by Prince Chukwuemeka Osoagbaka


Ikwuano is a Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in Isiala Oboro.It has an area of 281 km² and a population of about 437,893. It is made up of about 57 villages and communities and is bounded by Ini LGA,Obot Akara LG both of Akwa Ibom State,Isialangwa South, Umuahia south and Umuahia North. Ikwuano Local Government Area can be referred to as the food basket of Abia State basically because of its rich agricultural produce it is endowed with. Ikwuano as the name implies is derived from the coming together of four (4) Related brothers namely Oboro, Ibere Ariam-Usaka and Oloko, Ikwu (Relations/Relatives) and Ano (Four 4) Meaning four relations. Ikwuano LGA was among the local government areas that were created on the 27th of August 1991 when the General Ibrahim Babangida's Administration created Abia State from the old Imo State, it was carved out of the old Ikwuano-Umuahia Local Government Area. It’s one of the six LGAs that make up Abia Central Senatorial District. Ikwuano houses the famous Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, The National Crop Research Institute as well as the prestigious Government Collage Umuahia. It is known for her Agricultural activities.

Besides being an Agricultural food basket and the connecting hub between two oil producing state capitals, Umuahia (Abia State) and Uyo (Akwa Ibom State),Ikwuano has produced over five leading Academic professors, numerous academic Phd, holders and Medical doctors, Ikwuano has also produced various Military Generals and other top ranking military officers both serving and retired,, Two former military Governors, The first senator to represent the old Odida Anyanwu County encompassing, Umuahia North and South up to old Bende, Various state Assembly representatives including during the Old Imo legislative Assembly, a minister , Former National vice Chairman of Pdp and the immediate past National Organizing secretary of Both Peoples democratic party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party(SDP).It has also produced various accomplished entertainment practitioners both in Nollywood and the Nigerian music industry, numerous engineers, public health practitioners, insurance gurus and very many Banking experts, distinguished legal practitioners, accomplished business men living both within and outside the country and a host of renowned clergy men.

As a people we have also had a good number of state commissioners who have handled first rate ministries such as lands, works, finance, commerce and industry, youth development etc, including very many permanent secretaries both at the state and federal levels, acclaimed accountants and auditors. We have had numerous senior special assistants and special advisers to the Governors of Abia state through regimes. As a people Ikwuano has been blessed with vast human resources.


Nkalunta through Elemaga to Azunchia the fertility of our soil has enhanced the farming and production of Cocoa, making us produce over 150 tons of cocoa annually. Our Palm fruits production is estimated to be over 200 tons each harvest season, production of other agricultural products like vegetables and cassava also run into tens of tons each harvest season. Yet we do not have any food storage facility either privately owned or through government.

We are blessed with a very large deposit of Kaolin clay in Obunta.( Kaolin the most important ingredient in the production of porcelain ceramics) with streams criss-crossing the entire landscape and its attendant vegetation, crude oil may indeed be discovered in ikwuano if explored. Nature in Ikwuano is really at its best and there are huge prospects of tourism if developed. Known for our production of palm wine, we had one of the first palmwine bottling factories in the south east.

Politically, we are an active people. Having produced a senator, elected federal and State Legislators, administrators and top party officials in various political associations. Ikwuano being a very sensitive political nerve centre was long demonstrated in 1929 during the Aba women Riots.

"The revolt broke out when thousands of Igbo women from the Bende District, Umuahia and other places in eastern Nigeria traveled to the town of Oloko in present Ikwuano L.G.A.to protest against the Warrant Chiefs, whom they accused of restricting the role of women in the government. The Aba Women's Riots of 1929, as it was named in British colonial records, is more aptly considered a strategically executed anti-colonial revolt organized by women to redress social, political and economic grievances. The "Women's War" took months for the government to suppress and became a historic example of feminist and anti-colonial protest. The Aba Women's war prompted colonial authorities to drop their plans to impose a tax on the market women, and to curb the power of the warrant chiefs. The women's uprising is seen as the first major challenge to British authority in Nigeria and West Africa during the colonial period."

Despite our being endowed with so much we are yet to develop a sustained internal economy as a people. There is no single trading or business point that transacts close to One million naira daily from all transactions within it, despite being a high transit hub between two oil producing state capitals. We are yet to develop a political and socio economic plan to develop our communities. Unlike most other communities, we are yet to have a developmental plan in the twenty first century, articulated collectively with the sole purpose of developing our communities and our people who are largely subsistence farmers. As a people we seem to prefer docility and inter personal blackmail. This “lack of vision” has therefore opened us up to riducle as a people.

The only semi functional industry in Ikwuano is the local government council. We neither have a functional government owned general hospital nor a modern private hospital to cater for the health needs of over 400,000 citizens….

The absence of a "structured" internal economy despite producing annual agricultural products of over Three hundred Million naira(N300,000,000.00)has led to our over dependence on other communities for our needs. For instance at a current market price of N608,522.00 per metric ton of Cocoa beans, it is estimated that income generated by Cocoa produced in Ikwuano is in excess of N121,704,400.00( One hundred and twenty one million,seven hundred and four thousand four hundred Naira) at an estimated 150 Tons per annum another conservative estimate for Palm oil and Palm kernel oil produced from Palm fruits produced in Ikwuano is put at over Ninety one Million Naira annually (N90,000,000.00). With such economic potentials, we as a people have failed to develop an economic model to make us competitive in the twenty first century in the process, losing millions of naira in taxes which would have accrued to the Local council authorities which could have been used to provide other infrastructural benefits to our communities. From purchase of mechaniary to, clothes, food stuffs, drugs etc, we rely on Umuahia and Aba majorly to service our needs, we don’t even have a functional Transit park for both commuters and produce, despite these advantages. To travel to other neighboring states and communities from Ikwuano you must either first get to umuahia to board transportation or Aba.

As a community of over Four hundred thousand people, we do not have a daily modern market? This seeming lack of vision has led to low investment drive towards Ikwuano as a council area, within the private sector. From Amaba spanning over 40Km of populated "high way" cutting through Ikwuano and connecting Umuahia and Uyo, two oil producing state capitals, you will not find, one bank nor any ATM machine point, clearly this is something to worry about.To get good medical attention, you need to first get to Umuahia or Uyo.

A minor bridge linking Azuiyi Oloko to the rest of Ikwuano through Ahuwa which collasped over Fifteen years ago from a road accident still lies in ruins.To get to Azuiyi oloko, you have to get to Umuahia and connect through our Ngwa neigbours, to get to Usaka Eleogu you have to connect through Akwa Ibom state. The only accessible tarred roads in Ikwuano are the Amaba ring road built and completed 80%  by the Addministration of Gov. T A Orji, the Ndoro to Ibere road builtby Gov Orji Uzo Kalu over fifteen years ago which now has portions of it failing,the Ndoro Ahuwa road attracted by Hon Emeka Atuma and the Ugboebilla to Oloko road built by Gov T A Orji which is about 60%  completed.

The Ikot Ekpene to Umuahia link road which cuts through Ikwuano, though a federal Road is in a complete state of dis repair and infact, needs a complete reconstruction. The Amawum to Nkalunta road which is of immense economic value last built by Dr M I Okpara of Blessed memory is a no go area leading to losses in farm produce and cocoa in particular. Local farmers have had to endure huge losses in revenue from wastages incured due to decay of farm produce in Tons. The Ariam Usaka ring road linking Ten communities known for the production of cassava, Palm fruits and Palm wine has remained in a deplorable condition for over Twenty years. The Oloko to Amizi NDDC road is a no go area during rainny season.

60% of our local communities do not have access to Electricity. Though Ikwuano is a food basket , their is no daily modern market to showcase our products by the local farmers. We do not have any organised local economy. From Umudike spanning through Ikwuano to Ariam eluelu you cannot find one Commercial Bank.

We do not have a functional governement hosipital to cater for the needs of close to 500,000 people,the complex built and commissioned as a general hospital over Ten years ago which never took off operations is now a "tourist site" The state of our schools are better imagined. We are yet as a people able to feel the impact and effectiveness of our individual contacts to the betterment of our people. Have we really as a people benefited collectively from this democratic process?

Today all drums will be rolled out in Isiala in Celebration of an "illustrous" son. The entire Ikwuano will be agog today with the entire Ikwuano council of Ndi Eze conferring a chieftancy title on our "Emperor" for all his accomplishments Nationally and in particular in the development of Ikwuano.

As i join the rest of Ikwuano to celebrate since "we" are celebrating, it may now be worthwhile to always outline accomplishments of our illustrious sons while celebrating them. This will encourage better public service and enhance objective driven community service.

May we build an Ikwuano that will be competence driven and encourage community development over personal achievements. This is the only way we can build an Ikwuano that will be a pride to us all.

Once again i congratulate us for our collective under development and Pray we are mentally emancipated for the journey ahead.