Awka

Awka is the capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria. The city was declared capital on 21 August 1991, on the creation of a new Anambra state and Enugu state by bifurcation of the old Anambra State. The city of Enugu remained the capital of Enugu State while Awka, became the capital of the new Anambra State. The city has an estimated population of 301,657 as of the 2006 Nigerian census. The both LGAs of Awka South and North had an estimated population of 430,200 in 2022. The city is located at, by road, directly north of Port Harcourt in the centre of the densely populated Igbo heartland in South-East Nigeria.
The West-East Federal highway links Lagos, Benin City, Asaba, Onitsha, and Enugu to Awka and several local roads link it to other important towns such as Oko, Ekwulobia, Agulu, Enugwu-Ukwu, Abagana and Nnewi.
Strategically, Awka is located midway between two major cities in Northern Igboland, Onitsha and Enugu, which has played a significant role in its choice as an administrative center for the colonial authorities and today as a base for the Anambra State government. Awka is in Anambra Central senatorial district of Anambra state Nigeria.

History

" has a certain kind of aura about it, because it was the place of the blacksmiths that created implements which made agriculture possible." -- Chinua Achebe
Awka is one of the oldest settlements in Igboland, established at the centre of the Nri civilisation, which produced the earliest documented bronze works in Sub-Saharan Africa, around 800 A.D., and was the cradle of Igbo civilisation at large.
The earliest settlers of Awka were the Ifiteana people, the name Ifiteana roughly translating into ‘people who sprouted from the earth.’ The people, themselves, were renowned as farmers, hunters and adept iron workers, all of whom indigenously inhabited the banks of the Ogwugwu stream, in what is now known as the Nkwelle ward of the city.
Over time, the town became known for metal working and its blacksmiths were prized throughout the region for making farming implements, dane guns and such ceremonial items as Oji and Ngwuagilija.
During pre-colonial times, Ọka became famous as the Agbala oracle, specifically a deity that was said to be a daughter of the great long juju shrine of Arochukwu. The oracle, which Chinua Achebe used as inspiration in his book Things Fall Apart), was consulted to whenever disputes occurred, until it was eventually destroyed by colonial authorities, in the early part of the twentieth century.
Before the inception of British rule, Ọka was governed by titled men known formally as Ozo and Ndichie, who were accomplished individuals in the community. They held general meetings, known as Izu-Ọka, at either the residence of the oldest man or a place specially designated by the titled men. He was the Nne Uzu, or ‘master blacksmith,’ irrespective of whether or not he actually knew the trade, as the only master known to Ọka was the master craftsman, the Nne Uzu.
In modern times, Awka has adopted the republican system and is currently administered by the Awka South Local Government Area. However, it still preserves its traditional systems of governance with the respected Ozo-titled men often consulted for village and community issues and a paramount cultural representative, the Eze Uzu, who is elected by all Ozo-titled men by rotation among different villages to represent the city at state functions.
Awka should not be confused with Awka-Etiti which is a town in Idemili South local government area that is often mistaken for the main capital.

People

Awka comprises seven Igbo groups sharing common blood lineage, divided into the following two sections: the Ifite section and the senior section. They collectively comprises four groups: Ayom-na-Okpala, Nkwelle, Amachalla and Ifite-Oka. The Ezinator section consists of three groups, namely Amikwo, Ezi-Oka and Agulu. Each of these groups has a number of villages, altogether spanning 33 in Awka.
Ifite Section

Ayom-na-Okpala	Nkwelle	Amachalla	Ifite-Oka
Umuayom, Umunnoke, Umuoramma, Umuokpu	Achallaoji, Umunamoke, Agbana, Umudiaba	Amachalla, Amudo, Umuzocha	Enu-Ifite, Ezinato-Ifite, Agbana-Ifite

Ezinator Section

Amikwo	Ezi-Oka	Agulu
Umudiana, Okperi, Igweogige, Isiagu, Obunagu	Omuko, Umueri, Umuogwali, Umuogbunu 1, Umuogbunu 2, Umudioka, Umukwa	Umuogbu, Umubele, Umuanaga, Umuike, Umujagwo, Umuenechi, Umuoruka

Today, Awka people can be found all across the globe many working as skilled professionals in a wide range of fields. As a result, there is a large Awka diaspora located primarily in the UK and in the United States. There, they have formed social clubs like Awka Union USA and Canada, Awka Town Social Community UK and Ireland and other community 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 also attracted people from other states in Nigeria who are resident in the city.

Geography

Awka lies below 300 metres above sea in a valley on the plains of the Mamu River. Two ridges or cuestas, both lying in a north–south direction,
form the major topographical features of the area. The ridges reach the highest point at Agulu just outside the Capital Territory. About six kilometers east of this, the minor cuesta peaks about 150 metres above sea level at Ifite –Awka.
Awka is sited in a fertile tropical valley but most of the original Rain forest has been lost due to clearing for farming and human settlement. A few examples of the original rain forest remains at places like the Ime Oka shrine. Wooded savannah grassland predominates primarily to the north and east of the city. South of the town on the slopes of the Awka-Orlu Uplands are some examples of soil erosion and gullying.

Climate

Awka is in the tropical rainforest zone of Nigeria and experiences two distinct seasons brought about by the two predominant winds that rule the area: the southwestern monsoon winds from the Atlantic Ocean and the northeastern dry winds from across the Sahara desert. The monsoon winds from the Atlantic creates six months of heavy tropical rains, which occur between April and July, followed by a short dry period in August lasting two to three weeks with the rain resuming in September and October. This is followed by five months of dryness marked by a Harmattan wind, also known as Ugulu in Igbo, which is a particularly dry and dusty wind which enters Nigeria in late December or in the early part of January and is characterized by a grey haze limiting visibility and blocking the sun's rays before dissipating and leading to extreme dry heat in the latter months of February and March.
The temperature in Awka is generally 27–30 °C between June and December but rises to 32–34 °C between January and April, with the last few months of the dry season marked by intense heat.

Economy

The economy of Awka city revolves primarily around government since many state and federal institutions are located there. Awka hosts the State Governor's Lodge, State Assembly and State Ministries for Health, State Judiciary headquarters, Education, Lands, Water.
The Anambra Broadcasting Service a TV and radio station are located in the city centre. A number of federal institutions including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the NTA Awka media station, and branches of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigerian Immigration Service, and Corporate Affairs Commission are also present in the city.
Image:awka zik ave.jpg|thumb|right|alt=UBA and Fidelity Banks on Zik Avenue, Awka alt text|UBA and Fidelity Banks on Zik Avenue, Awka
In recent years, several new businesses have erected 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. Also Juhel Nigeria has constructed a manufacturing plant for Parenteral drugs in the city.
Major Nigerian Banks such as Access Bank, Bank PHB, Diamond Bank, Ecobank, FCMB, Fidelity Bank, First Bank, GTB, Intercontinental, Oceanic Bank, UBA, Union Bank and Zenith Bank have opened branches in the city.

Urban planning and renewal

Prior to the Nigerian Civil War, Awka townspeople maintained the city on their own. Market traders cleaned around their stalls; streets and pathways and compounds were swept. Blocked storm drains would be cleared by residents.
Image:Unizik junction.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Broken-down roads at Corner of Expressway with Arthur Eze Street, Awka alt text|Broken-down roads at Corner of Expressway with Arthur Eze Street
The first attempt to address the urban decay was made by the Government of Peter Obi who forged a technical cooperation agreement with UN-HABITAT in 2007 to provide technical assistance in the preparation of a structure plan for Awka Capital Territory. The Structural Plan of Awka Capital Territory is designed as a Core-Multi-Nuclei urban design with Awka, Amawbia and Umuokpu serving as the core of the city with linkages to the major towns of Adazi-Nnukwu, Agulu, ABBA, Abagana, Nri Kingdom, Amansea, Enugwu-Ukwu, Enugwu-Agidi, Isiagu, Isu-Aniocha, Mgbakwu, Nawfia, Nawgu, Nibo, Nimo, Nise, Okpuno and Umuawulu.
Image:Awka capital territory.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Map of Envisioned Awka Capital Territory alt text|Map of Envisioned Awka Capital Territory
Governor Peter Obi implemented just a few of the UN-HABITAT's recommendations managing to tar less than 5 kilometers of urban roads, improve waste collection and upgrade schools and the teaching hospital. His government also began installing water pipes along the popular Nnamdi Azikiwe Road and Ifite Road but he left office without providing a credible citywide public water supply.
His successor Governor Willie Obiano has taken on the charge of transforming the ancient town into something the state can be proud of. To spearhead the transformation, Obiano created the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority mandated to deliver a capital with modern standards of quality. ACTDA has completed aerial mapping in June 2015 with the government set to appoint a town planning firm to develop a Masterplan for the city.
Obiano has also gone ahead to change the gateway into and out of Awka by expanding the A232 expressway to three lanes and constructing three flyovers at three key junctions between Amobia and Amansea.