Last weekend, from Thursday, May 28 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, I was in Abia State on an official assignment. I flew from Abuja to Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri and did the 1 hour 30 minutes trip from Owerri to Umuahia by road. It wasn’t my first time in the state whose moniker is” God’s Own State”, but I haven’t been there in about 15 years. Meanwhile, I have heard so much about Governor Alex Otti’s magic in the state and looked forward to seeing things for myself; after all, it is said that seeing is believing!
Information gleaned from the Abia State Ministry of Information website indicates that the state was created on August 27, 1991, following the division of the former Imo State. Its capital is Umuahia, while Aba is its commercial nerve centre. The area now known as Abia has long been a centre of commerce, craftsmanship, and agricultural production.
Aba, the state’s major commercial city, has been a beacon of entrepreneurship since colonial times. The city became famous for its role during the Aba Women’s Riot of 1929, a major protest against British colonial taxation policies led by Igbo women. Today, Aba is known for its vibrant markets, especially the Ariaria International Market, one of the largest and most famous in West Africa, often dubbed the “China of Africa” for its locally manufactured goods, particularly in textiles, leather products, and footwear.
