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Aba is a city in southeastern
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, ...
. It lies along the west bank of the Aba River and is at the intersection of roads leading to settlements such as
Port Harcourt Port Harcourt (Pidgin: ''Po-ta-kot or Pi-ta-kwa)'' is the capital and largest city of Rivers State in Nigeria. It is the fifth most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Benin. It lies along the Bonny River and is locate ...
,
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 ...
,
Umuahia Umuahia () is the capital city of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to its south, and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Ni ...
, Ikot Ekpene, and
Ikot-Abasi Ikot Abasi is located in the south west corner of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It is bounded by Oruk Anam Local Government Area in the north, Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas in the east and the Atlantic Ocean in the south. The Im ...
. Aba was established by the Ngwa clan of the
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 ...
in Nigeria as a
market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
. Later, a military post was placed there by the British colonial administration in 1901. The city became a collection point for agricultural products following construction of a British-made railway running through it to Port Harcourt. Aba is a major urban settlement and commercial centre in
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 ...
, which is surrounded by small villages and towns. The indigenous people of Aba are the Ngwa. Aba is well known for its craftsmen, and as of 2016, Aba had an estimated population of 2,534,265, making it the biggest city in southeastern Nigeria.


History

The city was initially a trade centre, which eventually became an administrative centre of
Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
's colonial government. Aba has been a major commercial centre ever since it became part of
British Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1st of October 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. Britain annexed Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River Protectorate in 1884. British influen ...
. The Aro Expedition, which was part of a larger military plan to quell anti-colonial sentiment in the region, took place in the area of Aba between 1901 and 1902. During this military action, the British defeated the native Aro people with a presumably large number of casualties. In 1901, the British founded a military post in Aba and in 1915, a railroad was constructed to link it to Port Harcourt, which transported agricultural goods such as
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 ...
and
palm kernel The palm kernel is the edible seed of the oil palm fruit. The fruit yields two distinct oils: palm oil derived from the outer parts of the fruit, and palm kernel oil derived from the kernel. The pulp left after oil is rendered from the kernel ...
s. In 1929, Aba was the site of a revolt by Igbo women, historically known as
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 ...
, which was a protest against the colonial taxation policy. The riot started as a peaceful protest against the initial census of women in the region and subsequent assumed taxation of the women based upon rumours. The protests spread throughout the region, but remained peaceful until a pregnant woman was knocked over during a "scuffle", and the lady lost her child. News of this "act of abomination" spread rapidly, and violent reactions ensued. After more protests, a mass of 10,000 women marched on Aba. Sources dispute the casualty rate, with 55 to over 100 deaths being reported. By the 1930s, Aba was becoming a large urban community with an established industrial complex. During the height of the
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 ...
in 1967, the capital of
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 ...
was moved to
Umuahia Umuahia () is the capital city of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to its south, and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Ni ...
from
Enugu Enugu () verbally pronounced as "Enụgwụ" by the Igbo indigenes is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the so ...
. Aba was a very strategic Biafran city and was heavily bombed and air-raided during the Civil War. Upon the creation of Abia State in 1991, the old Aba township was divided into two local government areas, being Aba South and Aba North, while the suburban neighborhood of what was then known as Obioma Ngwa L.G.A. was divided into three L.G.A.s (namely Osisioma Ngwa, Obingwa and Ugwunagbo) for administrative convenience. Aba is the home of many distinguished families such as the Emejiaka Egbu family of Aba la Ohazu, the Ogbonna family of Eziukwu-Aba, the Ichita family of Umuokpoji-Aba, the Omenihu family of Obuda-Aba, the Ugbor family of Aba-Ukwu, the Ugwuzor family Umuokpoji Aba, the Ihemadu family of Ohabiam, the Ukaegbu family of Aba-ukwu, the Ahunanya family of Ohabiam, among others.


Economy

Aba is surrounded by
oil well An oil well is a drillhole boring in Earth that is designed to bring petroleum oil hydrocarbons to the surface. Usually some natural gas is released as associated petroleum gas along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce only gas m ...
s, which separate it from the city of
Port Harcourt Port Harcourt (Pidgin: ''Po-ta-kot or Pi-ta-kwa)'' is the capital and largest city of Rivers State in Nigeria. It is the fifth most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Benin. It lies along the Bonny River and is locate ...
. A long
pipeline A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...
provides Aba with gas 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 ...
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 ...
repository. Its major economic contributions are
textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...
s and palm oil, along with pharmaceuticals, plastics, cement, and cosmetics. This trade makes the Ariaria International Market the second largest market in Nigeria after the Onitsha Main Market. There is also a Heineken N.V., a glass-working company and a brewery within the city. Aba is famous for its handicrafts. There are ongoing construction projects in Enyimba Economic Area and Abia State Industrial Innovation Park in Ukwa East and West local government areas to overcome the challenges of unplanned
urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted ...
facing the city. Aba is a commercial hub of eastern Nigeria. There are a few well-known markets, such as Ariaria International Market, Ahia Ohuru Market, and Eziukwu Road Market, among others, that serve the entire region with wares, food, cosmetics, and other material goods.


Religion

The city has remained an important centre for Christian evangelism in Southeastern Nigeria since the arrival of the
Church Mission Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British Anglican mission society working with Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as ...
(CMS), an evangelism vehicle of the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
, by the British.The movement of the evangelist church (All the Saints' church) was birthed from the initiative of three oil traders: Opopo-Joseph Cookey, Gabrial Cookey and Zedekiah Cookey. These men sailed the Aba River in 1896 for trade and evangelism. In 1897, they successfully negotiated with the Abayi and Umuocham people for land to establish their oil business. As their involvement in the oil trade expanded, so too did Christianity spread in Nigeria, and the Cookeys eventually converted the Abayi and Umuocham people to
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
. From 1901 to 1902 they planned an intensive crusade and invited their landlords. Two
congregational church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...
es; one at the Abayi waterfront, and the other at the Umuocham waterfront were constructed as a result, and dedicated by James Johnson. Early converts from the Abayi and Umuocham tribes worshipped at St. Ambrose on the Abayi waterfront until they set up their own churches further inland in 1905. Joseph Cookey and Gabriel Cookey were the volunteer teachers for Abayi and Umuocham respectively. St. Michael's Cathedral Anglican Church was founded in the late 1920s, although St. James Parish on the Umuleri city limit is arguably the oldest church in the region due to the fact that the
diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
's first mass was celebrated in 1916. Most of the primary and secondary schools mentioned below were founded by the CMS along with their associated churches. Early
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...
who arrived in Nigeria in 1842 established what is now known as the Methodist Church of Nigeria in
Badagry Badagry, also spelled Badagri, (Gun language, Gun: Gbagli) is a coastal town and Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is quite close to the city of Lagos, and located on the north bank of Po ...
. Methodism quickly spread to Uzuakoli and down to Aba. Wesley Cathedral was the first cathedral to be built in Aba. It became a diocese and later an archdiocese which hosted the 2018 Methodist Conference. The Methodist Church is one of the most spiritually vibrant churches in the city of Aba. The
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
also created many churches; Christ the King Church (C.K.C), which for a long time was the biggest church in the city, became its bishop's seat, and it is now known as Christ the King Cathedral. With the arrival of the
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
brand of Christianity in Nigeria, the city got an enormous share for itself. The Assemblies of God Church and
Deeper Christian Life Ministry Deeper Christian Life Ministry also known as Deeper Life Bible Church is an international Pentecostal Christian denomination with its headquarters, Deeper Life Bible Church Lagos, in Gbagada, Lagos. It is overseen by the General Superintendent ...
had massive followings in the early 1980s, followed by the Refiner's House International Church, one of the newest and fastest-growing Christian ministries in the city. Bishop Ogundoro founded the African Gospel Church . This church is divided into 10 districts. The current bishop of the African Gospel Church is Rev. Dr. Robert Lang'at. In the late 1960s, a group of Nigerians discovered information on the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian restorationist Christian denomination and the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. Founded durin ...
and established branches, but this Utah-based church did not establish any official presence in Nigeria until 1978. The first stake of this church in Nigeria (and in fact in all of Africa outside of
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
) was established in Aba in 1988, with David W. Eka as president. There are presently four LDS stakes headquartered in Aba and the only LDS temple in Nigeria is located in the city, being the Aba Nigeria Temple. There are three other temples announced for
Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...
,
Benin City Benin City serves as the Capital city, capital and largest Metropolitan area, metropolitan centre of Edo State, situated in Nigeria, southern Nigeria. It ranks as the List of Nigerian cities by population, fourth-most populous city in Niger ...
, and
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 people of the region who are the Ibibio people of the southern part of Ibibioland and to their dialect which is E ...
.
Mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...
s are also present in Aba; the largest mosque is the Hospital Road Mosque. A Chief Imam resides in the Hausa-speaking settlements at the heart of the city.


Education

Below are some schools in Aba.


Sports

Enyimba F.C., popularly called ''The Peoples Elephant'', is the city's most popular
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club. Enyimba F.C.'s winning record is among the highest of all Nigerian football clubs. With two
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
trophies, nine
Nigeria Premier League The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) (formerly the Nigeria Professional Football League) is the highest level of club football in Nigerian football league system. The Nigerian Premier League has suffered like many others, from the financ ...
titles and a pair of Nigerian Federation Cup trophies, the club is currently ranked second in the CAF Club rankings.


Services

Aba is served by a station on Nigerian Railways, but this station is rarely used. Aba is also a major hub for road transport in the region—a large number of transport companies operate coaches that transport people daily to various parts of the country. The city is second only to
Onitsha Onitsha ( or simply ''Ọ̀nị̀chà'') is a city on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. Onitsha along with various cities and towns in southern Anambra State, northern Imo State and neighboring Delta State on the we ...
in mass transportation daily volume within eastern Nigeria. Commercial motorcycles have been banned in the region and are being replaced by commercial
tricycle A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a Human-powered transport, human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) Three-wheeler, three-wheeled vehicle. Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for pa ...
s popularly referred to as Keke and a
minibus A minibus, microbus, or minicoach is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is us ...
service. This minibus service is a popular means of transportation nowadays. In 2012, a monorail system was proposed for the city. The plan was criticised as a potential scam, as the private company involved in the project had no experience in developing monorails. As of 2021, there is no information that the proposal progressed past the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The management of waste in Aba is primarily overseen by the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA). Although faced with significant challenges that are compounded by rapid urbanization and population growth the recent administration of Dr Alex Otti has had much greater success in solving waste management in the city, with one refuse dumps being cleared all over the city. Aba is powered by the
Enugu Enugu () verbally pronounced as "Enụgwụ" by the Igbo indigenes is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the so ...
Electricity Distribution Company, which was created by the division of the Nigerian Electricity Power Authority. On February 24th, 2024, a new power plant operated by electrical company Geometric Power Company was inaugurated by
Bola Tinubu Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu (born 29 March 1952) is a Nigerian politician serving as the 16th and current president of Nigeria since 2023. He previously served as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, and senator for Lagos ...
. Aba Power Limited Electric, the newest
electricity distribution Electric power distribution is the final stage in the delivery of electricity. Electricity is carried from the transmission system to individual consumers. Distribution substations connect to the transmission system and lower the transmission ...
company in Nigeria, is expected to take electricity from the new plant and supply 9 of the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia State, including Aba. It is expected that the daily hours of available electricity in the city will rise, and the
electric generator In electricity generation, a generator, also called an ''electric generator'', ''electrical generator'', and ''electromagnetic generator'' is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy for use in an externa ...
will become a household item. For some places in Aba, an electric generator will be the only source of electricity due to remoteness or other factors.


Climate

Aba has a mainly
tropical climate Tropical climate is the first of the five major climate groups in the Köppen climate classification identified with the letter A. Tropical climates are defined by a monthly average temperature of or higher in the coolest month, featuring hot te ...
. Most months of the year see significant
rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...
fall, and the brief
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 ...
has little impact. The weather in the region is classified as Am in the Köppen climate classification system. Aba's yearly mean temperature is . The annual precipitation of the city clocks in to about . Due to Aba's proximity to the
equator The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...
, the city is in a summer-like state most of the year. January, February, March, April, May, November, and December are considered ideal months to travel.


See also

* Enyimba International Stadium * Ariaria International Market


Footnotes


References

* * * * * * * * * Izugbara, C. O. and Umoh, J. O., 2004. Indigenous Waste Management Practices among the Ngwa of Southeastern Nigeria: Some lessons and policy implications. ''The Environmentalist''. 24: 87–92. * Nwanju, B.N. (1991). Government of Abia State: Decision on the Newly Created Local Government Areas. (Letter to the Sole Administrator of Aba LGA). SGA/S.0003/S.1/X {{Authority control Cities in Abia State 1901 establishments in the Southern Nigeria Protectorate Towns in Igboland 1901 establishments in Nigeria Populated places established in 1901