Owerri
Encyclopedia
Owerri is the capital of Imo State
in Nigeria
, set in the heart of the Igboland
. Owerri consists of three Local Govern Areas including Owerri Municipal
, Owerri North
and Owerri West
, it has an estimated population of about 400,000 as of 2006
and is approximately 40 square miles (103.6 km²) in area. Owerri is bordered by the Otamiri River
to the east and the Nworie River to the south.
The Owerri Slogan is Heartland. It is currently referred to as the entertainment capital of Nigeria and is home to an annual beauty pageant called "Miss Heartland".
in 1969. The capital of the secessionist state was continuously being moved as Nigerian troops captured the older capitals. Enugu
, Aba
, and Umuahia
were the other capitals before Owerri.
in the same royal lineage are Eze Okorie Onunwa, Eze Njemanze Okorie Onunwa, Ihemeji Njemanze Iheanacho, Eze Johnson Osuji Njemanze and Eze Onwuegbuchlem Njemanze.
, Lagos
, Port Harcourt, and Enugu
. Right now, it serves as an alternate for Port Harcourt.The city has an international cargo airport, the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport. Some major roads that go through the city are; Port Harcourt Rd., Aba Rd., Onitsha Rd., and Okigwe Rd. Roads within the city are; Douglas Rd., Weathral Rd., Tetlow Rd., and Works Rd. Eke Ukwu Owere market is the main market in Owerri.
Owerri sits in the rain forest and produces many agricultural products, such as yams
, cassava
, taro
, corn
, rubber
and palm products. Owerri also sits on huge crude oil and natural gas reserves like most of the Igbo land areas.
, Federal University of Technology Owerri
, African Institute of Science and Technology (AIST CCE Owerri), Federal College of Land Resources Oforola, Seat of Wisdom Seminary Owerri, Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Federal Government Girls College Owerri
, Owerri Girls Secondary School, Government Secondary School Owerri, Development Secondary School Owerri, Emmanuel College Owerri, Holy Ghost College Owerri, Community Secondary School Oforola Owerri, Federal Politechnic Nekede Owerri, Government Technical college Owerri, Army Day Secondary School Obinze Owerri etc
striker and Nigeria national football team
player Nwankwo Kanu
was born in Owerri.
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-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 Muhammad, having been...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, set in the heart of the Igboland
Igboland
Igboland, or Igbo land , also known as the Ibo, Ebo, and Heebo Country, is a cultural region in Nigeria that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Igbo people...
. Owerri consists of three Local Govern Areas including Owerri Municipal
Owerri Municipal
Owerri Municipal is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the city of Owerri.It has an area of 58 km² and a population of 127,213 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 460....
, Owerri North
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 km² and a population of 175,395 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 460....
and Owerri West
Owerri West
Owerri West is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Umuguma.It has an area of 295 km² and a population of 99,265 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 460....
, it has an estimated population of about 400,000 as of 2006
and is approximately 40 square miles (103.6 km²) in area. Owerri is bordered by the Otamiri River
Otamiri River
The Otamiri River is one of the main rivers in Imo State, Nigeria. The river takes its name from Ota Miri, a deity who owns all the waters that are called by his name, and who is often the dominating god of Mbari houses....
to the east and the Nworie River to the south.
The Owerri Slogan is Heartland. It is currently referred to as the entertainment capital of Nigeria and is home to an annual beauty pageant called "Miss Heartland".
History
Owerri was the capital of the Republic of BiafraBiafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra . The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious...
in 1969. The capital of the secessionist state was continuously being moved as Nigerian troops captured the older capitals. Enugu
Enugu
Enugu is the capital of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in the southeastern area of Nigeria and is largely populated by members of the Igbo ethnic group. The city has a population of 722,664 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Enu Ugwu...
, Aba
Aba
- Geographic toponymns :* Aba, Abia, a city in Nigeria and former second capital of Biafra* Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, prefecture in Sichuan, China** Aba County, county in Aba Prefecture, Sichuan, China** Aba, Sichuan, main town in Aba County...
, and Umuahia
Umuahia
Umuahia is the capital of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. Umuahia is located along the rail road that lies between Port Harcourt to Umuahia's south and Enugu city to its north. Umuahia has a population of 359,230 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. Umuahia's indigenous ethnic group are the...
were the other capitals before Owerri.
Traditional Ruler
His Royal Highness, Eze Dr. Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze is the current Ozuruigbo of Owerri. The stool of the Eze Owere was founded in the 14th century when the first Owerri traditional ruler, Eze Eke Onunwa was installed. Other traditional rulersNigerian traditional rulers
Nigerian traditional rulers often derive their titles from the rulers of independent states or communities that existed before the formation of modern Nigeria...
in the same royal lineage are Eze Okorie Onunwa, Eze Njemanze Okorie Onunwa, Ihemeji Njemanze Iheanacho, Eze Johnson Osuji Njemanze and Eze Onwuegbuchlem Njemanze.
Transport and Trade
Owerri has an airport 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of the city, called the Imo Airport which provides service to AbujaAbuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
, Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Port Harcourt, and Enugu
Enugu
Enugu is the capital of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in the southeastern area of Nigeria and is largely populated by members of the Igbo ethnic group. The city has a population of 722,664 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Enu Ugwu...
. Right now, it serves as an alternate for Port Harcourt.The city has an international cargo airport, the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport. Some major roads that go through the city are; Port Harcourt Rd., Aba Rd., Onitsha Rd., and Okigwe Rd. Roads within the city are; Douglas Rd., Weathral Rd., Tetlow Rd., and Works Rd. Eke Ukwu Owere market is the main market in Owerri.
Owerri sits in the rain forest and produces many agricultural products, such as yams
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
, cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
, taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
and palm products. Owerri also sits on huge crude oil and natural gas reserves like most of the Igbo land areas.
Education
Important educational institutions in Owerri include Imo State UniversityImo State University
The Imo State University 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 October 23, 1981....
, Federal University of Technology Owerri
Federal University of Technology Owerri
The Federal University of Technology Owerri is a university in Ihiagwa-Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. It was one of the new universities set up by the Federal Government in June 1980 for each geo political zones, in order to increase skills, innovation and technologically oriented manpower for the...
, African Institute of Science and Technology (AIST CCE Owerri), Federal College of Land Resources Oforola, Seat of Wisdom Seminary Owerri, Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Federal Government Girls College Owerri
Federal Government Girls College Owerri
Federal Government Girls College is one of the secondary schools in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. A model secondary school for solely girls and the most preferred school by girls living in Owerri....
, Owerri Girls Secondary School, Government Secondary School Owerri, Development Secondary School Owerri, Emmanuel College Owerri, Holy Ghost College Owerri, Community Secondary School Oforola Owerri, Federal Politechnic Nekede Owerri, Government Technical college Owerri, Army Day Secondary School Obinze Owerri etc
Sports
Portsmouth F.C.Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
striker and Nigeria national football team
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
player Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu, OON , or simply Kanu, is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Portsmouth. He was also a member of the Nigerian national team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010...
was born in Owerri.