Most people can’t differentiate between South South and South East regions in Nigeria. The South East states in Nigeria are native lands of the Igbo people. Read the article to learn about this part of our country.
Nigeria is made up of thirty-six states. All the states in Nigeria are grouped according to regions into six different geopolitical zones. They are:
• North Central
• North East
• North West
• South East
• South South
• South West
Today we are going to talk about South East part of Nigeria. Here we are naming and writing a short summary of the states in South East Nigeria. There are five states in the South East geopolitical zone:
• Abia
• Anambra
• Ebonyi
• Enugu
• Imo
Abia State
Known as the God’s Own State, Abia State was carved out of the old Imo State on August 27, 1991. The name of the state was coined from the first letters of the four groups of people in the area, Aba, Bende, Isuikwato, and Afikpo. The capital of Abia is Umuahia. There are seventeen local government areas in Abia state. It is also one of the nine states in the Niger Delta region. It is one of the oil producing states in Nigeria. The state also contributes to the economy of the country in the area of agriculture. Abia state is primarily inhabited by Igbo people. The people of Abia state are entrepreneur-oriented and are very hospitable.
Popular places of interest in Abia state includes:
• National War Museum
• National Museum of Colonial History
• Museum of Antiquities
• Arochukwu Cave – it was used as a court of law and for consultation purposes during the slave trade period.
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Anambra State
The slogan is “Light of the Nation”. Anambra State was created in 1976 with the capital located at Enugu. In 1991, the state was divided into two. Enugu state was carved out of Anambra and the capital of new Anambra became Awka. There are twenty-one local government areas in Anambra state. Together with Imo state, Anambra state forms the heartland of the Igboland. The state has a rich Igbo culture and it is popular thanks to its numerous art works. A lot of art centers and artists can be found in the state. Magnificent iron works, bronze works, and pottery can be found in the state. Onitsha is the largest city in Abia state and one of the largest commercial cities in Nigeria.
Places of interest in Anambra state include:
• Aluminium Pot Moulding
• Ogba Waterfalls
• Rojenny Tourist Village
• The River Niger Bridge
• Onitsha Main Market
• Agulu/Nanka Erosion Site and much more
Ebonyi State
Ebonyi is one of the states in South East Nigeria. Most parts of the state are populated by the Igbo people. The capital of Ebonyi State is Abakaliki. Ebonyi was created in 1996 by Major General Sani Abacha who was the head of states at the time. The state was created from the old Afikpo division of Abia State and old Abakaliki division of Enugu State. There are thirteen local government areas in Ebonyi State. The slogan of the state is “the Salt of the Nation”. This is because of the massive salt deposit at the Uburu and Okposi salt lakes.
Ebonyi State is majorly an agricultural state. The state is the main producer of yam, rice, potatoes, beans, maize, and cassava. There is also natural gas and crude oil in the state.
There are popular places of tourist attractions in Ebonyi state. Some of them include:
• Amanchore Cave – the cave has a lot of narrow tunnels which lead into different directions.
• Abakaliki Golf Course – it has the modern golfing terrain.
• Slave Market Route.
• Abakaliki Green Lake – it serves as a place of relaxation and leisure for the colonial masters.
Enugu State
Located in South Eastern Nigeria, Enugu is one the Igbo populated states in Nigeria. It was created in 1991 from the old Anambra state. The capital of the state is Enugu. The name Enugu means “top of hill”, which signifies the topography of the state. It is called the “Coal City State” because coal mineral can be found there and the city of Enugu has been a coal mining town since 1912. There are seventeen local government areas in Enugu State. The state is predominantly occupied by the Igbo people. It has two most popular and important annual Igbo festival celebrations. They are the New Yam festival and the Mmanwu festival. The New Yam festival is the cultural symbol of the Igbos. They celebrate the harvest of the new yam.
There are popular places of interest in Enugu state. Places like Nike Lake Resort, Silicon Hill, Awhum Waterfall and much more.
Imo State
Imo state is also known as the Eastern Heartland. It was created in 1976 by Major General Murtala Mohammed who was the head of states as of the time. In 1991, Abia State was carved out of the Old Imo state. The capital of Imo State is Owerri and it is the largest city in the state. There are twenty-seven local government areas in the state. Imo state got its name from the Imo River. The state is majorly populated by Igbo speaking people. The state has a rich cultural heritage. This is shown in the way they dress, their music and dance, their art and craft work. They have different festivals in a year. The state is full of hospitable people.
Imo state has a lot of natural resources which include natural gas, crude oil, zinc, lead, mahogany, iroko, rubber trees, obeche, and oil palms.
The state is also rich when it comes to tourist attractions; some of which include Oguta Lake, Imo Wonderlake Resort, Nekede Zoo, Asumpta Cathedral, Ada Palm Plantation Complex, and much more.
Now you know more about five states of South East Nigeria, their peculiarities, traditions, festivals, resources, and places of attractions. We can say for sure that each part of our country is unique and important!
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