By Adighibe Uchechukwu.
Aba is the Commercial Nerve city of Abia state, popularly known for its industriousness and productivity.
It is a commercial city, which was formerly a British colonial government outpost in the region, and is also one of the most populated areas in Nigeria.
Aba used to be a traditional market town for the Igbo (Ibo) people of the tropical rainforest before the establishment of a British military post there in 1901. With the construction of the railway circa 1915 from Port Harcourt (36 miles [58 km] southwest), the city became a major collecting point for agricultural produce (especially palm oil and palm kernels).
By the 1930s Aba was a settled urban community, and it is now a large industrial and commercial centre and home to the Aba Mega Mall.
An 18.5-mile- (30-km-) long pipeline from the Imo River natural gas field provides power for Aba’s industrial estate. Textiles, pharmaceuticals, soap, plastics, footwear, and cosmetics are manufactured in the city, and there are also distilleries and a brewery.
Aba has a school of arts and science, secondary schools, a teacher-training college, and several technical institutes. The city is noted for its handicrafts.
Aba was divided into two local government areas namely; Aba South and Aba North. Aba south is the main city centre and the heartbeat of Abia State, south-east Nigeria. It is located on the Aba River. Aba is made up of many villages such as; Aba-Ukwu, Eziukwu-Aba, Obuda-Aba,Umuokpoji-Aba and other villages from Ohazu merged due to administrative convenience.
Aba was established by the Ngwa clan of Igbo People of Nigeria as a market town and then later a military post was placed there by the British colonial administration in 1901. It lies along the west bank of the Aba River, and is at the intersection of roads leading to Port Harcourt, Owerri, Umuahia, Ikot Ekpene, and Ikot-Abasi.
The city became a collecting point for agricultural products following the British made railway running through it to Port Harcourt. Aba is a major urban settlement and commercial centre in a region that is surrounded by small villages and towns.
The indigenous people of Aba are the Ngwa. Aba is well known for its craftsmen and also the most populous city in the South Eastern Nigeria. As of 2016, Aba had an estimated population of 2,534,265.
The present day Aba South and North is made up of many villages namely; Aba-Ukwu, Eziukwu-Aba, Obuda-Aba and Umuokpoji-Aba but the villages in Ohazu have been merged with Aba so as to achieve administrative convenience. Aba-Ukwu is apparently the premier village in Aba, little wonder the late Eze W.E Ukaegbu of Aba-Ukwu was known and referred to as the 9th Grand Son of Aba.
Hence the owners of Aba are often referred to as Aba la Ohazu indigenes and Chief Ogbonna Uruakpa Nkwoha of Eziukwu Village was made the King of Aba and the only recognised Royal throne by the Queen of England.
Ref: HOLAR
