Imo () is a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

in the South-East geopolitical zone of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, bordered to the north by Anambra State,

Rivers State Rivers is a states of Nigeria, state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed on 27 May 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Nigeria, Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include Imo State, Im ...

to the west and south, and

Abia State Abia is a state in the Southeastern region of Nigeria. The state's capital is Umuahia and its most populous city is Aba. Abia is bordered the west by Imo, east by Cross River, south by Rivers, northwest by Anambra and northeast by Enug ...

to the east. It takes its name from the

Imo River The Imo River (Igbo:Imo) is located in southeastern Nigeria and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. In Akwa Ibom State, the river is known as Imoh River, that is, Inyang Imoh, which translates to ''River of Wealth'' ( means ''river'' or ''ocean'', and ...

which flows along the state's eastern border. The state capital is

Owerri Owerri ( , ) is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Nigeria, Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Loc ...

and the State's slogan is the "Eastern Heartland." Of the 36 States in Nigeria, Imo is the third smallest in area but is fourteenth most populous with an estimated population of over 5.4 million as of 2022. Geographically, the state is divided between the Niger Delta swamp forests in the far east and the drier Cross–Niger transition forests in the rest of the state. Other key geographical features are the state's rivers and lakes with the Awbana, Imo, Orashi, and Otamiri rivers along with the Oguta Lake in western Imo State. The Imo state economy is highly dependent on agricultural production, especially the production of

palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from o ...

, which a majority of citizens rely on for cooking. A key minor industry is the extraction of

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

and

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

, especially in Imo's north and west. Imo State currently has the third highest

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

out of all states in Nigeria, and consistently ranks as a top performing state in literacy and educational attainment.

History

The area encompassing modern-day Imo State has been inhabited for thousands of years by southern

Igbo people The Igbo people ( , ; also spelled Ibo" and historically also ''Iboe'', ''Ebo'', ''Eboe'', / / ''Eboans'', ''Heebo''; natively ) are an ethnic group found in Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Their primary origin is fo ...

. The

Igbo language Igbo ( , ; Standard Igbo: ''Ásụ̀sụ́ Ìgbò'' ) is the principal native language cluster of the Igbo people, an ethnicity in the Southeastern part of Nigeria. Igbo languages are spoken by a total of 31 million people. The number of Igbo ...

serves as a

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...

throughout the state, alongside English which was adopted during British colonization. At the start of the 20th century, the British incorporated the area into the

Southern Nigeria Protectorate Southern Nigeria was a 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 River. The L ...

, which later merged into British Nigeria in 1914. After the merger, the area became a centre of anti-colonial resistance during the

Women's War The Women's War (Igbo language, Igbo: ''Ogu Umunwanyi''; Ibibio language, Ibibio: ''Ekong Iban'') were a period of unrest in colonial Nigeria in November 1929. The protests broke out when thousands of Igbo people, Igbo women from the Bende, Abia ...

. After Nigeria secured independence from Britain in 1960, the Imo area was part of Eastern Region until splitting to become part of East Central State in 1967. Political instability in Nigeria had worsened significantly by this time and culminated when the former Eastern Region attempted to secede in the three-year long

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

, with present-day Imo forming part of the secessionist Igbo nationalist state

Biafra Biafara Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicized as Biafra ( ), officially the Republic of Biafra, was a List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria ...

. The Imo area was hard-fought over throughout the

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

, with Owerri and its surrounding areas ending up one of the last Biafra-controlled strongholds by the time Owerri took over from Umuahia as the designated Biafran capital in late 1969. The Imo area was eventually captured for good early 1970 in Operation Tail-Wind, during which Nigerian federal forces took the Biafran capital in a final battle that ended the war by prompting negotiations. Following the end of the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

and reunification of Nigeria, East Central State was reinstated until an Imo State was officially formed in 1976 during the Murtala Muhammed regime. Fifteen years later, in 1991, the current iteration of Imo State was created when eastern Imo state was sectioned off to form the new

, with the same section being split up further in 1996 to merge with a section of Enugu State to form present-day

Ebonyi State Ebonyi () is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north and northeast by Benue State, Enugu State to the west, Cross River State to the east and southeast, and Abia Stat ...

. Meetings for Imo State creation took place in Ngwoma and began shortly after the

ended in 1970, chaired by Eze S. E. Onukogu. The state is named after the

, which flows through Imo State and multiple other southeastern Nigerian states before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. People from the Imo State area have a long history of resisting threats to their peace and way of life. There were multiple agitations against British colonial policies, such as during the

, and the area served as a centre of

resistance until the very end of the

. There have also been more recent statewide protests, such as the anti-cult Otokoto riots of 1996 in response to serial kidnappings and murders occurring in Imo at the time, and the more recent #EndSARS protests in 2020, as well as the participation of some young indigenes in regional militias operating throughout Southeastern Nigeria. However, despite intermittent unrest, Imo State has fast growing population and industrialization and an excellent Human Development Index ranking among Nigerian states.

Geography

Imo State is bordered by Anambra State to the north for ,

to the east for about 104 km (partly in the vicinity of the Imo River), and

to the south and west for about 122 km. The state lies within latitudes 4°45'N and 7°15'N, and longitude 6°50'E and 7°25'E, with an area of around 5,100 sq km.

Economy

Natural resources

The state has several natural resources which includes,

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

calcium carbonate Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a common substance found in Rock (geology), rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite, most notably in chalk and limestone, eggshells, gastropod shells, shellfish skel ...

, solar and wind power,

zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...

. Profitable flora including

iroko Iroko (Yoruba language, Yoruba: Ìrókò) is a large hardwood tree from the west coast of tropical Africa that can live up to 500 years. This is the common name for the genus ''Milicia'', in which there are two recognized species, which are close ...

mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...

, obeche,

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

, rubber tree and

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms, called oil palms, containing two species, native to Africa and the Americas. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. Description Mature palms are single-stemmed, and can gro ...

. Additionally white clay, fine sand and

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

are also found in the state.

Oil and gas exploration

There are over 163 oil wells, at over 12 different locations in the State. The main petroleum companies operating in the State are Addax Petroleum,

Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation predominantly specializing in oil and gas. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened t ...

Royal Dutch Shell Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company, headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New ...

and

Agip Agip S.p.A., acronym for Azienda generale italiana petroli, was an Italian automotive gasoline, Diesel fuel, diesel, Liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, lubricants, fuel oil, and bitumen retailer established in 1926 and Subsidiary company, subsidiary ...

. Some of the established oil-rich local government councils include: Ohaji/Egbema,

Oguta Oguta is a town on the east bank of Oguta Lake in Imo State of southeastern Nigeria. Oguta is called "Oguta-Ameshi" or "Ameshi"- by its aborigines. Indigenes - consists of two parts, the old part which holds the 27 villages of Oguta, and the ...

, Oru East, Iho, Oru West,

Obowo Obowo, also spelled Obowu is a Local Government Area in Imo State, Nigeria formed during the Ibrahim Babangida administration in May 1989. It was carved out of Etiti Local Government Area with its headquarters at Isi Nweke. There are twenty-two ...

and Ngor Okpala. In recent times, indigenes of Ohaji/Egbema communities have been protesting about poor basic amenities in their host community despite the presence of oil producing companies.

Agriculture

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

is the primary occupation, but due to over-farming and high population density, the soil has greatly degraded. This could be a result of inefficient production techniques, poor resource base, declining soil productivity, predominance of primitive techniques of agricultural production, inadequate supply of credit, low capital investment, use of crude implements to mention but a few. As a result, the agricultural sector in Imo State would benefit greatly from improved state government and private sector interventions, because an undiversified economy based on

and

is unlikely to promote robust and

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

of the state.

Tourism

Oguta Lake, Palm Beach Holiday Resort in Awo-omamma, and a host of other tourist sites along the banks of the 26 km-length Njaba River present hotspots for tourism.

Investment opportunities

Many investment opportunities exist in the State including oil and gas exploration, residential and commercial real estate such as brewery plants, chemical plants, hydroelectric plants,

gas-fired power plant A gas-fired power plant, sometimes referred to as gas-fired power station, natural gas power plant, or methane gas power plant, is a thermal power station that burns natural gas to generate electricity. Gas-fired power plants generate almost a ...

s, and grain mills; starch production,

cashew Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree ''Anacardium occidentale'', in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as t ...

s, fruit and vegetable juice concentrate production, integrated multi-oil seed processing plants,

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

s, inland

waterway A waterway is any Navigability, navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is ...

transport, and palm produce industry. Independent global brewer

Heineken Heineken Lager Beer (), or simply Heineken (), is a Dutch pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star. History On 15 February 1864, ...

, through its subsidiary Nigerian Breweries, has significant investment in Imo State. The company manages the world-class

Awo-omamma Awo-Omamma (also Awo-Omamma), in the northeast of the Niger Delta basin, is an oil-rich indigenous Igbo people, Igbo town on the banks of Njaba River. It is a potential tourism hub in the region due to its species of wildlife in Umuezukwe and g ...

Brewery, a multiple-line plant. Many oil and gas opportunities are yet to be developed. The

federal government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

has been called to inspect newly discovered oil-rich areas, which might help foster economic development and job creation. Industrial parks and processing zones to harness the huge agricultural produce and minerals would give a major boost to the state's economic growth and industrialization.

Climate

Weather

The rainy season begins in April and lasts until October, with annual rainfall varying from . An average annual temperature above , creates an annual relative humidity of 75%. With humidity reaching 90% in the rainy season. The

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...

experiences two months of

Harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into th ...

, from late December to late February. The hottest months are between January and March. With high population density and over farming, the soil has been degraded and much of the native

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plants and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular Taxon, taxa, life forms, structure, Spatial ecology, spatial extent, or any other specific Botany, botanic ...

has disappeared. This

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

has triggered

soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the Topsoil, upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, Atmosphere of Ea ...

, which is compounded by heavy seasonal rainfall that has led to the destruction of houses and roads.

Environmental issues

Soil erosion

Soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the Topsoil, upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, Atmosphere of Ea ...

is the most common geo-environmental hazard in Imo State, with over 360 erosion sites, out of which 57 are confirmed to be critical and in need of immediate remediation. They are mostly

gully A gully is a landform A landform is a land feature on the solid surface of the Earth or other planetary body. They may be natural or may be anthropogenic (caused or influenced by human activity). Landforms together make up a given ter ...

erosion found in Ideato, Orlu, Ihitte-uboma, Arondizuogu, Umuomi-ikeduru and Njaba areas of the state. These gullies are attributed mainly to poor

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

works, specifically road/gutter construction as well as sand mining. During

road construction A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. The ...

, adequate control of the runoff generated in this process is poorly taken into consideration. There is also no proper termination, spill way, and gabions to lower intense flow to non-erosion velocities during gutter construction. Hence,

rainwater Rain is a form of precipitation where water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Eart ...

overflow from concrete gutters resulting in erosion, especially at the intersection of gutter and road. Due to gullies, farmlands have been significantly affected, with both farmlands and their road paths lost. There is also loss of social

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and pri ...

s such as, electricity and pipe-borne waters. Communities such as Ikeduru, Orlu, Ehime Mbano, Nwangele, Nkwerre and

Mbaitoli Mbaitoli is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Nwaorieubi (or Nworieubi). It has an area of 204 km² and a population of 327,000. The postal code of the area is 461. Mbaitoli is divided in ...

dependent on stream and harvested rainwater for domestic use have been impacted due to surface water/stream pollution caused by intense runoffs from the gully sites. Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), kick-started in the state on November 11, 2014, and the ecological fund are some of the interventions for soil erosion in the State. Communities such as Eziala- Obizi in

Ezinihitte Mbaise Ezinihitte Mbaise is a local Government Area in Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in Itu, Imo State, Itu. This region part of the broader Mbaise area, became an independent LGA in 1989, following its separation from the Aboh Mbaise, Aboh M ...

LGA; Iyiuzo-Ihioma-Ogberuru in Orlu LGA; Umueshi-Amanato in Ideato South LGA; Umuturu -Ezemazu -Urualla in Ideato North LGA; Umunumo Ibeafor in Ehime Mbano LGA; and Umueze Obazu-Mbieri in Mbaitoli LGA are

beneficiaries A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example, the beneficiary of a life insurance policy is the person who receives the payment of the amount of ...

of the NEWMAP

project A project is a type of assignment, typically involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a specific objective. An alternative view sees a project managerially as a sequence of events: a "set of interrelated tasks to be ...

in Imo State.

Flooding

Available research identifies

, Ohaji/Egbema, Ngor Okpala,

Owerri West Owerri West is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Umuguma. Owerri West Local Government is administered under the terms of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Elections to the offic ...

, Owerri North, Aboh Mbaise and Owerri municipal LGAs as very high flood areas; Mbaitolu, Ikeduru, Aboh Mbaise, Onuimo, IhiteUboma, Obowo and Ehime Mbano LGAs as moderate flood hazard areas; and northern of Isiala Mbano, Nwangele, Nkwere, Orlu, Ehime Mbano and Southern part of Ideato North,

Okigwe Okigwe is the third largest city in Imo state in Nigeria after Owerri and Orlu. Okigwe is located in the Okigwe Local Government Area (LGA) of Nigeria. The city lies between the Port Harcourt- Enugu- Maiduguri rail line, being the nearest cit ...

and Ideato South LGAs as low flood hazard areas. In August 2019, flooding caused by heavy rain submerged about 70 houses, displaced 2000 villagers and destroyed farmlands in Orsu-Obodo community, in the Oguta local government area. Many residents in the state capital (

) were also displaced in 2017. The Orlu-Umuchima-Obiohia-Akokwa-Uga federal road has been cut off by gully erosion thereby leaving motorists and other road users stranded. Ideato North and Ideato South have been erosion high risk areas in recent times in Imo State. Isiala Mbano is also not left out in these frequent flood disaster in Imo State.

Government

Administration

The capital city of Imo State is

. Imo State has a three-tier administrative structure: State, Local, and Autonomous Community levels. The three arms at state level are the

Executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

, the

Legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

and the

Judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

. The executive arm is headed by a democratically elected

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

, who works closely with members of the Imo State House of Assembly and is assisted by a Deputy Governor,

Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...

s, and Executive Advisers. This is a list of Administrators and Governors of Imo State since its creation: The legislative arm is headed by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly. As of the 10th Imo State House Assembly (2023), the current Speaker of the House is Rt. Hon. Chike Olemgbe. He is a first-time member representing Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area. Also, the Deputy Speaker of the house is Hon. Amara Iwuanyanwu, who is a member representing the Nwangele constituency. The remainder of the House Assembly is made up of elected legislators from the 27 LGAs of Imo State. The Imo State Judiciary is made up of a High Court and Customary Court of Appeal of the State, and headed by the Chief Justice of the State.

Politics

The electoral system of each state in Nigeria uses a modified

two-round system The two-round system (TRS or 2RS), sometimes called ballotage, top-two runoff, or two-round plurality, is a single-winner electoral system which aims to elect a member who has support of the majority of voters. The two-round system involves one ...

. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of the State Local Government Areas. If no candidate passes this threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of Local Government Areas.

Local Government Areas

Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area in Imo State

Imo State consists of 27

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 ph ...

: * Aboh Mbaise * Ahiazu Mbaise * Ehime Mbano *

* Ideato North * Ideato South * Ihitte/Uboma * Ikeduru * Isiala Mbano * Isu *

* Ngor Okpala * Njaba * Nkwerre * Nwangele *

* Ohaji/Egbema *

* Onuimo * Orlu * Orsu * Oru East * Oru West * Owerri Municipal * Owerri North *

Smaller jurisdictions in the state may receive township status or urban status.

Demographics

The state has over 5.5 million people, and the population density varies from 230 to 1,400 people per square kilometre. Christianity and

Odinani Odinani, also known as Odinala, Omenala, Odinana, and Omenana (), is the traditional cultural belief and practice of the Igbo people of South East (Nigeria), south east and Igbo people of South South (Nigeria), south south Nigeria.Afulezy, Juj ...

are the majority religions, with

becoming more common as citizens are beginning to embrace their religious heritage. In addition to its capital, other notable towns are Orlu,

, Awo-Omamma, Mgbidi, Mbaise,

and Ohaji/Egbema.

Language

Imo State is a predominantly Igbo-speaking state, with

constituting a majority of the population (around 98%).

Religion

Majority of Imo State residents are Christians. There is also a Central Mosque in Orlu city, with a few minorities and settlers as members. Catholics (2021) in the Archdiocese of Owerri (1948) with 162 parishes under

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji (2022), and two suffragan dioceses of Okigwe (1981) with 119 parishes under Bishop Solomon Amanchukwu Amatu (2006) and Orlu (1980) with 189 parishes under Bishop Augustine Tochukwu Ukwuoma (2008). The Anglican Church of Nigeria includes the Province of Owerri led by Archbishop David Onuoha (2020), also Bishop of Okigwe South, and 10 other Dioceses of Okigwe South (1994) led by Bishop David Onuoha (2004),

led by Bishop Chukwuma Oparah (2018), Orlu led by Bishop Benjamin Chinedum Okeke (2019), Mbaise(1992) led by Bishop Chamberlain Chinedu Ogunedo (2010), Isi Mbano led by Bishop Godson Udochukwu Ukanwa, Ideato(1999) led by Bishop Henry Okeke (2020), Ohaji/Egbema led by Bishop Childi Collins Oparaojiaku (2008), On the Lake led by Bishop Chijioke Oti (2008), Oru led by Bishop Geoffrey Chukwunenye (2008),

led by Bishop Edward Osuegbu, and Ikeduru led by Bishop Emmanuel Maduwike (2009).

Education

Institutions of higher learning

This is a list of the higher institutions located in Imo State: * Federal Polytechnic, Nekede *

Federal University of Technology Owerri The Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) is a federal government university in Owerri West, Owerri, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. The university is bounded by the communities of Eziobodo, Ihiagwa, Obinze, Okolochi and Emeabia ...

* Hezekiah University, Umudi * Imo State Polytechnic, Now university of Agriculture Umuagwo * Imo State University, Owerri * Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Ogboko, Ideato

Transport

Federal Highways

* A3 north from Umuahia (Abia State) via Umuokwara to Lokpauku,

. * A6 northwest from Abia State at Umuika via

to Anambra State. * F106 east from

via Nguru to A3 at Etiti.

Other major roads include

* the Uli-Aguta Rd north to Uli in Anambra State * the Ihiala-Orlu Rd to Anambra State, * the Nnewi-Okigwe Rd via Akokwa and Akwa-Okigwe Rd north to Anambra State, * Okigwe-Afikpo Rd east to

, * the Umu-Opara Rd from Umoke to Abia State, * the Umu-Ohie-Uku-Amala-Ibodo Rd southwest from Okpuala via Eziama and Amala to Olakwo in

, * the Owerri-Ahoada Rd southwest to Rivers State, * the Okwuzi-Aguta Rd south to the Ogura-Omoku Rd in Rivers State.

Airports

Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.

Notable people

Sport

* Chioma Ajunwa – 1996 Olympic gold long jumper * Chidobe Awuzie - cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals * Kelechi Iheanacho – striker for Leicester City, U-17 World Cup winner and tournament's MVP (2013) * Samuel Okwaraji (1964–1989) – national footballer * Levi Onwuzurike- defensive tackle for Detroit Lions 2021–present *

Nwankwo Kanu Nwankwo Kanu (born 1 August 1976) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was a member of the Nigeria national team, and played for Nigerian club Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Dutch side Ajax, Inter Milan of Italy, a ...

(1976–2011) - professional footballer

Arts

* Catherine Obianuju Acholonu – author * Blaqbonez - Nigerian rapper * Charly Boy – hip hop singer and activist * Chidinma - musician and actress * Rita Dominic – Nigerian actress * Kelechi Eke - Filmmaker and Founder of Village Arts & Film Festival (VILLAFFEST), Owerri * Prince Eke - Nollywood actor * Fave - Nigerian Singer-songwriter * Osita Iheme - actor and author * Illbliss - Nigerian rapper * Ada Jesus – Nigerian actress and comedienne * Jidenna - rapper and singer * Kanayo O. Kanayo - actor and lawyer * John Munonye – author * Genevieve Nnaji – Nollywood actress * Alban Uzoma Nwapa – Eurodance musician * Onyeka Nwelue – author, scholar, actor, entrepreneur * Darlington Okoye - Musician, songwriter, social media personality *

Onyeka Onwenu Onyeka Onwenu (31 January 1952 – 30 July 2024) was a Nigerian singer-songwriter, actress, human rights and social activist, journalist, politician, and ''X Factor'' series judge. Dubbed the "Elegant Stallion" due to her significant impact on ...

– singer, actress and politician *

Snazzy the Optimist Michael Chimeruche Alozie (born 28 March), known professionally as Snazzy the Optimist or simply Snazzy, is a Nigerian-born singer, songwriter and rapper. An alumnus of International College of Creative Arts, he began as a rapper, covering song ...

- musician * Victony - Nigerian musician * Dr Sir Warrior – highlife musician

Politics

* Pats Acholonu –

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

Justice * Chris Anyanwu – journalist and senator * Ifeanyi Ararume – former senator of Okigwe zone (1999–2007) * Martin Agbaso - former senator of Owerri * Kema Chikwe – former Minister of Aviation * Sebastian Okechukwu Mezu – Nigerian writer, scholar, philanthropist, publisher, and politician *

Chile Eboe-Osuji Chile Eboe-Osuji (born 2 September 1962) is a Nigerian jurist. He is an incoming Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice, an International Jurist at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, a Special Advisor to the President's Office at Toronto M ...

- Judge, International Court of Criminal Justice, Hague * Evan Enwerem – former governor and former President of the Senate * Bede Eke - politician * Emeka Ihedioha - former Governor and Chief whip Nigeria House of Representatives * Maurice Iwu – former INEC chairman * Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu – politician and businessman * Prince Eze Madumere - former Deputy Governor * K. O. Mbadiwe – former Minister of Commerce and Industry * Sam Mbakwe – former Governor * Henry Nwawuba - Politician and Entrepreneur * Raymond Njoku – former Minister of Transportation * Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba - former House of Representatives Member and current Minister of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria * Arthur Nzeribe – former Senator Orlu Zone, Member of the Senate of Nigeria in the 4th National Assembly (1999–2003) * Walter Ofonagoro – former Minister of Information and Culture * Ikedi Ohakim – former governor * Chris Okewulonu – Chief of Staff * Rochas Okorocha – former governor and a serving senator representing Imo West, under investigation as of May 2022 * Fabian Osuji – former Minister of Education * Ugonna Ozurigbo – Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly (2015–), and Member * Achike Udenwa – former Governor * Hope Uzodinma - Governor of Imo state

Other

* Adiele Afigbo – historian * Peter Akah - Former Vice Chancellor, Imo State University * Victor Adibe Chikwe - Roman Catholic bishop * Michael Echeruo – academic and writer in Igbo studies * Evangelist Ebuka Obi - Evangelist * Ada Ehi — Nigerian gospel musician * Nelson Enwerem - Mr Nigeria winner (2018) * Emmanuel Ibezim - professor of pharmaceutics. * Nenny B – media personality * Mary Nzimiro - pioneering medical doctor * Priscilla Nzimiro - medical doctor * Odumeje — Clergyman. * Evelyn Okere – Nigerian businesswoman, publisher, fashion designer * Jaja of Opobo - first king (amanyanabo) of

Opobo Opobo is a community in Rivers state, South South region of Nigeria that was founded in 1870 . The people of Opobo are a mixture of the Ndoki tribe, Ndoki clan of the Igbo people and the Ibani clan of the Ijaw ethnic group. Their native languages ...

References

External links

* — {{Portal bar, Nigeria States of Nigeria States in Igboland States and territories established in 1976 Library of Congress Africa Collection related 1976 establishments in Nigeria