Awka

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Awka

Awka is the capital of Anambra State, Nigeria. The town is located in southeastern Nigeria in Igboland and lies along roads leading from Owerri, Umuahia, Onitsha, and Enugu. The area around Awka now mostly consists of wooded grassland. South of the town on the slopes of the Awka-Orlu Uplands are some examples of soil erosion and gullying. Awka is an agricultural trade centre ) for the Igbo people of the surrounding area and trades in yams, cassava, taro, corn [maize], palm oil and kernels.^[1]

History and politics
Infrastructure
Economy
Natives
References

History and politics

In pre-colonial times Awka (Oka) was famous for metal working and its blacksmiths were prized throughout the region. The Awka area in earlier times was the site of the Nri civilization that produced the earliest documented bronze works in Sub-Saharan Africa around 800 AD (See Igbo-Ukwu). There is Awka Etiti in Idemili South local government area which is often confused with the main capital. ^[2] Today it is the capital of Anambra state of Nigeria. Slogan: Sires of Smiths

Infrastructure

Awka hosts a number of federal and state electronic media stations. The NTA Awka is a federally owned station, while the state government maintains the headquarters of its TV and radio stations Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) in the city center.

However, the base infrastructure of the city has deteriorated in the last decade with poor roads, intermittent electricity and a non-functional water supply system becoming the norm due to tremendous graft at all levels of Nigerian government.

Against this background, trade and business have grown in Awka with banks establishing branches in the town and local entrepreneurs opening up hotels and retail stores.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe University formerlyAnambra State University of Technology has also been overhauled under a new Vice-Chancellor with a new site and building decent buildings.

As a result, the population of the city has exploded in the past few years with a large influx of traders, government employees and private sector businesses creating a boom in new housing and hotel projects. The city's population is currently estimated to be about 176,858. ^[3]

Economy

Several new businesses and hotels have erected fascinating new buildings that have largely changed the face of Awka city. The partly state-owned Orient Petroleum Resources Ltd has the headquarters in Awka. The company is poised to set up a refinery at Igbariam to jump-start the exploitation of the huge crude oil deposits in the Anambra River basin.

Natives

Awka comprises seven groups. Ezi-Awka, Umuokpu and Amenyi are the original people. Ifite Section, the senior section, comprises four groups, followed by Ezinator Section, which consists of three groups. Each of these groups has a number of villages". All together, Awka comprises 33 villages.

Awka people as in traditional times travel far and wide and have a large diaspora primarily in the UK and in the USA. Living abroad, they formed themselves into social clubs like Awka Union USA and Canada, Awka town social community Uk and Ireland [www.awkauk.org] and other such useful associations. These associations have been a way for people to enjoy their culture as well as to engage in community self-help projects.

Over the years Awka Town has attracted people from other states in Nigeria and has a significant number of immigrants from northern Nigeria, Delta state, Cameroon and Ghana.

On the world wide web Awka people are active users of yahoo forums such as awkaforum@yahoogroups.com and http://groups.msn.com/awkacityafrica. When these groups started out they were informally moderated by Kanayo Onyechi in Dallas, Texas, Usa and Austin Dibor (a.k.a Native of Nigeria), who writes from London Uk. They used e-mail to invite Awka people around the world to these forums in order to draw research attention to Awka and Awka related issues. Six years later, anyone who is interested in information about Awka can now get it by searching online.

Some famous people who are from Awka include Kenneth Onwuka Dike http://kennethonwukadike.com, a historian world-renowned for his study of pre-colonial Nigerian history, the first Vice-Chancellor of the first Nigerian University and the person who set up Nigeria's National Archives and Dr. Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy a world renowned artist based in London http://www.chinwegallery.com became the first black artist to paint a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II when commissioned to paint the official Golden Jubilee portrait.^[4] She was chosen as one of the UK 'Women of the Year' in 2002 & 2003, represented the UK at the Council of Europe and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of East Anglia. During 2006 her work was represented on the national postage stamps of six countries. In 2008 she addressed the Cambridge Union^[5] ^[6] Chukwuogo-Roy is a regular contributor to BBC and other current affairs programmes.

Engr John Ifeatu Moh, formerly Chairman of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Executive Director of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), is a native of Nibo in Awka South. He is noted for his contributions to the power sector in Nigeria.

When you are in Nigeria, visit the Palace of the King Eze Uzu II and also visit the Imo Awka sacred monkey forest. Top it up with a visit to the University as well as Obibia stream. The main high street in Awka is Ezi-oyibo. (Arize Mbulu onye Awka.)