Okigwe: The Abandoned City of Igboland

Okigwe: The Abandoned City of Igboland

Okigwe is one of the oldest cities in Igboland. Despite its strategic location, successive governments in Imo State have abandoned this beautiful city.

Once the second-largest city in Imo State, Okigwe is now the third-largest, as it was neglected by the state government. If any place was located at the center of Igboland, it was Okigwe. Situated precisely at the center of Igboland and the Southeast, traveling from Okigwe to any major city in the Southeast takes less than 2 hours, making it the only city located at the center of the Southeast.

If the capital of a nation is determined by a city at the center of that nation, Okigwe will be the capital of the Igbo Nation whenever Ndígbo stand as a separate nation.

Okigwe, the third-largest city in Imo State after Owerri and Orlu, is located in the Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State. The city lies between the Port Harcourt-Enugu-Maiduguri rail line and is the nearest city to the biggest cattle market in Nigeria, located in Umu Nneochi Area of Abia State. Consequently, Okigwe has become a major cattle transit town for the Southeast and South South subregions of Nigeria.

According to the 2005 census, Okigwe has a population of 132,237, with most of the population consisting of immigrant workers from other states. The old Okigwe Local Government Area was the primary host site of the old Imo State University, now Abia State University Uturu. Okigwe boasts various tourist and historical sites, and the Federal Government College in the city remains one of the best unity schools in Nigeria. Known as one of the breadbaskets of Nigeria, Okigwe practices terrace cultivation on its hilly farmlands.

Okigwe comprises six autonomous communities with different villages, namely:

1. Ezinachi (Ndiohia, Umudiaba, Amukwa, Amorie, Umuokparaoba, Amajarata, Obiohia, Umudo, Ndi Ngeleogwe, Umuebiri, Ubahu, Ajanumuna, Amachi, Umuike, Amachara, Umuoma, Umunuma, Umuoho, Uhugbuala/Ndizorie, Ovoro/Umuagu)

2. Ikigwu (Aro-ubaha, Aro-Okigwe, Ope, Ubanaka, Umuka, Umuokpara)

3. Otanzu (Amaeze-Ogii, Umuawa-Ogee, Umualumoke, Amuro [Amuro, Aro-Amuro])

4. Umulolo (Agbobu, Agbuala, Aku/Ihette, Aku/Ikenga, Amaosu, Amasator, Aro-Agbobu, Aro-Umulolo West, Aro-Umulolo East, Ibinta, Ndi-Oji, Ndi-Okoroji, Okanachi, Umuawa-Ibu)

5. Ihube (Agbala, Akpugo, Amagu, Amalator, Amano, Nkoto, Ogube, Ozara)

6. Otan-Chara (Alaike-Ogwaku, Alaocha-Igwaku, Ihitte-Isiokwe, Ikenga, Ikenga-Isiokwe, umuinem, umuzegem, Umueze, Umukeoke)

The Old Okigwe District(from 1914 till when it became a Local Government Area following the creation of IMO State in 1976), was made up of Six Clans. They include; Otanchara, Otanzu, Isuochi, Nneato, Isuikwuato and Umuchieze.

The Otanchara Clan consists of Eleven(11) Communities which include; Ihube, Ubaha, Okigwe, Aku, Umuawaibu, Ibinta, Amuro, Okwelle, Isiokwe, Umuduruegbeaguru, Ezinnachi na Ugwaku and Umunze

The Otanzu Clan is made up of Eighty(8) Communities. They are; Uturu, Umulolo, Agbobu, Ogii, Umualumoke, Okwe, Oreh and Umuna.

The Isuochi Clan consists of Nine(9) Communities which include; Umuelem, Achara, Ndiawa, Lomara, Ihie, Amuda, Umuaku, Mbala and Ngodo.

The Nneato Clan is made up of three(3) Communities; Eziama, Ubaha and Akawa.

The Isuikwuato Clan consists of three(3) Communities namely; Imenyi, Isuamawo and Oguduasaa. While The Umuchieze Clan comprises the Lokpaukwu people, Lekwesi, Leru and Lokpanta.

Each of these Clans has a head town. For instance, the head town of Otanchara is Ihube, the head town of Otanzu is Uturu, the Isuochi clan is Umuelem, the Nneato clan is Eziama while the head town of Isuikwuato and Umuchieze is Imenyi and Lokpaukwu respectively.