Okigwe is the third largest city in Imo state in

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 ...

after

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 Orlu. Okigwe is located in the Okigwe

Local Government Area 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 (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

of Nigeria. The city lies between the Port Harcourt- Enugu-

Maiduguri Maiduguri is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River which disappears into the ''Firki'' swamps in the areas around Lake Chad. Maiduguri was founded in 1907 as a mil ...

rail line, being the nearest city to the biggest cattle market in Nigeria located in the Umu Nneochi Area of Abia state. Thus, the city has grown into a major cattle transit town for the southeast and south subregions of Nigeria. Okigwe has a population of 132,237 (2005 census). Most of the population is made up of immigrant workers from other states. Okigwe city was the primary host site of the old

Imo State University The Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria was established in 1981 through law No. 4 passed by the Imo State House of Assembly. The university admitted the first intake of 392 pioneer students on 23 October, 1981. After th ...

(now

Abia State University Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) is a Nigerian public university. It is one of the state owned universities in Nigeria. These state academic institutions were created to expand admissions and bring professional skills, expertise and modern rese ...

). Okigwe has various tourist and historical sites. The Federal Government College in the city has remained one of the best unity schools in Nigeria. Okigwe remains one of the breadbaskets of Nigeria with terrace cultivation practised on its hilly farmlands. Okigwe also boasts many relaxation spots such as Alexandra Suites & Hotels Limited Okigwe Imo state which is situated at No 1 Alexandra Ave, Umuchima Road, Ubahu. St. Mary's Cathedral in Okigwe is the seat of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Okigwe The Roman Catholic Diocese of Okigwe ( la, Okigwen(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Okigwe, Imo State in the Ecclesiastical province of Owerri in Nigeria. As at 2016, the diocese has 43 missions, 219 lay religious (33 brothers, 186 sist ...

. In 2016, the Imo state government recommissioned a new cattle market in the city in respect to the previous one that has been relocated to Abia.

Autonomous communities and villages

Okigwe has five autonomous communities with different villages (in bracket) namely; *Ikigwu (Aro-ubaha, Aro-Okigwe, Ope, Ubanaka, Umuka, Umuokpara), *Otanzu (Amaeze-Ogii, Umuawa-Ogee, Umualumoke), Amuro (Amuro, Aro-Amuro), *Umulolo (Agbobu, Agbuala, Aku/Ihette, Aku/Ikenga, Amaosu, Amasator, Aro-Agbobu, Aro-Umulolo West, Aro-Umulolo East, Ibinta, Ndi-Oji, Ndi-Okoroji, Okanachi, Umuawa-Ibu) *Ihube (Agbala, Akpugo, Amagu, Amalator, Amano, Nkoto, Ogube, Ozara) *Otan-Chara (Alaike-Ogwaku, Alaocha-Igwaku, Ihitte-Isiokwe, Ikenga, Ikenga-Isiokwe) umuinem, umuzegem, Umueze, Umukeoke

Agriculture and soil

The soil is predominantly partly

red clay Ultisols, commonly known as red clay soils, are one of twelve soil orders in the United States Department of Agriculture soil taxonomy. The word "Ultisol" is derived from "ultimate", because Ultisols were seen as the ultimate product of continu ...

and black or dark brown. The major crops grown in the district on its hilly farmlands are

palm trees Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm ( ...

( palm oil and

palm wine Palm wine, known by several local names, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms. It is known by various names in different regions and is common in va ...

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...

, and vegetables.

References

Local Government Areas in Imo State Cities in Imo State Local Government Areas in Igboland Towns in Imo State {{Imo-geo-stub

Autonomous communities and villages

Agriculture and soil

See also

References