WELCOME TO AWKA, THE BLACK SMITH HOME
Awka town is the capital of Anambra State, Nigeria with an estimated population of 301,657 As of 2006 Nigerian census. The city is located about 400 miles east of Lagos in the centre of the densely populated Igbo heartland in south-eastern Nigeria.
The West-East Federal highway links Lagos, Benin City, Asaba, Onitsha, and Enugu to Awkaand several local roads link it to other important towns such as Ekwulobia, Agulu, Enugwu-Ukwu, Abagana and Nnewi.
Strategically, Awka is located midway between two major cities in Northern Igboland, Onitsha and Enugu which has informed its choice as an administrative center for the colonial authorities and today as a base for the Anambra State government.
History
Awka has a specific sort of emanation about it, since it was the place of the metalworkers that made executes which made farming conceivable. — Chinua Achebe
Awka is one of the most established settlements in Igboland set up at the focal point of the Nri human advancement which delivered the soonest archived bronze works in Sub-Saharan Africa around 800 AD and was the support of Igbo progress.
The most punctual pioneers of Awka were the Ifiteana individuals which converts into individuals who grew from the earth. They were agriculturists, seekers, and talented iron laborers who lived on the banks of the Ogwugwu stream in what is currently known as Nkwelle ward of Awka.
The divinity of the Ifiteana was known as Okika-na-ube or the god pre-prominent with the lance and the Ifiteana were known as Umu-Okanube or "admirers of Okanube", which evenutally ended up abbreviated to Umu-Oka and in the long run Oka and its angicized form "Awka".
In old circumstances, Awka was populated by elephants with an area of the town named Ama-enyi (frequent of elephants) and a lake Iyi-Enyi where the elephants used to assemble to drink. The elephants were chased for their prized ivory tusks (okike) which was kept as an image to the god Okanube in each Awka home with chasing solution put away in the empty of the tusk.
After some time, the town end up celebrated for metal working of an abnormal state and its smithies were prized all through the locale for making cultivating executes, Dane firearms and stylized things, for example, Oji (staff of supernatural power) and Ngwuagilija (staff of Ozo men).
In pre-provincial days Awka likewise wound up well known as the home of the Agbala Oracle a divinity that was said to be a little girl of the colossal Long Juju place of worship of Arochukwu. The Agbala Oracle (which Chinua Achebe drew on for motivation in his book Things Fall Apart was counseled to determine debate far and wide until the point that it was at last crushed by pilgrim experts in the early piece of the twentieth century.
Prior to the origin of British control, Awka was represented by titled men known as Ozo and Ndichie who were proficient people in the group. They held general gatherings or Izu Awka either at the home of the most seasoned man (Otochal Awka) or at a place assigned by him. He was the Nne Uzu or ace metal forger, regardless of whether he knew the exchange or not, for the main ace known to Awka individuals was the ace skilled worker, the Nne Uzu.
In present day times Awka has adjusted to the republican framework and is as of now partitioned into two nearby government zones, Awka North and Awka South with neighborhood delegates. Be that as it may, despite everything it jelly customary frameworks of administration with the regarded Ozo titled men regularly counseled for town and group issues and a vital social delegate, the Eze Uzu who is chosen by all Ozo titled men by pivot among various towns to speak to the city at state capacities.
The current Eze Uzu of the city chose since 1999 is Gibson Nwosu one of the main volunteers for the Nigerian Air constrain and a previous head of Air Traffic Operations for the Biafra Air Force, the Lusaka International Airport and the Zambian Air Service Training Institute (ZASTI).
Awka ought not be mistaken for Awka-Etiti which is a town in Idemili South nearby government region that is regularly confused for the primary capital, Today, Awka is the capital ofAnambra province of Nigeria. Motto: Sires of Smiths
Individuals
Awka includes seven Igbo bunches sharing normal blood heredity separated into two areas. Ifite Section, the senior segment, includes four gatherings, Ayom-na-Okpala, Nkwelle, Amachalla, and Ifite-Oka took after by Ezinator Section, which comprises of three gatherings, Amikwo, Ezi-Oka and Agulu. Every one of these gatherings has various towns. All together, Awka includes 33 towns.
Awka individuals today as in conventional circumstances are all around voyaged. In antiquated circumstances interest for their abilities as smithies had Awka individuals going all through Nigeria making cultivating actualizes, family unit devices and firearms. Every town had unmistakably characterized exchange courses. For instance, individuals from Umuogbu town carried out their specialty in Benin and in the Urhobo and Itsekiri regions, Umubele were positioned in the Igala regions in current Kogi state, Umuike and Umuonaga in display day Abia and Rivers State, Umuenechi in the Kwale and Isoko zone of Delta state, and Umudiana, Okperi, Ugwuogige positioned in Calabar region of the present Cross Rivers state.
The general population of Umudioka and Ezioka wards spent significant time in cutting of wood, and ivory and expressions outlines including exquisitely cut instruments, entryway screens and entryway boards, seats, vessels for introduction of kola nuts, and icons. The ivory carvers delivered rich plans on "odu okike" (ivory trumpet) for ozo titled men and different things as a component of the gear for titled men.
Today, Awka individuals can be discovered the whole way across the globe numerous functioning as talented experts in an extensive variety of fields. Thus, there is a vast Awka diaspora found essentially in the UK and in the USA. There, they have framed social clubs like Awka Union USA and Canada, Awka Town Social Community UK and Ireland and other group affiliations. These affiliations have been a path for individuals to make the most of their way of life and additionally to participate in group self improvement ventures.
Groups and Villages
Ayom-na-Okpala: Umuayom, Umunnoke, Umuoramma and Umuokpu.
Nkwella: Achallaoji, Umunamoke, Agbana, Umudiaba
Amachalla: Amachalla, Amudo, Umuzocha
Ifite-Oka: Enu-Ifite, Ezinato-Ifite, Agbana-Ifite
Amikwo: Umudiana, Okperi, Igweogige, Isiagu, Obunagu
Ezi-Oka: Omuko, Umueri, Umuogwal, Umuogbunu 1, Umuogbunu 2, Umudioka, Umukwa.
Agulu: Umuogbu, Umubele, Umuanaga, Umuike, Umujagwo, Umuenechi, Umuoruka.
Throughout the years Awka Town has pulled in individuals from different states in Nigeria and has a critical number of settlers from northern Nigeria, Delta and Enugu states, Cameroon and Ghana now involving over 60% of occupants in the town.
Geology
Awka lies beneath 300 meters above ocean in a valley on the fields of the Mamu River. Two edges or cuestas, both lying in a North-South heading, frame the major land highlights of the region. The edges achieve the most noteworthy point at Agulu simply outside the Capital Territory. Around six kilometers east of this, the minor cuesta tops around 150 meters above ocean level at Ifite – Awka.
Awka is sited in a prolific tropical valley however the majority of the first Rain backwoods has been lost because of clearing for cultivating and human settlement. A couple of cases of the first rain woods stays at places like the Ime Oka altar. Lush savannah meadow prevails fundamentally toward the north and east of the city. South of the town on the inclines of the Awka-Orlu Uplands are a few cases of soil disintegration and gullying.
Markets
Awka like most Nigerian urban areas is characterized by substantial simple outdoors showcases where everything from fundamental nourishment create to garments, beauty care products and family things are sold.
The biggest market in the town is Eke Awka, named after one of the four market days (see Igbo date-book). Situated on a previous group cemetery in the focal point of the city, Eke Awka has developed from a little market serving the requirements of occupants of the Agulu, Ezi-Oka and Amikwo areas of Awka to working as the primary retail outlet for the city and neighboring towns. It houses an expected 5,000 bolt up shops and slows down all firmly stuffed into under 35,000 square meters of room and has turned out to be scandalous for causing gigantic movement tumult with a variety of customers, transports, wheel hand trucks all shaking for the restricted measure of room accessible.
The second biggest market in Awka is Nkwo Amaenyi found further down on the bustling Zik Avenue business area supply route. It is far littler than Eke Awka with under 100 market slows down in a territory assessed at around 3,000 square meters.
Colleges
Awka has a huge college group which now and again involves around 15% of the number of inhabitants in the town. It has two essential colleges of higher/tertiary training – Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Paul University.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University is possessed and keep running by the central legislature of Nigeria giving undergrad and postgraduate training to an expected understudy populace of 36,000 at its more than 100 section of land primary grounds situated at Ifite, Awka. Nnamdi Azikiwe University positions among the best 10 colleges in Nigeria in look into yield.
Paul University was established in 2009 by Bishops of the five clerical regions of the Anglican Church East of the Niger as a private college to give quality undergrad preparing in Theology, Natural and Applied Sciences, Social Sciences and Management. The college which is completely private has an expected enlistment of around 400 understudies (anticipated that would achieve 3,500) and has supplanted St Pauls College which was established in 1904 by the Church Missionary Society of the Church of England to prepare church laborers and educators.
Imo-Oka Festival
The Imo-Oka celebration is seven days in length celebration of masquerades and moves held in May toward the start of the cultivating season to pay tribute to a female god it's identity trusted would make the land prolific and yield plentiful products. The celebration begins with Awka individuals going by the group of Umuokpu with masquerades and it closes with a visit to the Imo-Oka stream on the last day which is proclaimed by an overwhelming precipitation that falls in the late evening.
There are four noteworthy occasions performed amid the celebration, the ede-mmuo, ogwu oghugha, egwu Opu-Eke and Egwu Imo-Oka. Egwu Opu Eke is a rich social move performed by female admirers of Imo-Oka hallowed place which incorporates priestesses and common ladies alike designed in bright ensemble moving in the market square to pay tribute to the divinity controlling the altar.
The Imo-Oka celebration grandstands an assortment of masquerades (mmanwu) from vile ones which lash onlookers to well disposed ones which sing or move. The masquerades are accepted to speak to the spirits of Awka precursors originating from the place that is known for the dead for the celebration.
In 2001 Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy MBE, a girl of Awka, showed her oil on canvas artistic creations arrangement of Awka Igbo Masquerades, to extraordinary praise in the Cork Street Gallery in London, different exhibitions in New York and Washington and at the Didi Museum in Lagos.
Eminent individuals from Awka
Kenneth Dike, an antiquarian known for his investigation of pre-provincial Nigerian history, the primary Nigerian Vice-Chancellor of the most seasoned Nigerian University of Ibadan and the individual who set up Nigeria's National Archives. Amid the Nigerian common war (1967– 1970) Prof Dike was a meandering diplomat for the Biafra cause. He went into oust toward the finish of the Civil war turning into the main Mellon Professor of African History at Harvard University. He came back to Nigeria to end up the establishing Vice-Chancellor of what is today the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy MBE, a London-based visual craftsman. The principal dark craftsman to paint a picture of Queen Elizabeth II when dispatched to paint the authority Golden Jubilee representation. She was picked as one of the UK Women of the Year in 2002 and 2003, spoke to the UK at the Council of Europe and was granted a Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of East Anglia. Amid 2006 her work was spoken to on the national postage stamps of six nations. In 2008 she tended to the Cambridge Union. Chukwuogo-Roy was a customary supporter of the BBC and other current issues programs. In 2009 she was made a MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honors List.
Dr. Emmanuel Onu Egbogah is a universally perceived specialist in the fields of oil arrangement and system, enhanced/upgraded oil recuperation, incitement methodology and multidisciplinary group way to deal with field improvement arranging and supply administration. Previous Special Advisor on Petroleum Matters to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and organizer and Executive Chairman of Emerald Energy Resources Limited.
Rtd lt col Damian Oyeoka Orogbu, First Telecommunications design in the Nigerian Army, life individual of the International Biographical Center, Cambridge England, Pioneer President General Awka Development Union.
Lieutenant-General Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor, named in 2008 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon as Military Advisor on UN Peacekeeping Operations. Beforehand filled in as Commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Artillery Brigade in Liberia in 1996 and 1997, and as ECOMOG Chief Coordinator of the Liberian races in July 1997.
Chinyelu Onwurah, a British Labor Party government official, who was chosen at the 2010 general decision as the Member of Parliament for Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central, turning into the principal female British MP of African source.
Late Ozo Barrister Amanke Okafor(Ozo-Awka)lawyer,author,philanthropist
Awka town has delivered numerous educators, Doctors, Lawyers, Administrators and so forth.