Port Harcourt (

Pidgin A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified form of contact language that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn f ...

: ''Po-ta-kot or Pi-ta-kwa)'' is the capital and largest city of

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 ...

in Nigeria. It is the fifth most populous city in

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, ...

after

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 ...

Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria *Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State ** Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries ** Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom betwee ...

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the List of Nigerian cities by population, third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano (city), Kano, with a total populatio ...

and

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

. It lies along the

Bonny River Bonny River is a river in Rivers State, Nigeria. Water taxis that move along the river provide the connection between Bonny Island and Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, which lies alongside the river. It is also an arm of the Niger Ri ...

and is located in the oil rich Niger Delta region. As of 2023, Port Harcourt's urban population is approximately 3,480,000. The population of the

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

area of Port Harcourt is almost twice its urban area population with a 2015

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

estimate of 2,344,000. In 1950, the population of Port Harcourt was 59,752. Port Harcourt has grown by 150,844 since 2015, which represents a 4.99% annual change. The colonial administration of Nigeria created the port to export coal from the

collieries Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extrac ...

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 ...

located north of Port Harcourt, to which it was linked by a railway called the Eastern Line, also built by the

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

. Port Harcourt's economy turned to

petroleum 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 un ...

when the first shipment of Nigerian crude oil was exported through the city in 1958. Through the benefits of the Nigerian petroleum industry, Port Harcourt was further developed, with aspects of modernization such as overpasses,

city blocks A city block, residential block, urban block, or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. In a city with a grid system, the block is the smallest group of buildings that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are th ...

, and taller and more substantial buildings. Oil firms that currently have offices in the city include

Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...

and Chevron. With Agip company. There are several public and private tertiary institutions in Port Harcourt. These institutions include

Rivers State University Rivers State University (RIVSU or RSU), formerly known as Rivers State University of Science and Technology (UST or RSUST), is a government-owned university located in Diobu (Mile III) area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Southern Nigeria. A ...

University of Port Harcourt The University of Port Harcourt is a public research university located in Aluu and Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. It was established in 1975 as University College, Port Harcourt and was given university status in 1977. The Univ ...

, Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Ignatius Ajuru University, Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology, Madonna University, PAMO University of Medical Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria. The current mayor is Ezebunwo Ichemati. Port Harcourt's primary airport is Port Harcourt International Airport,(Omagwa) located on the outskirts of the city; the NAF base is the location of the only other airport and is used by commercial airlines Aero Contractors and Air Nigeria for domestic flights.

Etymology

The port was built in 1912, but not given a name until August 1913, when the then Governor of Nigeria, Sir Frederick Lugard, named it "Port Harcourt" in honor of

Lewis Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt Lewis Vernon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt (born Reginald Vernon Harcourt; 31 January 1863 – 24 February 1922), was a British Liberal Party politician who held the Cabinet post of Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1910 to 1915. Lor ...

, then the

Secretary of State for the Colonies The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the Cabinet of the United Kingdom's government minister, minister in charge of managing certain parts of the British Empire. The colonial secretary never had responsibility for t ...

. The Okrika word for the city is ''Hakoti Kiri'' or ''Parakot''. The native Obulom name for the city is , .

History

Port Harcourt was founded in 1912 by

Frederick Lugard Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard (22 January 1858 – 11 April 1945), known as Sir Frederick Lugard between 1901 and 1928, was a British soldier, explorer of Africa and colonial administrator. He was Governor of Hong Kong (1907� ...

, governor of both the

Northern Nigeria Protectorate Northern Nigeria ( Hausa: ''Arewacin Najeriya'') was a British protectorate which lasted from 1900 until 1914, and covered the northern part of what is now Nigeria. The protectorate spanned and included the emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate ...

and 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 ...

. Its purpose was to

export An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is a ...

the coal that geologist

Albert Ernest Kitson Sir Albert Ernest Kitson, (21 March 1868 – 8 March 1937) was a British-Australian geologist, naturalist, and winner of the Lyell Medal in 1927. Early life Kitson was born in North Street, Audenshaw, Cheshire, England, the son of John ...

had discovered in

in 1909. The colonial government caused the people of Diobu to cede their land, and in 1912 the building of a port-town was started. Other villages that were later absorbed into the city included Oroworukwo, Oromeruezimgbu, Nkpogu, and Rumuomasi; In the creeks to the south of the original port were the fishing camps and grounds of the Wakirike-

Ijaw Ijaw may refer to: *Ijaw people The Ijaw people, also known as the Izon people, are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, with primary Population, population clusters in Bayelsa State, Bayelsa, Delta State, Delta, and River ...

group. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Port Harcourt was used as a point for military operations against the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...

German Kamerun Kamerun was an African colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1916 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon. Kamerun also included northern parts of Gabon and the Congo with western parts of the Central African Republic, southwestern ...

. After the discovery of crude oil in

Oloibiri Oloibiri is a small community in Ogbia LGA located in Bayelsa State, in the eastern Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The inhabitants of Oloibiri community are mainly fishermen and farmers. It is the first place that oil was discovered in Nigeria. ...

in 1956, Port Harcourt exported the first shipload from Nigeria in 1958. Port Harcourt became the center of the Nigerian oil economy and it subsequently reaped benefits of its associations with the petroleum industry by undergoing

modernization Modernization theory or modernisation theory holds that as societies become more economically modernized, wealthier and more educated, their political institutions become increasingly liberal democratic and rationalist. The "classical" theories ...

and

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

. Port Harcourt's growth is further due to its position as the commercial center and foremost industrial city of the former

Eastern Region Eastern Region or East Region may refer to: * Eastern Region (Abu Dhabi): Al Ain *Eastern Region, Ghana *Eastern Region (Iceland) *Eastern Region, Malta *Eastern Region, Nepal *Eastern Region, Nigeria * Eastern Region, Serbia *Eastern Region, Ugand ...

; its position in the Niger Delta; and its importance as the center of social and economic life in Rivers State. After the Republic 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 ...

seceded from Nigeria in 1967 Port Harcourt fell to Nigerian forces on 19 May 1968. From an area of in 1914, Port Harcourt grew uncontrolled to an area of in the 1980s.

Geography

The main city of Port Harcourt is the Port Harcourt City in the Port Harcourt local government area, consisting of the former European quarters now called Old GRA and New Layout areas. The urban area (Port Harcourt metropolis), on the other hand, is made up of the local government area itself and parts of

Obio-Akpor Obio-Akpor is a Local Government Area in the metropolis of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria. It is one of the major centres of economic activities in Nigeria, and one of the major cities of the Niger Delta region, with industries and comp ...

and Eleme accordingly. Port Harcourt, which is the current capital of Rivers State, is highly congested as it is the only major city of the state. In 2009, a law was passed by the

Rivers State House of Assembly Rivers State House of Assembly is the legislative branch of the Government of Rivers State inaugurated in 1979. It is a unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one hous ...

and Governor Amaechi's administration to spread development to the surrounding communities as part of the effort to decongest the Port Harcourt metropolis. The Greater Port Harcourt region, spans eight local government areas that include Port Harcourt,

Okrika Okrika is a town in Rivers State, Nigeria, and serves as the headquarters of Okrika Local Government Area. It is situated on an island south of Port Harcourt, functioning as a suburb of the city. The inhabitants of Okrika LGA are of Ijaw descent ...

, Ikwerre, Oyigbo,

Ogu–Bolo Ogu–Bolo (also spelled Ogu/Bolo) is a local government area (LGA) in Rivers State, Nigeria, with its administrative headquarters in the town of Ogu. It is situated in the eastern part of the Niger Delta, the Ogu-Bolo people are of Ijaw descent ...

Etche The Etche Tribe are indigenous people found in Rivers State. Presently, its people make up Etche and Omuma, two of the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. They are part of the 13 federal constituencies representing River State in Nigeria ...

and Eleme. Its total population was estimated at 2,000,000 as of 2009, making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in Nigeria. But that number has greatly increased according to recent studies.

Location

Climate

Port Harcourt features a

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Am'') with lengthy and heavy rainy seasons and very short

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 ...

s. Only the months of December to February truly qualify as dry season months in the city. The

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 ...

, which climatically influences many cities in

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

, is less pronounced in Port Harcourt. Port Harcourt's heaviest precipitation occurs during September with an average of of rain. December on average is the driest month of the year, with an average rainfall of . Temperatures throughout the year in the city are relatively constant, showing little variation throughout the course of the year. Average temperatures are typically between in the city. The yearly temperature in Port Harcourt is 26.55 °C (79.79 °F) and it is -2.91% lower than Nigeria's averages. Rivers typically receive about 330.36 millimeters (13.01 inches) of precipitation and has 304.91 rainy days (83.54% of the time) annually.

Environmental concerns

Air Pollution

Residents of the city have been experiencing particle (

soot Soot ( ) is a mass of impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. Soot is considered a hazardous substance with carcinogenic properties. Most broadly, the term includes all the particulate matter produced b ...

) pollution since the last quarter of 2016. Text was copied from this source, which is available under
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Residents state their clothes and everything outside is covered with a layer of black soot. Official

PM2.5 Particulate matter (PM) or particulates are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. An ''aerosol'' is a mixture of particulates and air, as opposed to the particulate matter alone, though it is sometimes defined ...

information from the state's environmental commissioner,

Roseline Konya Roseline Sonayee Konya is a Nigerians, Nigerian academic and a politician from Khana, Rivers State. She is a professor of Toxicology and Pharmacology at the University of Port Harcourt. She served as Rivers State Commissioner of Environment, Comm ...

, states a high reading of 270

microgram In the metric system, a microgram or microgramme is a unit of mass equal to one millionth () of a gram. The unit symbol is μg according to the International System of Units (SI); the recommended symbol in the United States and United Kingdom wh ...

s per cubic meter for

air pollution Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

in the city from a 2016 sampling. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) index

air quality index An air quality index (AQI) is an indicator developed by government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become. As air pollution levels rise, so does the AQI, along with the a ...

(AQI), a reading of 0 – 50 is good, readings between 200 – 300 which Port Harcourt falls under is considered unhealthy for everyone and E.P.A advises residents of such areas to avoid heavy and prolonged exertion, and move activities indoors. "For a 15-month period ending in June

018 018 may refer to: *Air Canada Flight 018, an airline flight from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada, illegally boarded by a Chinese man wearing a disguise in 2010 *Area code 018, a telephone area code in Uppsala, Sweden *BMW 018, an experimental turboj ...

... air quality was in the unhealthy range on 240 days, with 85 days ranking very unhealthy, and 13 days as

hazardous A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would potentially allow them to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probability of that ...

." The increased deterioration of ambient air quality led to a state protest in February 2017. There were experiences of black soot settling in nostrils, on cars, floors, roofs, windows, bathtubs, bathrooms, kitchen sinks and household furniture surfaces resulting in frequent cleaning of affected surfaces and places. potable, domestic and rainwater were equally affected. Abuloma, Iwofe, Rupokwu,

, and Woji were mostly affected with other areas such as Rumuigbo, Eleme, and Oyigbo Local Government Councils, as well as Ogoni. The covering of the haze of soot in most parts of the city has resulted in visibility impairment by PM2.5, soil, and water deposition, and disruption in

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

diversity. This also made the city dwellers spend more time indoors than outdoors. Residents in cities such as Rumosi and Rumuodumanya in Obio/Akpor Council have relocated to other safe cities leading to a decline in business activities. The Ministry of Environment took action by analysing air samples from various sites in the city and found out to be 11 times higher than

WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...

specifications for PM2.5 and PM10. This non-compliance was tackled by shutting down the Chinese Government Company (CGC), H&H Engineering Company, and AUC Asphalt Company located in the Aluu community, found to be the location of high volume discharge of emissions thereby contravening environmental regulations. Illegal refineries, burning of tires, gas flaring,

liquefied natural gas Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volume o ...

(LNG) operations and processes, petro-chemical companies and refineries were other suspected sources of soot

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

Residential areas

Some of Port Harcourt's more popular and well-known residential areas are known as Port Harcourt Township (or just "Town"), GRA (Government Reserved Area) phases 1–5, Elekahia, Rumuomasi, D-line, Elelenwo, Eliozu, Iboloji, Ogbunabali, Rumuola, Rumuigbo, Mgbuoba, Diobu, Woji, Amadi Flats, Umuchitta,

Rumuokoro Rumuokoro is a town in Obio-Akpor, Rivers State, Nigeria. It is the meeting point of five major roads in Nigerians, Nigerian economy and the gateway to and from the city of Port Harcourt. The word, 'Rumuo' in Rumuokoro was believed to be coined b ...

and Borikiri. The main industrial area is located in Trans Amadi, Abuloma.

Economy

Port Harcourt is a major industrial centre as it has a large number of multinational firms as well as other industrial concerns, particularly business related to the

industry. It is the chief oil-refining city in Nigeria and has two main

oil refineries An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefied pet ...

located at Eleme. Both refineries process around 210,000 barrels of crude oil a day, both operated by the

Port Harcourt Refining Company The Port Harcourt Refining Company, (abbreviated PHRC), is a Nigeria-based oil and gas company primarily specializing in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products. It is headquartered in Port Harcourt metropolitan area of Rivers State, ...

. Rivers State is one of the wealthiest states in Nigeria in terms of gross domestic product and foreign exchange revenue from the oil industry, crude oil being its principal export earner.

Microapartment A microapartment, also known as a microflat, micro-condo, or micro-unit is a one-room, self-contained living space, usually purpose built, designed to accommodate a sitting space, sleeping space, bathroom and kitchenette with 14–32 square metre ...

architecture is quite common in certain parts of Port Harcourt. The Point Block of Rivers State Secretariat is an icon of the city. An 18-story building, it is the tallest building in the Southeast and South-South geopolitical zones combined.

Demographics

Ethnic groups

Port Harcourt is primarily composed of coastal Ikwerre,

, Obulom, and Ogoni peoples.

Religion

As in other cities in the country's south, the predominant religion of Port Harcourt is

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 ...

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

make up a significant portion of the Christian population. There are scores of churches, parishes and priests within the Port Harcourt Catholic diocese. The central church is the Corpus Christi Cathedral Parish in D-line. The city is also home to other Christian denominations such as

Anglicans Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

, Methodists,

Baptists Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

and members of Evangelical and

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 ...

groups. A very small number of residents adhere to the

Islamic Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

faith.

Culture

Literature

The Port Harcourt Book Festival, formerly known as Garden City Literary Festival remains one of the city's most important and popular events since its inception in 2008. Established by the government of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the yearly gathering improves local literacy levels, promotes reading habits among denizens, and benefits exhibitors seeking a wider audience. Throughout its annual run, Port Harcourt Book Festival has hosted renowned publishers such as Heinemann, Learn Africa Plc, Africana First Publishers and EPP Books Services. The festival currently continues to draw writers, literary connoisseurs, booksellers and publishers from every walk of life to the city. In July 2012,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

, IPA, IBF and IFLA named Port Harcourt the

World Book Capital The World Book Capital (WBC) is an initiative of UNESCO which recognises cities for promoting books and fostering reading for a year starting on April 23, World Book and Copyright Day. Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital carry out acti ...

for the year 2014, making her the 14th city in the world to be selected as World Book Capital and the first in Black Africa. The city also features in ''

Looking for Transwonderland ''Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria'' is a 2012 non-fiction memoir and travelogue by Noo Saro-Wiwa. In it Saro-Wiwa travels across Nigeria, re-discovering the country of her birth. The book has been compared to those of many other ...

'', one of the first volumes of travel writing written by a Nigerian,

Noo Saro-Wiwa Noo Saro-Wiwa is a British-Nigerian author, noted for her travel writing. She is the daughter of Nigerian activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. Education Noo Saro-Wiwa was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and grew up in Ewell, Surrey in England. She attended ...

Music

Nightlife

Aside from being the oil capital, Port Harcourt is also known for its vibrant late-night activities and entertainment scene. There are several

public houses A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

, lounges, clubs, dance bars and restaurants spread out around the city. Partyers and revellers tend to spend a chunk of their night time at

New GRA The New Government Reserved Area (New GRA) is an upper middle class mixed-use neighborhood of Port Harcourt, the capital and largest city in Rivers State. Geography New GRA is bordered by D-line and Diobu to the south, Rumueme to the west, Rum ...

, where most of the bars and high-end nightclubs are located. Uptempo and club-friendly music can be heard in nearly every corner of the city at night. There have been increases in sex-oriented businesses including strip clubs and brothels.

In popular culture

In music

Port Harcourt city has produced great musicians in the likes of

Rex Lawson Rex Jim Lawson (4 March 1938 – 16 January 1971), known as Cardinal Rex, was a singer, trumpeter and bandleader from Buguma in present Rivers State, Nigeria. He became one of the best-known highlife musicians of the 1960s in Africa when Cardina ...

during jazz, highlife and old skool days. *Award-winning Nigerian musician Duncan Mighty also popularly known as Port Harcourt's First Son. Duncan Mighty is known for his hit song "Port Harcourt Son". *Grammy winner

Burna Boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He gained recognition in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album '' ...

was born and raised in Port Harcourt. He speaks of Port Harcourt in his song titled "Ph City Vibration". *

Timaya Inetimi Alfred Odon (born 15 August 1980), known by his stage name Timaya, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter. Being from Odi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, Timaya is known for combining Nigerian pop with elements of dancehall, hip-hop, and Soca music, s ...

afro singer was born and raised in Port Harcourt City. He accolades the city in his album *Award winning International singer

Omah Lay Stanley Omah Didia (born 18 May 1997), known professionally as Omah Lay, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. Omah Lay came into limelight and gained international recognition with his singles "Godly,” Understand," "Attention ...

was born and raised in Port Harcourt * Ajebo Hustlers the duo singers were raised in Port Harcourt * Duncan Daniels London-based artiste also grew up in Port Harcourt *Singer and actress Muma Gee highlights the city's scenes and culture in her song "Port Harcourt Is Back". *Reggae-fusion singer Slim Burna sang a song called "Port Harcourt Boy" from his 2013 release ''I'm on Fire''.

In movies

*In the film ''Blood and Oil'', which tells the tale of two British women and their unusual journey to the hinterland of the Niger Delta, the main character Alice Omuka travels to Port Harcourt, where she learns of the kidnapping of foreign oil workers. *Port Harcourt is a location in the Blessing Uduefe-directed movie '' The Green Eyed''. The movie also premiered in the city. *''Girls Hostel'', a Nollywood movie filmed in Port Harcourt helped catapult actresses Mary Uranta and Empress Njamah into stardom.

Education

Colleges and universities

Several institutions of tertiary education in Port Harcourt offer a wide range of professionally accredited programmes and qualifications. Most of these institutions are publicly funded, while others are run by private entities. The

was ranked sixth in Africa and first in Nigeria by

Times Higher Education ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The THES''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...

in 2015. The federal government owned university has its main campus at Choba district. Universities and colleges administered by the

Government of Rivers State The Government of Rivers State consists of elected representatives and appointed officials responsible for the government of Rivers State, Nigeria. Rivers State has a population of about 5 million people, and is one of the 36 states that make up ...

are also located in the city. They include

, Kenule Beesor Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic (Former Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori), Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic,

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, (IAUE) is a Nigerian university, it was previously known as Rivers State College of Education from June 1971- October 2009. History Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, (IAUE) was previously known ...

and Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology. The notable private institutions are

Catholic Institute of West Africa The Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) is a tertiary educational institution in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. It is a higher ecclesiastical institute of the Catholic Church and remains the leading theological facility in West Afric ...

and Eastern Polytechnic. The latter is the first and only private polytechnic established in the state.

Primary and secondary schools

Media

Media in Port Harcourt consists largely of print, online blogs, social media and broadcast. Information is generally disseminated to the public through radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the Internet. The government owns a number of the existing communications media, although, some private media is permitted. As a regulatory authority, the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications is responsible for overseeing the entire broadcasting system, as well as promoting competition and ensuring the provision of qualitative services throughout the city. Since English is much more popular in the country's urban areas, media content such as publications, news, radio and television programmes are available mostly in the English language.

Newspapers

In print media, the largest-circulated daily newspaper published in Port Harcourt is '' The Tide''. It is state-supported and has an online version. Another popular newspaper is the weekly tabloid ''

National Network The National Network (or National Truck Network) is a network of approved state highways and interstates for commercial truck drivers in the United States. The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 authorized the establishment of a nati ...

'' which is owned by local politician

Jerry Needam Jerry Needam (born 2 March 1966) is a journalist, newspaper publisher and politician from Rivers State, a reverend and diocesan media communicator of the Christ Army Church of Nigeria (CACN), former editor of the Ogoni Star newspaper, and owner of ...

. Additionally, other noteworthy papers like ''The Neighbourhood'' published by Nativity Communications Company and ''The Newswriter'' published by Writers House have begun competing for market presence and are both headquartered in the metropolis.

Radio

Radio is an important mass medium in these parts. Not only has it become a strong source of news and entertainment, it is also wide reaching and has proved a cheap means to reach a mass audience. Many of Port Harcourt's radio stations are in private hands with just a few are state owned. Radio Rivers, founded 1981 offers programs in English and various indigenous languages. Its operator is the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation (RSBC). As of December 2013, more than 5 local FM stations some of which were privately owned by media conglomerates Silverbird Group, South Atlantic Media, Globe Broadcasting and Communications and The Multimesh Company were already commercially licensed.

Television

* Rivers State Television – Government owned TV station on

UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter ...

channel 22. Established in 1985.

Transport

There is an international airport, Port Harcourt International Airport on the outskirts of the city, a

Nigerian Air Force The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces, established four years after the nation became independent. As at 2021, the air force is one of the largest in A ...

(NAF) base which is the location of the only other airport used by commercial airlines Aero Contractors, Caverton Helicopters and Bristow Helicopters for domestic flights, two seaports (FOT

Onne Onne, also known as Onne-Eleme, is a town in Eleme, Rivers State, Nigeria. The town is a host to one of the two prominent ports in Nigeria. It is bordered by the towns of Alode, Ebubu, and the Ngololo River, which is one of the tributaries of th ...

, Port Harcourt Wharf).

Sports

The city has three stadiums, the

Sharks Stadium Sharks Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Part of the Alfred Diete-Spiff Rivers State sports complex, it is used mostly for football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (footb ...

, the Yakubu Gowon Stadium located in Elekahia, and Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium located at Omagwa. Port Harcourt is home to one of the most popular soccer clubs in Nigeria and Africa, the Rivers United F.C. In September 2019, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, unveiled a plan to launch a football academy in cooperation with the Spanish giants, the

Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...

football club. The academy was to be known as the

Academy. 18 months later, the academy was commissioned by the governor and the national sports minister, Sunday Dare.

Healthcare

Port Harcourt is the leading hub for medical services in

. Many healthcare facilities including hospitals and research facilities are located in Port Harcourt. The city has a prominent tertiary health institution

University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Background University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital was established in April 1980 and was officially commissioned by the federal government in 1985, it is a major tertiary-care teaching and research facility in Rivers State. It is as a res ...

(UPTH) is situated on East West Road. Government hospitals are widely favoured and cater to a larger pool of patients. One of the oldest is Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital. Founded in 1925, the 375-bed facility provides general and specialist medical and surgical services along with a range of diagnostic and support services. Between 2009 and 2013, the Rivers State government commissioned two additional hospitals. This includes

Kelsey Harrison Hospital Kelsey Harrison Hospital is a State owned hospital in Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State. It was originally called New Niger Hospital and retained that name until 2009 when it was revamped and renamed after Kelsey Harrison, an inte ...

and the Rivers State Dental and Maxillofacial Hospital. Some other notable hospitals in the city are Meridian Hospital and

Rehoboth Specialist Hospital Rehoboth Specialist Hospital, also known simply as Rehoboth Hospital, is a private medical facility in Rivers State, Nigeria. The hospital is situated in the residential area of D-line, Port Harcourt, roughly 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Trans Am ...

which are private.

Water supply and sanitation

The Port Harcourt Water Supply and Sanitation Project aims to deliver sustainable water supply to the people of Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor local government areas. The project is the first phase of the rehabilitation of the old Port Harcourt water supply system and its extension to new areas of the city. It involves the rehabilitation and upgrade of the stations in Rumuola, increasing its current capacity to per day. In Rivers State, Water sector and utility reforms were initiated in 2009 and included the enactment of the Rivers State's Water and Sanitation Policy 2012 and the enactment of the Rivers State Water Sector development law #7of 2012. The policy and Law provided for the creation of specialized institutions for service delivery. Key agencies include the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RWSSA), the Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation (STWSSA), the Port Harcourt Water Corporation (PHWC), and the Rivers State Water Services Regulatory Commission.
Port Harcourt Water Corporation (PHWC)
was established pursuant to the Water Sector Development Law #7 of 2012 to replace the former Rivers State Water Board and to ensure the provision of potable drinking water and wastewater treatment services. The corporation formally took off in September 2014 with the recruitment of the pioneer managing director, Kenneth Anga with a mandate to convert it to a self-sustaining

public service A public service or service of general (economic) interest is any service intended to address the needs of aggregate members of a community, whether provided directly by a public sector agency, via public financing available to private busin ...

corporation.

Greater Port Harcourt

Under the leadership of former Governor

Chibuike Amaechi Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (born 27 May 1965) is a Nigerian politician, who served as the federal minister of transportation of Nigeria from 2015 to 2022 under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. He resigned to contest for Nigeria's ...

, plans was announced for the creation of a new city to be called Greater Port-Harcourt City. The new city is to be located at the outskirt of Port Harcourt close to the Port-Harcourt International Airport. The total coverage area for the Greater Port Harcourt city development is about spanning eight local governments in

, including Ogu Bolo, Eleme, Ikwerre, Etche, Obio Akpor, Okrika. The Authority ( GPHCDA) was established by law in April 2009 with a mandate to facilitate the implementation of the Greater Port Harcourt master plan and build the new city. The Authority is led by an administrator, Dame Aleruchi Cookey Gam, supported by a pioneer management team comprising the Secretary to the authority and Board, Silva Opusunju, Director Finance Aaron Obelley, Director Administration (Permanent Secretary) MI Tella, Director Public Affairs Kenneth Anga, Director Legal Justice Nwobike, Director Projects Edmund Altraide, Director Development Control Sir Ngozi Worgu. The Greater Port Harcourt city hosted several of the events at the 17th national sports festival tagged "Garden City Games".

Gallery

File:Church of Nigeria, Portharcourt, Rivers state.jpg File:Federal Institute of Water Resources signpost, Portharcourt, Rivers state.jpg File:Isaac Boro Park, Portharcourt, Rivers state.jpg File:Isaac Boro Park, Portharcourt, Rivers state4.jpg File:Isaac Boro Park, Portharcourt, Rivers state6.jpg File:Lebavics Complex, Portharcourt, RIvers state.jpg File:Mattoris Supermart, Portharcourt, RIvers state.jpg File:Our Lady Health of the Sick Hospital, Portharcourt, Rivers state.jpg File:Pleasure Park, Port Harcourt, Rivers state3.jpg File:Portharcourt civic Centre, Portharcourt, RIvers state.jpg File:Portharcourt civic Centre, Portharcourt, RIvers state2.jpg File:Real Madrid Football Academy, Port Harcourt, Rivers state4.jpg File:Rumo roundabout, Portharcourt, Rivers state.jpg File:Sacred Heart Seminary, Port Harcourt, Rivers state.jpg File:

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Port Harcourt has the following sister city relationships, according to

Sister Cities International Sister Cities International (SCI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the goal of facilitating partnerships between communities within the United States and other countries by establishing sister cities. Sister cities are agreements of ...

: *

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, United States

Notes

References

External links

Port Harcourt Water CorporationGreater Port Harcourt City Development AuthorityThe Expat's Guide to Port HarcourtOfficial Site of the River State Governmentdemographia.com
(PDF) {{Authority control Bonny River Populated coastal places in Rivers State Populated places established in 1913 Port cities and towns in Nigeria Cities in Rivers State 1913 establishments in the Southern Nigeria Protectorate State capitals in Nigeria