Akwa Ibom State is a

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

in the South-South geopolitical zone of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, bordered on the east by

Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint ...

, on the west by

Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa Ib ...

and

Abia State Abia State ( ig, Ȯha Abia) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, it is bordered to the north and northeast by the states of Enugu, and Ebonyi, Imo State to the west, Cross River State to the east, Akwa Ibom State to the ...

, and on the south by the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. The state takes its name from the

Qua Iboe River The Kwa Ibo River (also ''Quaibo River'') is a river that rises near Umuahia in Abia State, Nigeria, and flows in a southeastern direction through Akwa Ibom State to the Atlantic Ocean. The river feeds a zone of mangrove swamps linked by creeks an ...

which bisects the state before flowing into the

Bight of Bonny The Bight of Biafra (known as the Bight of Bonny in Nigeria) is a bight off the West African coast, in the easternmost part of the Gulf of Guinea. Geography The Bight of Biafra, or Mafra (named after the town Mafra in southern Portugal), between ...

. Akwa Ibom was split from

Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint ...

in 1987 with its capital

Uyo Uyo is the capital city of Akwa Ibom in South South Nigeria. Ibibio is the language spoken in Uyo. It became the capital on September 23, 1987 when Akwa Ibom was created from the former Cross River State. According to the 2006 Nigerian Cens ...

and with 31

local government areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The phrase i ...

. Of the 36 states, Akwa Ibom is the 30th largest in area and fifteenth most populous with an estimated population of nearly 5.5 million as of 2016. Geographically, the state is divided between the

Central African mangroves The Central African mangroves ecoregion consists of the largest area of mangrove swamp in Africa, located on the coasts of West Africa, mainly in Nigeria. Location and description These mangroves are found in fertile rivermouths and lagoons and ...

in the coastal far south and the

Cross–Niger transition forests The Cross–Niger transition forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southeastern Nigeria, located between the Niger River on the west and the Cross River on the east. Once a rich mixture of tropical forest and savanna woodlan ...

in the rest of the state. Other important geographical features are the Imo and

Cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

rivers which flow along Akwa Ibom's eastern and western borders, respectively while the

Kwa Ibo River The Kwa Ibo River (also ''Quaibo River'') is a river that rises near Umuahia in Abia State, Nigeria, and flows in a southeastern direction through Akwa Ibom State to the Atlantic Ocean. The river feeds a zone of mangrove swamps linked by creeks a ...

bisects the state before flowing into the

. In the southeast corner of the state is the Stubb's Creek Forest Reserve, a heavily threatened wildlife reserve that contains declining

crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...

putty-nosed monkey The greater spot-nosed monkey or putty-nosed monkey (''Cercopithecus nictitans'') is one of the smallest Old World monkeys. It is a guenon of the '' C. mitis'' group, native to West Africa and living to some extent in rain forests, but more often ...

red-capped mangabey The collared mangabey (''Cercocebus torquatus''), also called red-capped mangabey and white-collared mangabey is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae of Old World monkeys. It formerly included the sooty mangabey as a subspecies. As ...

, and

Sclater's guenon Sclater's guenon (''Cercopithecus sclateri''), also known as Sclater's monkey and the Nigerian monkey, is an Old World monkey that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1904 and named after Philip Sclater. It is an arboreal and diurnal ...

populations along with potentially extirpated populations of

African leopard The African leopard (''Panthera pardus pardus'') is the nominate subspecies of the leopard, native to many countries in Africa. It is widely distributed in most of sub-Saharan Africa, but the historical range has been fragmented in the course ...

and

Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes ellioti'') is a subspecies of the common chimpanzee which inhabits the rainforest along the border of Nigeria and Cameroon. Male Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees can weigh up to 70 kilos with a bo ...

. Offshore, the state is also biodiverse as there are large fish populations along with various cetacean species including

bottlenose dolphin Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...

pantropical spotted dolphin The pantropical spotted dolphin (''Stenella attenuata'') is a species of dolphin found in all the world's temperate and tropical oceans. The species was beginning to come under threat due to the killing of millions of individuals in tuna purse s ...

humpback whales The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The hump ...

, and

killer whales The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white pa ...

Modern-day Akwa Ibom State has been inhabited by various ethnic groups for hundreds of years, primarily the closely related

Ibibio Ibibio may refer to: *Ibibio language *Ibibio people *Ibibio Sound Machine, an English electronic afro-funk band who sing in Ibibio See also * Ibiblio ibiblio (formerly SunSITE.unc.edu and MetaLab.unc.edu) is a "collection of collections", a ...

, Anaang, and Obolo -

Oron Oron may refer to: "Light" or someone that is "being able" or "capable" of doing anything posible or impossible. *Oron people a multi ethnic group of people living In the lower Cross River basin. *Oron Nation, one of the major states in the old Ca ...

peoples in the

North-East The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

North-West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east ...

, and

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

zones of the state, respectively. In the pre-colonial period, what is now Akwa Ibom State was divided into various city-states like the

Ibom Kingdom Ibom kingdom was an Ibibio nation with its seat of government in Obot Okon Ita. This kingdom was located between present day Abia and Akwa Ibom states in Southeastern Nigeria. Around 1630, an Igbo group from Abiriba known as the Eze Agwu arrived t ...

and

Akwa Akpa Duke Town, originally known as Atakpa is an Efik city-state that flourished in the 19th century in what is now southern Nigeria. The City State extended from now Calabar to Bakassi in the east and Oron to the west. Although it is now absorbed in ...

before the latter become a British protectorate in 1884 as a part of the

Oil Rivers Protectorate The Niger Coast Protectorate was a British protectorate in the Oil Rivers area of present-day Nigeria, originally established as the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1884 and confirmed at the Berlin Conference the following year. It was renamed on 12 Ma ...

. In the early 1900s, the British actually gained formal control of the area before incorporating the protectorate (now renamed the

Niger Coast Protectorate The Niger Coast Protectorate was a British protectorate in the Oil Rivers area of present-day Nigeria, originally established as the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1884 and confirmed at the Berlin Conference the following year. It was renamed on 12 Ma ...

) into the

Southern Nigeria Protectorate Southern Nigeria was a British Empire, British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger ...

which later merged into

British Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. Britain a ...

; after the merger, much of modern-day Akwa Ibom became a centre of anti-colonial resistance during the

Women's War The Women's War, or Aba Women's Protest (Igbo: ''Ogu Umunwanyi''; Ibibio: ''Ekong Iban''), was a period of unrest in colonial Nigeria over November 1929. The protests broke out when thousands of Igbo women from the Bende District, Umuahia and o ...

and political activism through the Ibibio State Union. After independence in 1960, the area of now-Akwa Ibom was a part of the post-independence Eastern Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the South-Eastern State. Less than two months afterwards, the

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

-majority former Eastern Region attempted to secede as the state of

Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...

; in the three-year long

Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence f ...

, now-Akwa Ibom was hard-fought over in the prelude to the Invasion of Port Harcourt while people from Akwa Ibom were persecuted by

n forces as they were mainly non-Igbo. At the war's end and the reunification of Nigeria, the South-Eastern State was reformed until 1976 when it was renamed

Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint ...

. Eleven years later, Cross River State was divided with western Cross River being broken off to form the new Akwa Ibom State. Economically, Akwa Ibom State is based around the production of

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...

and

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

as highest oil-producing state in the country, with

Ibeno Ibeno is located in the south south of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Ibeno town lies on the eastern side of the Kwa Ibo River about from the river mouth, and is one of the largest fishing settlements on the Nigeria ...

, Mbo and

Eastern Obolo Eastern Obolo (or Obolo agan̄ Mbum-ura in the native Obolo language) is a Local Government Area (LGA) in southern Nigeria, with headquarters at Okoroete. It is a coastal local government area in Akwa-Ibom State under great tidal influence from th ...

as oil-producing LGAs. Key minor industries involve agriculture as the state has substantial

cocoyam Cocoyam is a common name for more than one tropical root crop and vegetable crop belonging to the Arum family (also known as Aroids and by the family name ''Araceae'') and may refer to: * Taro (''Colocasia esculenta'') - old cocoyam * Malanga ('' ...

, yam, and

plantain Plantain may refer to: Plants and fruits * Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking ** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa'' * ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...

crops along with fishing and

heliciculture Heliciculture, commonly known as snail farming, is the process of raising edible land snails, primarily for human consumption or cosmetic use. The meat and snail eggs a.k.a. ''white caviar'' can be consumed as escargot and as a type of caviar, res ...

. Despite its vast oil revenues, Akwa Ibom has the seventeenth highest

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, whi ...

in the country in large part due to years of systemic corruption.

History

The region of the state was created out of

Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint ...

on September 23, 1987, by the then Military Administration of General

Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August, 1941) is a retired Nigerian Army general and politician. He served as military president of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He rose through the ranks to serve from 1984 to 1985 as Ch ...

. No central government existed among the people of what is now Akwa Ibom State, prior to the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

invasion in 1904. Instead, the

Annang The Anaang (also spelled Annang) are a sub-ethnic group of the larger Ibibio people, whose land is primarily within 8 of the present 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State: Abak, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk ...

, Efik, Ibono-Obolo and

were all autonomous groups. Although several Scottish missionaries arrived in

Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and cre ...

in 1848, and Ibono in 1887, the British did not firmly establish control of the area until 1904. In that year, the Enyong Division was created encompassing the area of the current state of Akwa Ibom, with headquarters at

Ikot Ekpene Ikot Ekpene, also known as The Raffia City, is a historic town in south-southern state of Akwa Ibom. It is the political and cultural capital of the Annang ethnic group in Nigeria (Nair, 1972). The town is located on the A342 highway that par ...

, an Annang city described by the noted Africanist Kaanan Nair, as the cultural and political capital of Annang and Ibibio. The creation of Enyong Division for the first time, allowed the numerous ethnic groups to come together. This further provided a venue for the creation of the Ibibio Welfare Union, later renamed Ibibio State Union. This social organization was first organized as a local development and improvement forum for educated persons and groups who were shut out from the colonial administration in 1929. Nonetheless, some historians have wrongly pointed to the union to buttress their argument about the homogeneity of groups in the area. The

Obolo Union Obolo may refer to: *The obolus, a Greek silver coin worth a sixth of a drachma *Obolo language, a language of Nigeria *Eastern Obolo, a local government area in Nigeria *Peter's Pence * Obolo, Akwa Ibom, a town in Nigeria *Andoni people The Obol ...

, comprising Ibono and

Andoni Andoni is a Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is at NgoTown. It has an area of over 233 km and a population of over 311,500 at the last census. The postal code of the area is 504. The current Executive Chairman ...

stock, was another strong socioeconomic and cultural organization that thrived in the region. The Ibono people have fought wars to maintain their unique identity and territory in the region more than any other group. When Akwa Ibom state was created in 1987,

was chosen as the state capital to spread development to all regions of the state.

Governance

Politics in Akwa Ibom state are dominated by the three main ethnic groups: the

and

. Of these three, the

remain the majority and have held sway in the state since its creation. For the past eight years, between May 29, 2007 - May 28, 2015, the Annang people held sway, since the governor for those eight years, was from Ikot Ekpene senatorial district.

Ministries, Departments and Agencies

Here are the list of ministries in Akwa Ibom State *

Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice is the Nigerian state government ministry, concerned with the administration of justice. The Ministry is under the coordination of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, who is often assisted by ...

* Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sufficiency *

Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Account and Finance Akwa may refer to: People * Akwá, Fabrice Akwa (born 1977), Angolan footballer * Obed Akwa, Ghanaian soldier * People from Akwa Ibom, Nigeria * People from Akwa Akpa, Nigeria Places * Akwa, Douala, a district in Douala, Cameroon ** Stade Akwa, ...

Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Works The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Works is the state government ministry charged with the responsibility of planning, devising, and implementing state policies on public works Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, finan ...

* Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education *Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment * Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Transport & Petroleum Resources *Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs *Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Lands, Town Planning & Survey * Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Information & Strategy *

Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health is the state government ministry, charged with the responsibility to plan, devise and implement the state policies on Health. The ministry was formed as an MDA (Ministries, Departments, and Agencies), in 198 ...

*Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Science & Technology *Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Women Development and Social Development *Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Youth & Sports *Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Administration & Supplies *Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Economic Development Labour and Manpower Planning *Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Investment, Commerce and Industries *

Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Culture and Tourism The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Culture and Tourism is the state's government branch or ministry, responsible for planning, devising and implementing the state's strategy on Culture and Tourism. The Ministry is headed by the Commissioner charged ...

*Akwa Ibom State Bureau of Political/Legislative Affairs and Water Resources *Akwa Ibom State Bureau of Rural Development & Cooperatives *Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Power and Petroleum Resources

Local Government Areas

Akwa Ibom State consists of thirty-one (31)

. They include: Meridien Akwa Ibom park

Abak :''Abak is also a nickname for the painter Hans von Aachen. For the place in Pakistan, see Abak, FATA.'' Abak is a town and Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The LGA was previously part of Cross River State. It was later sub ...

Eket Eket is one of the 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The name ''Eket'' or Ekid also refers to the indigenous ethnic group of the region and to their language. The Eket people use the endonym ''Ekid'' for themselves and their l ...

Esit-Eket Esit-Eket is a town and Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, southern Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a c ...

Essien Udim Essien Udim is one of the Annang speaking Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It was created out of the former Ikot Ekpene division and included the following clans in Annang land: Afaha Clan, Adiasim Clan, Odoro Ikot Clan, Ekpe ...

Etim-Ekpo Etim Ekpo is a town and Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. History Created from the former Abak division, Etim Ekpo is one of the Annang-speaking areas. The seat of the local government council is in Utu Etim Ekpo a community i ...

Etinan Etinan is located within the South South part of Nigeria and constitutes one of the Local Government Areas in the oil rich Akwa Ibom State. Known for its agricultural and arts craft products, the area forms one of the most peaceful locations in the ...

Ibesikpo-Asutan Ibesikpo-Asutan is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It is inhabited by the Ibesikpo and Asutan clans. The Local Government Headquarters is Nung Udoe. It is the home of former Akwa Ibom State governor architect Obong Victor A ...

Ibiono-Ibom Ibiono-Ibom is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in the south-south region of Nigeria. It has its administrative headquarters at Oko Ita. Geography The territorial unit and geographical area called, addressed and known as Ibiono Ibom con ...

* Ika *

Ikono Ikono is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, located in the South South of Nigeria. It is bounded at the North by Ini Local Government Area, South by Abak and Uyo Local Government Areas, East by Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area and West b ...

* Ikot Abasi *

* Ini *

Itu The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...

* Mbo *

Mkpat-Enin Mkpat-Enin is located in the South South region of Nigeria and is a town and a Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom State. It sits at an altitude of approximately above sea level. Mkpat Enin LGA has an area of and it's the second largest loc ...

Nsit-Atai Nsit Atai Local government area was created in the year 1996 with its capital at Odot by the government of president Ibrahim Babangida. It has an area of out of an about 17,000 square kilometers, with 62 villages. Location Nsit Atai is located in ...

Nsit-Ibom Nsit Ibom is a Nigerian local government area located within central Akwa Ibom State and sharing boundaries with Ibesikpo Asutan, Etinan, Nsit Ubium and Uyo Local Government Areas. The people of Nsit Ibom are of the Ibibio ethnic extraction. Ns ...

Nsit-Ubium Nsit-Ubium is in the south south of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. History Nsit Ubium Local Government Area was carved out of the then Etinan Local Government on May 3, 1989, with its headquarters at Ikot Edibon. In S ...

Obot-Akara Obot-Akara is in the south of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. It is inhabited by the Anaangs ethnic group. It shares borders with Ikwuano(Abia State Abia State ( ig, Ȯha Abia) is a state in the South-East geopol ...

Okobo , also referred to as , or (all onomatopoeic terms taken from the sound make when walking), are traditional Japanese wooden sandals worn by young girls for , young women during Coming of Age Day and apprentice geisha in some regions of Jap ...

Onna Onna is a Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Its name comes from an acronym of the names of the four predominant clans in the area: Oniong, Nnung Ndem, Awa Afaha and Awa. Onna has a population of about 495,000 p ...

Oruk Anam Arekw or O'rekw (also, Oruk) is a former Yurok settlement in Humboldt County, California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2mil ...

Ukanafun Ukanafun is located in the South South of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Ukanafun was carved out from Abak and Opobo divisions of Cross River State. The Nigerian Civil war depopulated the area and slowed economic acti ...

Udung-Uko Udung-Uko is a Local Government Area of Nigeria located in the south east Akwa Ibom State that was created in December 1996. Udung Uko is one of the Oro language speaking local government areas of Akwa Ibom State bounded by Mbo, Akwa Ibom to the ...

Uruan Uruan is located in the south of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of the Akwa Ibom State. Uruan Local Government Area was created in 1988 from the Uyo Local Government Area. It covers an approximate land mass of 449 km2. Its population, acco ...

Urue-Offong/Oruko Urue-Offong/Oruko is located in the south east of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State created in September 1991. Urue-Offong/Oruko is one of the five Oro language speaking Local Government Area bounded in the North West by O ...

Demographics

Ethnic groups

The main ethnic groups of the state include:

, Anaang,

and Obolo.

Religion

The people of Akwa Ibom are predominantly Christians. Pioneer Qua Iboe Church, full view

Languages

Like their Efik neighbors of

Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint ...

, people of Akwa Ibom speak various dialects of the

Ibibio-Efik languages Central Ibibio is the major dialect cluster of the Cross River branch of Benue–Congo. Efik proper has national status in Nigeria and is the literary standard of the Efik languages, though Ibibio proper has more native speakers. Varieties Ef ...

, which belong to the Benue–Congo language family, forming part of the Niger–Congo group of languages. The following table lists languages of Akwa Ibom State, and the local government areas in which they are spoken:

Education

The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education is tasked with monitoring the education sector of the state. The current region of Akwa Ibom State in old Calabar Kingdom, was the first to encounter Western education in Nigeria, with the establishment of

Hope Waddell Training Institute The Hope Waddell Training Institution (HOWAD) is a school in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria founded by missionaries from the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1895. It is named after the Reverend Hope Masterton Waddell. Establishmen ...

, at Calabar in 1895, and the

Methodist Boys' High School, Oron Methodist Boys’ High School, Oron (MBHS Oron) was established on 18 September 1905 following a proposal by Rev. Nathaniel Boocock

in 1905, as well as other top schools such as the Holy Family College at

and Regina Coeli College in

Essene The Essenes (; Hebrew: , ''Isiyim''; Greek: Ἐσσηνοί, Ἐσσαῖοι, or Ὀσσαῖοι, ''Essenoi, Essaioi, Ossaioi'') were a mystic Jewish sect during the Second Temple period that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st c ...

. Some educational institutes in the state are: *

Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic is a tertiary learning institution in Ikot Osurua, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It was founded in 1991. The institution is accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) with the mandate to pr ...

Ikot Osurua * Akwa Ibom State University (Oruk Anam LGA and Mkpat Enin LGA) * Federal Polytechnic, Ukana *

Foundation College of Technology Foundation College of Technology is a privately owned polytechnic located at Ikot Idem Offikono Road, Ikot Ekpene Akwa Ibom State, in southeastern Nigeria. Background The institution was founded in 2013. It was granted the accreditation of al ...

* Heritage Polytechnic,

Maritime Academy of Nigeria The Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron, Akwa Ibom State was formerly known and address as the Nautical College of Nigeria was established in 1977 by the Federal Executive Conclusion No. EC(77) 172 with assistance from the International Maritime O ...

* Obong University, Obong Ntak * Ritman University *

University of Uyo The University of Uyo is located in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The university was formerly known as the University of Cross River State, Uyouniuyo.edu.ng. On 1 October 1991 the Federal government of Nigeria established it as a ...

* School of Basic Studies, Abak * School of Nursing, Uyo,

Sure Polytechnic SuRe (The Standard for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure) is a global voluntary standard which integrates key criteria of sustainability and resilience into infrastructure development and upgrade. It has been developed by the Swiss Global In ...

* Topfaith University, Mkpatak * Trinity Polytechnic, Uyo * Uyo City Polytechnic Nduetong Oku

Notable people

* Obong

Victor Attah Obong Victor Bassey Attah (born 20 November 1938) was Governor of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), but has since joined the All Progress ...

, former governor of Akwa Ibom State * Senator

Godswill Akpabio Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, (born 9 December 1962), is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He is the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs as he resigned on 11 May 2022 on the direction of President Muhammadu Buhari to contest at presidentia ...

, former governor of Akwa Ibom State, former Senate Minority Leader *

Nathaniel Bassey Nathaniel Bassey is a Nigerian singer, pastor, trumpeter and gospel songwriter popularly known for his songs "Imela", "Onise Iyanu" and "Olowogbogboro." He attends The Redeemed Christian Church Of God and pastors The Oasis Lagos, The Youth Ch ...

is a Nigerian gospel music minister and RCCG Pastor from Uyo L.G.A, in Akwa ibom state. *

C. A. O Essien C. or c. may refer to: * Century, sometimes abbreviated as ''c.'' or ''C.'', a period of 100 years * Cent (currency), abbreviated ''c.'' or ''¢'', a monetary unit that equals of the basic unit of many currencies * Caius or Gaius, abbreviated as ...

was a retired Nigerian Police Officer/Preacher, who brought the Churches of Christ to Nigeria and West Africa. *

Effiong Dickson Bob Effiong Dickson Bob (born 1 October 1959) from Ikot Ekwere, Ubium in Akwa Ibom State is the Pro Chancellor of the University of Benin. He was elected Senator for the Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. He too ...

Ini Edo Iniobong Edo Ekim (born 23 April 1982) is a Nigerian actress. Ini Edo began her film career in 2000, and has featured in more than 100 movies since her debut. In 2013, Ini Edo was a judge for the Miss Black Africa UK Pageant. In 2014, Miss I ...

, Nollywood Actress * Obong

Ufot Ekaette Ufot Ekaette (born 1939) was appointed the first Nigerian Minister of Niger Delta on 17 December 2008 by President Umaru Yar'Adua. He left office in March 2010 when acting president Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet. Background Ekaette w ...

, secretary to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo *

Dominic Ekandem Dominic Ignatius Ekandem (1917 – 24 November, 1995) was a Nigerian Catholic cardinal who served as Archbishop of Abuja from 1989 until 1992.. He was the first native West African Catholic bishop in history. He also founded the Missionary Socie ...

first cardinal in English-speaking West Africa. First Nigerian Cardinal to qualify as a candidate to the papacy. * Senator (Engr.)

Chris Ekpenyong Christopher Stephen Obong Ekpenyong (born 29 September 1954, in Ikot Ukana of Obot Akara local government area, Akwa Ibom) is a Nigerian politician and former Deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State. He was elected to the Nigerian Senate in 2019 ...

Former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State in the

administration and current Nigerian Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly. * Engr.

Patrick Ekpotu Patrick Akpan Ekpotu (born 26 June 1960) is a Nigerian politician and chemical engineer. He is the former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State. Life Ekpotu was born in Akwa Ibom State to a renowned teacher Gaul and his wife Cornelia in 1960. He ...

, former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State *

Udom Gabriel Emmanuel Udom Gabriel Emmanuel (born 11 July 1966) is a Nigerian politician who is currently the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, in office since 29 May 2015. He contested for the office of governor in the April 2015 elections on the platform of People's ...

, Governor of Akwa Ibom State from May 2015 to date * Senator

Ita Enang Ita Solomon Enang (born 23 August 1962) is the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs. He previously served as Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Sen ...

, Senior Special Assistant (Niger-Delta) to President

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician and current president of Nigeria since 2015. Buhari is a retired Nigerian Army major general who served as the country's military head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 Au ...

Vincent Enyeama Vincent Enyeama (born 29 August 1982) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Despite his below-average height for a goalkeeper, he is popularly regarded as one of the greatest African goalkeepers of all time a ...

, professional footballer (Goalie) and former Super Eagle captain *

Mark Essien Mark Anthony Essien (born 18 December 1980 in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State) is a Nigerian entrepreneur, software developer and startup investor. He is the founder and CEO of Hotels.ng, one of the first online hotel booking websites in Nigeria. ...

, entrepreneur and founder of

Hotels.ng Hotels.ng is a Nigerian online hotels booking agency which was launched in 2013. The platform was founded by Mark Essien who hails from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and claims to list over 7,138 hotels from 320 cities in Nigeria. History In 20 ...

* Chief

Donald Etiebet Chief Donald Dick Etiebet (1934 - 21 July 2015) was a Nigerian politician who was a senator during the Nigerian Second Republic (1979 - 1983). He was then elected governor of Cross River State with the support of the then Senate president Joseph ...

, former Minister of Petroleum *

Nse Ikpe-Etim Nse Ikpe-Etim (born 21 October 1974) is a Nigerian actress. She came into prominence in 2008 for her role in ''Reloaded''. She was nominated for '' Best Actress in a Leading Role'' at the 5th and 8th Africa Movie Academy Awards for her role in ...

, Nollywood actress *

Eve Esin Eve Esin is a Nigerian actress who won the City People Entertainment Awards for ''Most Promising Actress in Nigeria'' in 2015, the AMAA award for ''Best Actress in a Supporting Role'' and Best Actress in a drama at the AMVCA. Early life and ...

, Nollywood actress * Etim Inyang, former Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force (I.G.P) 1985 to 1986 * Obong Akpan Isemin, elected governor of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria from January 1992 to November 1993 during the Nigerian Third Republic *

Clement Isong Clement Nyong Isong, CFR (20 April 1920 – 29 May 2000) was a Nigerian banker and politician who was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (1967–1975) during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon. He was later elected governor of Cros ...

, second governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; first civilian governor of the former

Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint ...

Emem Isong Emem Isong is a Nigerian screenwriter, film producer, and film director. She has become known primarily for films in the English language, and is a dominant figure in the Nollywood industry. Her second directed feature, ''Code of Silence'', ...

, multi-award winning filmmaker and CEO of Royal Arts Academy * Rt. Hon.

Onofiok Luke Onofiok Akpan Luke (born 16 March 1978) is a lawyer and legislator in the Nigerian House of Representatives. Personal life and education Luke graduated in 2005 from the University of Uyo, Nigeria with an LL.B. In 2009, he underwent further ...

, the 11th Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and the Pioneer Speaker of the Nigeria Youth Parliament * Group Capt.

Idongesit Nkanga Air Commodore Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga (27 January 1952 – 24 December 2020) was a Nigerian former Air Commodore. Career He was governor of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria from September 1990 to January 1992 during the military regime of General I ...

, former military governor of Akwa Ibom State *

Samuel Peter Samuel Okon Peter (born September 6, 1980) is a Nigerian professional boxer. He held the WBC heavyweight title in 2008, when he stopped Oleg Maskaev in six rounds. In his prime, he was known for his rivalry with the Klitschko brothers, having ...

, world heavyweight boxing champion *

Egbert Udo Udoma Sir Egbert Udo Udoma, Knight commander of the Order of the British Empire, KBE, (21 June 1917 – 2 February 1998)Reuben Abati"Book review: Udo Udoma: In The Shelter Of The Elephant Rock" Nigerian Village Square, 8 March 2009. was a lawyer and ...

, from Ikot Abasi, former chief justice of Uganda * Ime Bishop Umoh, Nollywood actor * Professor

Okon Uya Okon Edet Uya (12 June 1947 – 17 April 2014) was briefly the chairman of the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), appointed by President Ibrahim Babangida after the presidential elections of the 12 June 1993 had been annulled and ...

was briefly chairman of the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), appointed by President

Ibrahim Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August, 1941) is a retired Nigerian Army general and politician. He served as military president of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He rose through the ranks to serve from 1984 to 1985 as Ch ...

after the presidential elections of 12 June 1993 had been annulled and his predecessor

Humphrey Nwosu Professor Humphrey Nwosu (born 2 October 1941) was chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) appointed by President Ibrahim Babangida, holding office from 1989 to 1993. Birth and early career Nwosu was born on 2 October 1941, and becam ...

dismissed.

References

58. Pastor Nathaniel Bassey, Moses Bliss and Jimmy D Psalmist also made the list of 2022 Owwre.co
Top 10 Nigerian Gospel Music Artists from Akwa Ibom State

External links

akwaibomstate.gov.ng: Official website of the Akwa Ibom State Government
{{Authority control States of Nigeria States and territories established in 1987 1987 establishments in Nigeria