The Slogan

Light of the Nation

Date Of Creation

Geography

Anambra State is the eighth most populous state in the nation, although that has seriously been argued against as Onitsha, the state’s biggest and most populous urban area was discovered to be over 8 million in population in 2019 by Africapolis which makes Onitsha the second largest urban area in Nigeria by population and third in Africa

Brief History

Anambra’s history stretches to the 9th century AD, as revealed by archaeological excavations at Igbo-Ukwu and Ezira. It has great works of art in iron, bronze, copper, and pottery. These have revealed a sophisticated divine Kingship administrative system, which held sway in the area of Anambra from c. 948 AD to 1911. In some towns, such as Ogidi and others, local families had hereditary rights to kingship for centuries.

Great Britain recognised some of these traditional kings and leaders in their system of indirect rule of the Protectorate of South Nigeria. Beginning in the 19th century, they appointed some noble leaders as Warrant Chiefs, authorizing them to collect taxes, among other duties.

Anambra is in the Igbo-dominated area that seceded as part of an independent Biafra in 1967, following rising tensions with Northern Nigeria. During the Nigerian/Biafran war (1967–1970), Biafran engineers constructed a relief airstrip in the town of Uli/Amorka (code named “Annabelle”). Extremely dangerous relief flights took off from Sao Tome and other sites loaded with tons of food and medicine for the distressed Biafran population. Uli/Amorka airstrip was the site where American pilots such as Alex Nicoll, and scores of others, delivered tons of relief supplies to the Biafran population.
Disgusted by the suffering and mounting death toll in Biafra from starvation, as well as the continuous harassment of the relief planes by the Nigerian Airforce, Carl Gustaf von Rosen resigned as a Red Cross relief pilot. He helped Biafra to form an airforce of five Minicoin planes Malmö MFI-9 stationed at the Uga airstrip. He named his tiny but effective airforce “Babies of Biafra” in honour of the babies who died from starvation inside Biafra.

Old Anambra State was created in 1976 from part of East Central State, and its capital was Enugu. In 1991 a re-organisation divided Anambra into two states, Anambra and Enugu. The capital of Anambra is Awka

The Local Government area

Anambra State consists of twenty-one (21) Local Government Areas. They are:

Aguata
Awka North
Awka South
Anambra East
Anambra West
Anaocha
Ayamelum
Dunukofia
Ekwusigo
Idemili North
Idemili South
Ihiala
Njikoka
Nnewi North
Nnewi South
Ogbaru
Onitsha North
Onitsha South
Orumba North
Orumba South
Oyi

The Governor

Willie Obiano (APGA)

The Deputy governor

Nkem Okeke (APC)

The Senators

C: Uche Ekwunife (PDP)
N: Stella Oduah (APC

Representatives

OFFICE	NAME	PARTY	CONSTITUENCY	TERM
Representative	Hon. Chinedu Benjamin Obidigwe	APGA	Anambra East/West	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Valentine Ogbonna Ayika	PDP	Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Umeoji Chukwuma Michael	APGA	Aguta	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Chris Emeka Azubogu	PDP	Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Lynda C Chuba ikpeazu	PDP	Onitsha North/South	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Samuel Chinedu Onwuaso	PDP	Awka North/South	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Ezenwankwo Okwudili Christopher	APGA	Orumba North/South	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Ifeanyi Chudy Momah	APGA	Ihiala	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Ekene Vincent Ofumelu	PDP	Oyi/Ayamelum	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Obinna Chidoka	PDP	Idemili North/South	2019–2023
Representative	Hon. Wilfred Chukwuka Onyema	PDP	Ogbaru	2019–2023

The Website

anambrastate.gov.ng

Major Cities

Awka

Prominent Places

Mineral Resources

natural gas, crude oil, bauxite, and ceramic.

The population

Population (2006 census)
• Total 4,177,821

Postal Code

420001

Culture and tourism

Ogbunike Caves, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is one of the most visited tourist sites in Anambra State. It is classified as a Sandstone cave (Lateritic sandstones of Campanian-Miocene age). The Owerre Ezukala caves and waterfalls are great tourist attractions in the State. Largely unexplored, the caves are said the be the largest in West Africa.

Igbo Ukwu Museum: Igbo Ukwu is an ancient town known for its astonishing metal crafts; it continues to attract tourists to see its bronze artifacts. First noticed in 1938, the bronzes were later excavated by Thurstan Shaw (an English archaeologist). They have been dated to the 9th century, and are of high value and historic relevance.

As Anambra has diverse delicacies, ranging from the spicey Chinese white soups to Hamburgers, Sharwarmas and Onugbu soup – a famous dish from the state

Notable People

Nnamdi Azikiwe Owelle of Onitsha – the first president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, from Oko town, a politician, Architect and the first executive vice-president of Nigeria, serving 1979 – 1983.
Nwafor Orizu – hails from Nnewi, Nnewi South, the first Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Ukpabi Asika – a political scientist and administrator from Onitsha. He was the East Central State administrator during and after the Nigerian Civil War
Dim Emeka Ojukwu – a native of Nnewi, the leader of the secessionist Biafra Republic
Chukwuemeka Ike – A writer that authored many books including Toads for supper, Bottled Leopard, Expo 77. He hails from Ndikelionwu in Anambra State and was the traditional ruler Ikelionwu XI. He was 1st registrar of the West African Examination Council – WAEC
Hon Ifeanyi Chudy Momah – lawyer and Legislator. Honorable Member representing Ihiala in the Federal House of Representatives
Dr. Senator Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo (17 December 1941 – 25 September 2003) – a native of Ogbunike, was president of the Senate of Nigeria.

Languages

Igbo

Institutions

The Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, which runs a modern teaching hospital in Nnewi with facilities also at Umunya and Ukpo. Also a faculty of pharmaceutical sciences at Agulu, a School of Preliminary studies at Mbaukwu, and a College of Agriculture.
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, formerly known as Anambra State University, and formerly known as Anambra State University of Science and Technology (ASUTECH), with two campuses, one in Uli, and another at Igbariam.
The Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
Nwafor Orizu University of Education (formerly known as the Nwafor Orizu College of Education), Nsugbe.
Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze
Anambra State Polytechnic, formerly known Anambra State College of Agriculture, Mgbakwu