considered ideal months to travel.[25][26][27]
5°07′N7°22′E / 5.117°N 7.367°E /5.117; 7.367
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