Abia State

Abia State
—  State  —
Abia Tower in Umuahia
Nickname(s): God's Own State Igbo: Ọhā Chukwu
Location of Abia State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 5°25′N 7°30′E / 5.417°N 7.5°E / 5.417; 7.5Coordinates: 5°25′N 7°30′E / 5.417°N 7.5°E / 5.417; 7.5
Country	Nigeria
Date created	27 August 1991
Capital	Umuahia
Government
• Governor[1]	Theodore Orji (PDP)
• Senators	Eyinnaya Abaribe, Uche Chukwumerije, Nkechi Justina Nwaogu
• Representatives	List
Area
• Total	6,320 km2 (2,440 sq mi)
Population (2006 census)[2]
• Total	2,833,999
• Density	450/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
• Year	2007
• Total	$18.69 billion[3]
• Per capita	$3,003[3]
Time zone	WAT (UTC+01)
ISO 3166 code	NG-AB
Official language	Igbo
Website	abiastate.gov.ng

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).^[4] It is one of the nine constituent states of the Niger Delta region.

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.^[5] 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. Abia's 2.4mm people are mainly Christians.

Politics

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).

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 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.) Theodore Orji (PPA) defeated Onyema Ugochukwu (PDP) in the 2007 general elections to become Abia's next Governor.In 2011, Theodore Orji decamped from PPA to the PDP and was re-elected for another four year tenure.

Local Government Areas

Abia State has 17 local government areas (LGAs). They are:

Traditional rulers

Geography

Abia State, which occupies about 5,834 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, to the east and southeast are Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State, 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.

Infrastructure and economy

Crude oil and gas production is a prominent activity, as it contributes to 39% of the GDP.^[7] Representing 27% of the GDP,^[7] agriculture, which employs 70% ^[7] 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, and cassava. Abia also has large crude oil deposits. The manufacturing sector only accounts for 2% of the GDP.^[7]

University and Colleges

There are two universities in the state: the federally owned Michael Okpara University of Agriculture at Umudike and the state-owned Abia State University in Uturu. There are two tertiary hospitals, the Federal Medical Center in Umuahia and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital in Aba, which 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.

Travel

The nearest airport to Abia state is Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport (Owerri Airport), an hour’s drive to Aba; and Port Harcourt International Airport (airport code: PHC), 2 hours to Aba and about three hours to Umuahia. Uyo Airport Akwa Ibom State can also serve would be visitors. The Distance between Uyo (Akwa Ibom) and Umuahia (Abia) is:
73.28 kilometers (km). 
The approximately estimated travel/road distance can be around 84.27 km to 91.6 km In Other Unit:
45.54 miles. The approximately estimated travel/road distance can be around 52.37 miles to 56.92 miles 
39.54 nautical miles. The approximately estimated travel/road distance can be around 45.47 nautical miles to 49.42 nautical miles.

The rail transport is also another means of travel, very effective but currently on revitalization. The Coastal parts of the State are equally accessible with boats and canoes.

Notes

References

• Abia State official web site
• ABIA State of Nigeria – A Profile
• Abia State Background Information
• Abia Union USA

v t e Abia State Capital:Umuahia LGAs Aba North Aba South Arochukwu Bende Ikwuano Isiala Ngwa North Isiala Ngwa South Isuikwuato Obi Ngwa Ohafia Osisioma Ngwa Ugwunagbo Ukwa East Ukwa West Umuahia North Umuahia South Umu Nneochi

v t e States of Nigeria 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 Nasarawa Niger Ogun Ondo Osun Oyo Plateau Rivers Sokoto Taraba Yobe Zamfara