Brief History

Abia State was carved out of the former Imo State in 1991. It is one of the thirty-six (36) States which constitute the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The name “Abia” is an abbreviation of the state’s four densely populated regions namely Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato and Afikpo. Abia people are of the Igbo ethnic group who predominate much of the Southeastern part of Nigeria. Their traditional language is Igbo. English is widely spoken and serves as the official language in governance and business. Globally, Igbos are well travelled. Abia's 2.4m people are mainly Christians and entrepreneurial. They are known and reputed to be industrious, highly market oriented, very hospitable and accommodating, probably due to their migratory nature.

Geography

Abia State which occupies about 5834 square kilometer, is bounded on the north and northeast by the states of Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi. To the west of Abia is Imo State, the east and southeast are Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, and to the south is Rivers State. The southern part of the State lies within the riverine part of Nigeria. It is low-lying with a heavy rainfall of about 2400 mm/year especially intense between the months of April through October. The rest of the State is moderately high plain. The most important rivers in Abia State are the Imo and Aba rivers which flow into the Atlantic Ocean through the Niger Delta.

Local Government Areas

Abia State consists of seventeen (17) Local Government Areas. They are: