Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) 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-East 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 to the north by

Anambra State Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on August 27, 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State ...

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 ...

to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its name from the Imo River 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, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas including Owerri Municipal, ...

and its state nickname is the "Eastern Heartland." Of the 36 states, Imo is the third smallest in area but is fourteenth most populous with an estimated population of over 5.4 million as of 2016. Geographically, the State is divided between the

Niger Delta swamp forests The Niger Delta swamp forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southern Nigeria. It consists of freshwater swamp forests in the Niger Delta of the Niger River. This swamp forest is the second largest in Africa, after the Congolian swamp f ...

in the far east and the drier

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 woodland ...

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. Modern-day Imo State has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, primarily the

Igbo people The Igbo people ( , ; also spelled Ibo" and formerly also ''Iboe'', ''Ebo'', ''Eboe'', * * * ''Eboans'', ''Heebo''; natively ) are an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are primarily found in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. A ...

with the

Igbo language Igbo ( , ; Igbo: ''Ásụ̀sụ́ Ìgbò'' ) is the principal native language cluster of the Igbo people, a meta-ethnicity from Southeastern Nigeria. The number of Igboid languages depends on how one classifies a language versus a dialect, so ...

serving as a

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...

alongside

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

throughout the State. In the pre-colonial period, what is now Imo State was a part of medieval

Kingdom of Nri The Kingdom of Nri () was a medieval polity located in what is now Nigeria. The kingdom existed as a sphere of religious and political influence over a third of Igboland, and was administered by a priest-king called an '' Eze Nri''. The ''Eze Nri ...

and the later

Aro Confederacy The Aro Confederacy (1690–1902) was a political union orchestrated by the Aro people, Igbo subgroup, centered in Arochukwu in present-day southeastern Nigeria. Their influence and presence was all over Eastern Nigeria, lower Middle Belt, an ...

before the latter was defeated in the early 1900s by British troops in the

Anglo-Aro War The Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902) was a conflict between the Aro Confederacy in present-day Eastern Nigeria, and the British Empire. The war began after increasing tension between Aro leaders and the British after years of failed negotiations. ...

. After the war, 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 ...

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 ...

in 1914; after the merger, Imo 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 an ...

. After independence in 1960, the area of the present-day Imo was a part of the post-independence Eastern Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the East Central State. Less than two months afterwards, the former Eastern Region attempted to secede in the three-year long Nigerian Civil War with Imo as a part of the secessionist, Igbo nationalist 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 ...

. The area was hard fought over throughout the war with Owerri and its surrounding area exchanging hands twice before Owerri was named the Biafran capital in 1969. The present-day Imo State was captured by federal forces in early 1970 with

Operation Tail-Wind {{Campaignbox Biafran War Operation Tail-Wind (January 7 – 12, 1970) was the final military conflict between Nigeria and Biafra. The operation took place in the towns of Owerri and Uli, both of which were captured by Nigerian forces. The oper ...

taking the city and ending the war. At the war's end and the reunification of Nigeria, the East Central State was reformed until 1976 when Imo State was formed by the Murtala Muhammed regime. Fifteen years afterwards, Imo State was divided with eastern Imo being broken off to form the new Abia State. The State economy is highly dependent on agricultural production, especially the production of palm oil, 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 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 ...

, especially in Imo's north and west. The State has been beset by violence at various points throughout its history, most notably the anti-cult 1996 Otokoto Riots and the ongoing separatist violence from the

Eastern Security Network The Eastern Security Network (ESN) is the paramilitary organization of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a pro-Biafra separatist movement. Background The Igbo people lost the 1967-1970 Nigerian Civil War, during which they attempted to s ...

along with other opportunistic nativist gunmen. Despite unrest, with its fast growing population and industrialization, Imo State has the joint-sixth 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.

Location

Imo State is bordered by Abia State on the East, River Niger and Delta State to the West,

on the North, and

to the South. 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.

Natural resources

The State has several natural resources which includes,

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

, Calcium Carbonate, solar and wind power,

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc 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 periodi ...

. Profitable flora including

iroko Iroko (also known as in Igbo language, '' in the Urhobo language of Southern Nigeria, and as odum in the Kwa languages of Ghana) is a large hardwood tree from the west coast of tropical Africa that can live up to 500 years. This is the common n ...

, mahogany,

obeche ''Triplochiton scleroxylon'' is a tree of the genus '' Triplochiton'' of the family ''Malvaceae''. The timber is known by the common names African whitewood, abachi, obeche (in Nigeria), wawa (in Ghana), ayous (in Cameroon) and sambawawa (in Ivo ...

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

rubber tree ''Hevea brasiliensis'', the Pará rubber tree, ''sharinga'' tree, seringueira, or most commonly, rubber tree or rubber plant, is a flowering plant belonging to the spurge family Euphorbiaceae originally native to the Amazon basin, but is now pa ...

and

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm '' Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its c ...

. Additionally white clay, fine sand and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

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 Addax Petroleum was established in 1994 and since August 2009, has been a subsidiary of the Sinopec Group, one of the largest oil and gas producers in China, the biggest oil refiner in Asia and the third largest worldwide. Addax Petroleum was an ...

, Chevron Corporation,

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 Yo ...

and

Agip Agip (''Azienda Generale Italiana Petroli'', en, General Italian Oil Company) is an Italian automotive gasoline, diesel, LPG, lubricants, fuel oil, and bitumen retailer established in 1926. It has been a subsidiary of the multinational petroleu ...

. Some of the established oil-rich local government councils include:

Ohaji/Egbema Ohaji-Egbema is an oil-rich Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is Mmahu-Egbema. Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area as presently constituted was created by the Gen. Ibrahim B. Babangida’s administration by the Augu ...

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 Oru-East is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is at Omuma. The following are towns that make up Oru East: Akatta, Akuma, Amagu, Amiri, Awo-Omamma, and Omuma. Oru East is bounded by Njaba LGA, Mbaitolu, Or ...

, Iho,

Oru West Oru West is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Mgbidi. It has an area of and a population of 159,300 according to the 2016 Nigerian census. The postal code A postal code (also known locall ...

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 Ngor Okpala is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Umuneke Ngor. It has an area of 561 km²; it has a population of 159,932 at the 2006 census. It is a notable place in Imo state because of th ...

Investment opportunities

Many investment opportunities exist in the State including oil and gas exploration, chemical plants, brewery plants,

hydroelectric plants Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

, gas-fired power plants, grain mills, starch production, cashews, fruit and vegetable juice concentrate production, integrated multi-oil seed processing plants, ceramics, inland

waterway A waterway is any 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 languages. A first distinction is necessary b ...

transport, and palm produce industry. Independent global brewer

Heineken Heineken Lager Beer ( nl, Heineken Pilsener), or simply Heineken () is a 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 Feb ...

, through its subsidiary

Nigerian Breweries Nigerian Breweries Plc, is the largest brewing company in Nigeria. It serves the Nigerian market and West Africa. History Early years The idea to establish a brewery in Lagos was first promoted by Frank Samuel of UAC prior to World War II. B ...

, has significant investment in Imo State. The company manages the world-class

Awo-omamma Awo-Omamma (also Awo-Omamma), in the Northeast of Niger Delta basin is an oil-rich indigenous 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 green vegetation. ...

Brewery, a multiple-line plant. Many more oil and gas opportunities are yet to be developed. The federal government 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. 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 Njaba River (also Njaba), in the Niger Delta Basin is a major tributary of Oguta Lake in Nigeria's South East Imo State. With 4.5m mean depth, the river has a total stream length of 78.2 km, basin area of 145.63 square kilometers and an ave ...

present hotspots for tourism.

Agriculture

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

is the primary occupation, but due to over-farming and high population density, the soil has greatly degraded.This could be as 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. The Agricultural sector in Imo State, needs the intervention of the state government and other huge private companies, this is because having a strong economy based on

and palm oil will not aid for the development of the State.

Climate change

The rainy season begins in April and lasts until October, with annual rainfall varying from 1,500 mm to 2,200 mm (60 to 80 inches). 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 te ...

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 the ...

, 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 plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic character ...

has disappeared. This

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal 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. The most concentrated d ...

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

History

Imo State came into existence in 1976, along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammed, having been previously part of

East-Central State East Central State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 27 May 1967 from parts of the Eastern Region and existed until 3 February 1976, when it was divided into two states - Anambra and Imo. The area now comprises fi ...

. The state is named after the Imo River, which bears the name of a prominent

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

family with that family name, who were the chiefs of Imo State before the ratification of a more formal government. Part of it was split off in 1991 as Abia State, and another part became

Ebonyi State Ebonyi State ( ig, Ȯra Ebonyi) is a state in the 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 State to the southwe ...

. Imo State was created at Ngwoma, and the meetings for the state creation which began after the

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 ...

ended in 1970 were chaired by Eze S. E. Onukogu.

Riots

The people of Imo State carried out the Otokoto riots of 1996, which was a statewide protest, in response to the serial kidnappings and murders occurring in Imo at that point in time. One of the most remarkable riots that took place in Imo state, that led to the destruction of properties was the #ENDSARS protest. This protest which started peacefully not only in Imo state, led to riots and destruction of police stations, and killing of security personnel #ENDSARS in Imo State.

Government

The 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 an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

and the Judiciary. The executive arm is headed by an elected Governor, who is assisted by a deputy governor, commissioners 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. The current Speaker is Rt. Hon. Emeka Nduka , and his deputy is Rt. Hon. Amara iwuanyanwu . The remainder of the house is made up of elected legislators, from the 27 LGAs of the State. The judiciary is made up of the high court of justice and the customary court of appeal, and is headed by the Chief Judge of the State.

Local Government Areas

Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area in Imo State

Okigwe Local Government Area, Imo State , Nigeria

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 phrase i ...

: *

Aboh Mbaise Aboh Mbaise is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Aboh. It has an area of 184 km and a population of 194,779 at the 2006 census. There are different towns in Aboh-Mbaise such as Nguru, Uvuru, M ...

Ahiazu Mbaise Ahiazu Mbaise is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. It is as a result of a merger between Ahiara and Ekwerazu. Its headquarters are in the town of Afo oru. There are fourteen (14) towns that make up Ahiazu Mbaise. They include; Mpam, ...

Ehime Mbano Ehime Mbano is a local government area in Imo State, Nigeria. Home of HRH Eze Emmanuel Ibechi Akagu 1 of Umuakagu autonomous community. Orieagu is a major daily market here . The postal code A postal code (also known locally in various ...

Ezinihitte Mbaise Ezinihitte Mbaise is a local Government Area in Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarter is in Itu, Imo State, Itu. External links Amumara Autonomous Community
Local Government Areas in Imo State Towns in Imo State Local Government Areas in ...

* Ideato North * Ideato South *

Ihitte/Uboma Ihitte/Uboma is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Isinweke. It has an area of 104 km and a population of 120,744 at the 2006 census. The postal code A postal code (also known locally ...

Ikeduru Ikeduru Local Government Area (LGA) is located in the western part of Imo State, in southern Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic o ...

* Isiala Mbano * Isu *

Mbaitoli Mbaitoli is a Local Government Areas of Nigeria, 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 a ...

Njaba Njaba is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is located in the town of Nnenasa. It has an area of 84 km2 and a population of 143,485 at the 2006 census. The 2011 density projection is 2,004.5 inhabitants/km2. Th ...

Nkwerre Nkwerre is one of the Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Areas in Imo State, South-East, Nigeria. It is situated in Nkwerre town where the name of the local government area was derived. Its population was placed at 80,270 from the ...

Nwangele Nwangele is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. The name was derived from the popular Nwangele river which marks the boundary between Amaigbo and Umuozu Isu. The river which is believed to have originated from Isiekenesi town passes thr ...

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 of Nigeria. The city lies between the Port Harcourt- Enugu-Maiduguri rail line, being the nearest city to the ...

Onuimo Onuimo is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Okwe. It comprises four towns namely: Okwe, Okwelle, Umuduru-Egbeaguru and Umuna. It is home to very prominent Nigerians such as The ever influential dy ...

* Orlu *

Orsu Orsu is a local government area (LGA) and tribe in the Imo State of Nigeria. Orsu is also the name of the dialect of this people. They are an Igbo sub-group located west of Orlu, north of Oguta and in the general areas around Oru East, Oru Wes ...

Owerri Municipal Owerri Municipal is a Local Government Area in Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the city of Owerri. It has an area of 58 km² and a population of 127,213 according to the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 460. Owerri city s ...

Owerri North Owerri North is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Orie Uratta. It has an area of 198 square km and a population of 175,395 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 460. Owerri North is sem ...

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 office ...

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

Demographics

The state has over 4.8 million people, and the population density varies from 230 to 1,400 people per square kilometre. Christianity is the major religion. In addition to its capital, other notable towns are Orlu,

, Awo-Omamma, Mgbidi, Mbaise,

and

. Imo State is a predominantly

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 ...

speaking state, with

constituting a majority of 98%.

Education

Institutions of higher learning

There are several institutions of higher learning including both state and federal government run institutions such as: * Eastern Palm University, Ogboko, Ideato * Federal Polytechnic, Nekede *

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

Hezekiah University Hezekiah University is an approved private university in Nigeria by federal government council. It is located in Umudi, Nkwerre Imo State Nigeria. Hezekiah University was established as a private university in May 2015 under the license of the F ...

, Umudi * Imo State University, Owerri * Imo State Polytechnic,

Umuagwo Umuagwo is a town in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State in Nigeria. The population is mostly Christian and Igbo-speaking. The town lies on the Otamiri River downstream from Ihiagwa and from Owerri on the Port Harcourt r ...

Alvan Ikoku College of Education Alvan or Alavan may refer to: * Alvan (singer), a French singer * Alvan (biblical figure), a minor biblical figure * Alvan, East Azerbaijan, a village in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Alvan, Iran, a city in Khuzestan Province * Alvan, Shadegan, ...

* University of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Umuagwo * Federal College of Land and Water Resources, Oforola

Environmental issues

Soil erosion

Soil Erosion 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 erosion found in Ideato, Orlu, Ihitte-uboma, Arondizuogu, Umuomi-ikeduru and

areas of the state. These gullies are attributed mainly to poor

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

works, specifically road/gutter construction as well as

sand mining Sand mining is the extraction of sand, mainly through an open pit (or sand pit) but sometimes mined from beaches and inland dunes or dredged from ocean and river beds. Sand is often used in manufacturing, for example as an abrasive or in conc ...

. During

road construction A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

, adequate control of the

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock marke ...

generated in this process is poorly taken into consideration. There is also no proper termination, spill way, and

gabion A gabion (from Italian ''gabbione'' meaning "big cage"; from Italian ''gabbia'' and Latin ''cavea'' meaning "cage") is a cage, cylinder or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in civil engineering, road buildin ...

s to lower intense flow to non-erosion velocities during gutter construction. Hence,

rainwater Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water fo ...

overflow from concrete gutters resulting in erosion, especially at the intersection of gutter and road. Due to gullies,

farmlands Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with bo ...

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 priv ...

s such as, electricity and pipe-borne waters. Communities such as

, Orlu,

and

dependent on stream and harvested rain water 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 Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) is a World Bank assisted project aimed at addressing the Nigerian gully erosion crisis in Southeastern Nigeria and land degradation in Northern Nigeria on a multi-dimensional scale. This pro ...

(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

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 (also, in trust law, '' cestui que use'') 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 perso ...

of the NEWMAP project in Imo State.

Flooding

Available research identifies

and

Owerri municipal Owerri Municipal is a Local Government Area in Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the city of Owerri. It has an area of 58 km² and a population of 127,213 according to the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 460. Owerri city s ...

LGAs as very high flood areas; Mbaitolu, Ikeduru,

, 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,

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.

Notable people

Sport

Chioma Ajunwa Chioma Ajunwa-Opara, MON, OLY (born 25 December 1970) – also known as Chioma Ajunwa – is a Nigerian former track and field athlete and football player, notable for becoming the first Nigerian to win gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atl ...

– 1996 Olympic gold long jumper * Chidobe Awuzie - cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals *

Kelechi Iheanacho Kelechi Promise Iheanacho () (spelled ''Ịheanachọ'' in Igbo) (born 3 October 1996) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Leicester City and the Nigeria national team. Iheanacho began his senior career at ...

– striker for

Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...

, 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

Arts

* Obianuju Catherine Acholonu – author *

Charly Boy Charly Boy, born Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, 19 June 1950 (also known as CB, His Royal Punkness, and Area Fada), is a Nigerian singer/songwriter, television presenter, actor, publisher, and producer. One of Nigeria's most controversial entertai ...

– hip hop singer and activist *

Rita Dominic Rita Uchenna Nkem Dominic Nwaturuocha (born 12 July 1975) is a Nigerian actress. In 2012, Rita Dominic won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Early life Rita Dominic is a multiple award-winning Nollywood actre ...

– Nigerian actress *

Prince Eke Prince Oluebube Eke (born 18 August 1981) is a Nigerian actor, film director, writer, television personality and model. He was married to Muma Gee, a businesswoman with whom he had three children. He first garnered fame as an actor in 2003 starri ...

- Nollywood actor *

Ada Jesus Mercy Mmesoma Obi Nnadi ( née Obi; 19 April 1998 – 21 April 2021), popularly known as Ada Jesus was a Nigerian actress and comedian. Early life and education Ada Jesus was from Orlu, Imo, Nigeria. She graduated from Imo State University. Ca ...

– Nigerian actress and comedienne *

John Munonye John Munonye (April 1929 – 10 May 1999)"John Munonye"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. wa ...

– author *

Genevieve Nnaji Genevieve Nnaji (; born on 3 May 1979) is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director. She won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005, making her the first actor to win the award. In 2011, she was honoured as a ...

– Nollywood actress * Alban Uzoma Nwapa – Eurodance musician *

Onyeka Nwelue Onyeka Nwelue (born 31 January 1988) is a Nigerian filmmaker, publisher, talk-show host, author, Visiting scholar, academic visitor and founder of the James Currey Society, at the African Studies Centre, University of Oxford and a Visiting Sch ...

– author, scholar, actor, entrepreneur * Christogonus Ezebuiro Obinna – highlife musician *

Onyeka Onwenu Onyeka Onwenu (born 31 January 1952) is a Nigerian singer/songwriter, actress, human right activist, social activist, journalist, politician, and former ''X Factor'' series judge. Dubbed the "Elegant Stallion" by the Nigerian press, she is a fo ...

– singer, actress and politician * Benjamin Okorie highlife musician * Kingsley Okorie highlife musician

Politics

* Pats Acholonu – Supreme Court Justice *

Chris Anyanwu Christiana "Chris" Anyanwu MFR (born 28 October 1951) is a Nigerian journalist, publisher, author, and politician. She was imprisoned from 1995 to 1998 for treason after reporting on a failed coup d'état against the government of Sani Abacha, ...

– journalist and senator * Ifeanyi Ararume – former senator of Okigwe zone (1999-2007) *

Kema Chikwe Kemafo Nonyerem "Kema" Chikwe is a former Nigerian Federal Minister of Aviation. She currently holds the position of National Women Leader of the Nigerian political party PDP. Chikwe started school at the age of five at Aba in what is now Abia ...

– former Minister of Aviation *

Sebastian Okechukwu Mezu Dr Sebastian Okechukwu Mezu (born April 30, 1941) is a Nigerian writer, scholar, philanthropist, and publisher. He was involved in politics in Nigeria in the late 1970s. Background Sebastian Okechukwu Mezu was born on April 30, 1941, in Ezeogb ...

– Nigerian writer, scholar, philanthropist, publisher, and politician *

Chile Eboe-Osuji Chile Eboe-Osuji (born 2 September 1962) is a Distinguished International Jurist at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law and a Special Advisor to the President's Office at Toronto Metropolitan University. In his role at the Lincoln Alexander Schoo ...

- Judge, International Court of Criminal Justice, Hague *

Evan Enwerem Evan Enwerem (29 October 1935 – 2 August 2007) was a Nigerian politician who served as President of the Nigerian Senate in 1999. He was a member of the People's Democratic Party. Early life Evan Enwerem was born in Ikeduru, Imo State, Nigeri ...

– former governor and former President of the Senate *

Emeka Ihedioha Emeka Ihedioha (born 24 March 1965) is a Nigerian politician and Businessman. Ihedioha is the governor with the shortest tenure in South Eastern Nigeria. He is the former Governor of Imo State and a former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of ...

- former Governor and Chief whip Nigeria House of Representatives *

Maurice Iwu Maurice Mmaduakolam Iwu (born 21 April 1950) is a Nigerian Professor of Pharmacognosy who was appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in June 2005, and was removed from office in April 2010. Background Maurice M ...

– former INEC chairman * Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu – politician and businessman * Prince Eze Madumere - former Deputy Governor *

K. O. Mbadiwe Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe (1915–1990) was a Nigerian nationalist, politician, statesman and government minister in the Nigerian First Republic.and a Biafran Roving ambassador during th civil war. Early life Mbadiwe was born to the family of Mbad ...

– former Minister of Commerce and Industry *

Sam Mbakwe Samuel "Sam" Onunaka Mbakwe (1929 – 5 January 2004) also known as Dee Sam was an Igbo politician and first democratic governor of Imo State, southern Nigeria from 1 October 1979 until 31 December 1983. The Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, ...

– former Governor * Henry Nwawuba - Politician and Entrepreneur *

Raymond Njoku Raymond Amanze Njoku (August 1915 – 1977) was a Nigerian politician and former minister for Transport. The son of an Igbo Chief, he was born in Owerri and raised in a Roman Catholic household. He attended Our Lady's School at Emekuku, for prim ...

– former Minister of Transportation * Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba - former House of Representatives Member and current Minister of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria *

Arthur Nzeribe Francis Arthur Nzeribe (2 November 1938 – 8 May 2022) was a Nigerian politician who was Senator for the Orlu Senatorial constituency in Imo State from October 1983 to December 1983 and May 1999 to May 2007 on the People's Democratic Party ( ...

– former Senator Orlu Zone, Member of the Senate of Nigeria in the 4th National Assembly (1999-2003) *

Walter Ofonagoro Walter Ofonagoro (born 24 June 1940) is a Nigerian scholar, politician and businessman who is a former Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (Nigeria), Minister of Information and Culture, Nigeria, Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is also ...

– former Minister of Information and Culture *

Ikedi Ohakim Ikedi Ohakim (born 4 August 1957) is a Nigerian businessman who became governor of Imo State in the South Eastern region in May 2007, standing for the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). He later switched to the People's Democratic Party (PDP). ...

– former governor * Chris Okewulonu – Chief of Staff *

Rochas Okorocha Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha (born 22 September 1962) is a Nigerian politician of Igbo extraction, from Imo State. He is the senator representing Imo West Senatorial district at the 9th Nigerian Senate. He is also the former Governor of Imo St ...

– former governor and a serving senator representing Imo West, under investigation as of May 2022 *

Fabian Osuji Professor Fabian Ngozichukwu Chinedum Osuji (born 20 January 1942) was the Federal Minister of Education in Nigeria from July 2003 until March 2005. Academic career An outstanding scholar from youth, Osuji attended Holy Ghost College, Owerri, G ...

– former Minister of Education * Ugonna Ozurigbo – Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly (2015–), and Member *

Achike Udenwa Achike Udenwa (born in 1948) was the governor of Imo State in Nigeria. He became governor after winning the election in 1999. Udenwa won re-election in 2003, and his term ended on 29 May 2007. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party. Udenw ...

– former Governor *

Hope Uzodinma Hope Odidika Uzodimma (born 12 December 1958) is a Nigerian politician who serves as Governor of Imo State. On 14 January 2020, the Supreme Court in Nigeria declared Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the 2019 govern ...

- Governor of Imo state

Other

Adiele Afigbo Adiele Eberechukwu Afigbo (22 November 1937 – 9 March 2009) was a Nigerian historian known for the history and historiography of Africa, more particularly Igbo history and the history of Southeastern Nigeria. Themes emphasised include pre-col ...

– historian *

Michael Echeruo Michael Joseph Chukwudalu Echeruo (born March 14, 1937) is a Nigerian academic, professor and literary critic from Umunumo, Ehime-Mbano LGA, Imo State. He is the William Safire Professor of Modern Letters in the English Department at Syracuse Univ ...

– academic and writer in Igbo studies *

Nenny B Nnenna Egwuekwe (born September 22, 1992), known professionally as Nenny B, is a Nigerian media personality. She is currently a VJ for MTV Base Africa. Early life and education Nenny B is from Imo State and was born in Lagos State, Nigeria. ...

– media personality * Evelyn Okere – Nigerian businesswoman, publisher, fashion designer *

Odumeje Chukwuemeka Cyril Ohanaemere (born 9 September 1982), predominantly known as Odùméje, is a Nigerian clergyman as the general overseer of ''The Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry'', and a musician. Early life Odùm� ...

— Clergyman.

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