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Overview of Anambra State
Anambra state is one of the thirty-six states in Nigeria. It is located at the south-east of the country with its capital in Awka. Other states within the south-east region of Nigeria include Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo State. Anambra state is surrounded by a number of states like Enugu, Kogi, Imo and Rivers state.
Depending on where you decide to look from, Anambra state is about 441 kilometres south of Abuja. It has Kogi state to its north, Enugu to the east, Imo and Rivers state to the south. The River Niger is to its west. The state’s slogan is “Light of the Nation”.
Anambra state with its 4.844 km2 is often regarded as the second smallest state in Nigeria. It is only second to Lagos which happens to be the smallest state in Nigeria despite its large population. There are twenty-one local government areas in Anambra State.
The state is majorly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group. Though there are a couple of other tribes especially a handful of Igalas at the north of the state.
History of Anambra State
Anambra state was established in 1976 under the General Murtala Mohammed regime. It used to be part of the East Central State before the split. In 1960, the present day Anambra state was under the East Central State, which was one of the three regions then. This was until 1963 which saw a change in the regions increase to four.
The four regions, however, only lasted for three years – 1963 -1966. The 1966 coup which enthroned Major General Aguyi Ironsi witnessed a dissolve of the four regions into provinces. Then, Anambra state was under the Eastern Province.
The counter-coup of 1967 dissolved the provincial system. It was the coup which brought General Yakubu Gowon into power. It was under his regime that saw the change from provinces to state. The four provinces were replaced with twelve states. Anambra State was categorized under the East-Central State.
However, It was long enough before Anambra also became part of the Republic of Biafra. This was due to the civil war of 1967. The civil war lasted from 1967 to 1970, which witnessed a restoration of order by the Nigerian government.
The Biafran forces were defeated and the areas controlled by the forces were once again back under Nigeria. Anambra was again part of the Eastern Central State until 1976. It was in 1976 that the Eastern Central State was split into two. These gave birth to two states; Anambra state and Imo state.
It is important to note that Anambra since then as maintained its geographical position. Another split occurred in 1991, under the General Murtala Muhammed, as a result of more states creation. Enugu and Ebonyi were the two other states gotten from Anambra. Since then, It has remained so with its capital at Awka.
The name Anambra is considered an anglicized version of the Omambala River. It is a tribute to the River Niger which flows through the northern part of the state.
The Government of Anambra State
The form of government in Anambra state is similar to what is being practised all over the country. That is, the Anambra State Government is made up of three arms – executive, legislative and judiciary.
The Anambra state government’s executive arm is headed by the governor. Willie Obiano is the current executive governor of the Ondo state. He is, however, supported by the commissioner which were appointed to head the ministries in the state.
The Anambra state House of Assembly is host to the legislative arm of the state’s government. It is made up of twenty-nine members from different constituencies. The Anambra House of Assembly is headed by Rita Maduagwu, who is the current speaker of the house.
Lastly, the judicial arm of the state is headed by the Chief Judge. Justice Peter Umeadi is the Chief Judge of Anambra State.
Population of Anambra State
Have you ever asked yourself “what is the population of Anambra state”? Well, for a state regarded as one of the smallest states in Nigeria, your guesses might not be too far.
The population of Anambra State, according to the 2006 census, is over 4 million inhabitants. It might also interest you that the state is regarded tenth on the list of most populated states in Nigeria.
Anambra Local Government Areas
There is a total of twenty-one local government areas (LGAs) in Anambra state. The local government areas can further be divided into three senatorial districts. This includes the Anambra North, Anambra South and Anambra Central.
Below is the list of local government areas in Anambra State:
- Onitsha North
- Onitsha South
- Oyi
- Ogbaru
- Anambra East
- Anambra West
- Ayamelum
- Awka North
- Awka South
- Njikoka
- Anaocha
- Idemili North
- Idemili South
- Dunukofia
- Ihiala
- Nnewi North
- Nnewi South
- Orumba South
- Orumba North
- Aguata
- Ekwusigo
As mentioned earlier, the local governments areas are further divided into senatorial districts. The list below shows how they are categorized.
Anambra South: Ihiala, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Orumba South, Orumba North, Aguata and Ekwusigo
Anambra North: Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Oyi, Ogbaru, Anambra East, Anambra West and Ayamelum.
Anambra Central: Awka North Awka South, Njikoka, Anaocha, Idemili North, Idemili South and Dunukofia.
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Fun Things To Do In Anambra State
Anambra state is no doubt one of the major states in the eastern part of Nigeria. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the east. It is, however, not surprising because it host to a lot of business and fun activities.
Over the years, the state has been praised for it industrious nature. This is evident with Onitsha as its commercial capital. It is, however, important to state that the state equally has some fun and interesting places.
Below are some of the fun and interesting places to visit if you are in Anambra state:
Shoprite Mall, Onitsha
One of the many fun things you can do in Anambra state is to go shopping. Interestingly, there are no much options better than visiting the Shoprite Mall in Onitsha. Here, you are bound to have fun while shopping for all you need in one place.
The range of goods, products and services rendered here makes it one of the go-to place for those seeking to have the best of shopping experience.
Awka Wonderland, Awka
Are you seeking for a fun place for the best family experience or you are looking for the perfect getaway place to have fun? Whichever your reason is, Awka Wonderland is the ideal choice.
Though, this place is more suitable for kids. That said, there a number of fun things adults can participate in. It is definitely the place you want to take your kids during holidays or on a weekend. The Awka Wonderland is modelled after Disneyland with facilities like the zoo, amusement park among others.
The River Niger Bridge, Onitsha
The River Niger Bridge is no doubt one of the popular landmarks in the state. It is located in the Onitsha South Local Government Area. This bridge is also arguably the most important bridge in the state. It is what connects the entire south east to the south west Nigeria. The River Niger Bridge also links Onitsha to Asaba.
It’s one of the perfect spots if you enjoy sightseeing and also take really cool pictures for instagram.
Agulu Lake
The Agulu Lake is another interesting and fun place to visit in Anambra. It is located in between the Agulu and Nri areas of Anaocha Local Government Area. The lake is host to a number of rare species of crocodiles, fish among others. This part of the state provides a good environment for picnics and water sports.
Language & Culture of Anambra State
Anambra is largely inhabited by the Igbos as earlier mentioned in the article. It is important to note the majority of these people are farmers, fishermen, traders among others. Cocoyam, rice, cassava, yam, vegetables, palm produce etc. are some of the crops often grown in the state.
It is also not surprising that most of the people in the waterside areas are into fishing. One must also not forget that Anambra state is famed for its craftsmanship. The Awka people are highly recognized both within and outside the country due to their iron smithing works, bronze sculptures of Igbo Ukwu among others.
One of the many things you would notice in Anambra state is the abundance of artworks. It is evident as there are a good number of art centres in the state. The array of arts – bronze works, iron works, pottery – makes the state one of the best states in terms of culture.
The Weather In Anambra State
There are two major seasons in terms of climate or weather in Nigeria. That is, the rainy season and the dry season. This is actually the same with the weather in Anambra state. The state experiences both at different times of the year.
Anambra state enjoys a favourable weather all year long because of its wonderful landscape of tall trees and vegetations. The rainy season in the state usually begin late March and end around October. While the dry season is usually between November March.
Anambra often records about 3,000mm of rainfall in a year. This is one of the reasons why the state is suitable for agriculture. Hence, the variety of crops grown all over the state. This includes pepper, cocoyam, cassava, yam, rice etc.
There you have it. By now you should know a thing or two about Anambra State. Kindly share your opinions and thoughts about Anambra state with fellow PropertyPro.ng readers.
