Ilorin Emirate, the Capital City of Kwara State. The State of Harmony

Ilorin

Ilorin is one of the largest cities in Nigeria and is the capital of Kwara State. As of 2007 it had a population of 847,582.

History

Ilorin was founded by the Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, in 1450. It became a provincial military headquarters of the ancient Oyo Empire, it later become a Northern Nigeria protectorate when the Shehu Alimi, a descendant of Shehu Usman Dan-Fodio, took control of the city through the spread of Islamic religion. The capital was occupied by the Royal Niger Company in 1897 and its lands incorporated into the British colony of Northern Nigeria in 1900, although the emirate continued to perform ceremonial functions.  Although the city retains a strong Islamic influence from the northern incursions, Christianity is now widely practiced by significant portions of other Nigerians originating from other states. Ilorin is the largest city and the official capital of Kwara State.

City of Lawyers

The legal profession is strong in Ilorin. The first lawyer to take silk in the whole of Nigeria's North is from the city: Alhaji A.G.F. Abdulrazaq (SAN). He has at least two lawyers in his family. A respected judicial officer in the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, who once headed the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), is also from Ilorin. His son is also a lawyer. The Belgore family has made notable contributions to the profession, especially with Justice Alfa Belgore (4 of his five children are lawyers), former Chief Justice of the Federation and Justice M.B. Belgore, retired Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, whose two children are also lawyers, including M.D. Belgore, SAN.

Ilorin's Emir, Alhaji Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu Gambari, is a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal. Justice Saidu Kawu, retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Alhaji Aliyu Alarape Salma (SAN) are also from Ilorin. A one time Attorney-General of the Federation, Bayo-Ojo, though not from Ilorin but practised in Ilorin. Other prominent lawyers in Ilorin include Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN)], Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Chief P.O.A. Olorunnisola (SAN), Hon Justice Lambo Akanbi of Fed.high court,PH. The U.N Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari is from Ilorin.

Sports

Ilorin has a 20,000-capacity stadium and two Premier League professional football teams, the Kwara United Football Club and Abubakar Bukola Saraki Football Club.

The city of Ilorin accommodates the only standard baseball court in west Africa. It has also hosted several national handball competitions

Media

Television and radio stations in Ilorin include NTA Ilorin, Kwara Television, Radio Kwara, Unilorin FM, Cruise FM (www.cruisefmng.net), Royal FM and an office of the News Agency of Nigeria Ilorin.

Commerce

The political economy of Kwara State can be traced to 1967 when it was created. Since then the state has undergone various developmental efforts, mostly initiated by the federal government given the nature of the Nigerian state, a centralized federal system where all development policies and programmes originate from the center.

Despite its strategic location as the gateway between the southern and northern parts of the country, there are few industries in Kwara State. The state has a good network of roads, rail and air transportation facilities linking it with Nigeria's other industrial and commercial centers.

Nature has also endowed the state with adequate vast and rich agricultural land for both road and exportable cash crops.

Similarly, the limestone and dolomite of Oreke, Idofian Kaolin and clay near Ilorin and other parts of the state, pure gold at Kaiama and Patigi area, and the highly exportable rich tantalite deposit of Iporin, make Kwara State rich in primary resources.

Despite these favourable conditions, Kwara State has only one or two viable industries, notably Global Soap and Detergent Industries Nigeria Limited and the International Tobacco Company.

Successive administrations have attempted to attract industrialists to the state. Several meetings were held with Kwarans both in Lagos and Kaduna, among others, but with little response. However, in spite of the paucity of funds, Governor Bukola Saraki has made progress in his efforts to improve the quality of lives of the people of the state.

This is demonstrated by successes achieved in the fields of finance, education, health, water and rural development, agriculture, and industrial development.

With such efforts, Ilorin has become the hub for Cashew processing in Nigeria and Olam (a leading MNC in Agro Commodities) has set up Africa's biggest cashew processing plant. The plant boasts to process 100 MT of cashew everyday and provides employment to over 2000 workers.

Recently established industries include Dangote Flour Mills, Tuyil Pharmaceutical company, KAMWIL, Golden Confectionate Food Industries, Chellaram Motor-Cycle Assembly plants, and Rajrab Pharmaceuticals.

To encourage both local and foreign investors, the state government provides various incentives, such as 100 per cent waiver on statutory payments on land, which was also made available to the Dangote Industries Limited for the flour mill complex.

Transport

Ilorin's central location makes it easily accessible to all parts of the country by air, road and rail.

Although the Ilorin International Airport has been re-designated and equipped as an International Cargo Airport, there are scheduled commercial flights to and from Ilorin by Over land and Capital Airlines. Current destinations include Lagos, Abuja and Jos.

Ilorin offers reliable road transport services to Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo Ekiti, Kogi, Niger, Kaduna and Plateau States. Similar services are available to and from Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Aba and others.

The major roads in the city are generally good, with relatively well-developed intra-city public transportation. Other roads that need repairs are gradually receiving the attention of the Kwara State Government.

There are three modes of transiting from place to place in the city – the most popular being the conventional taxis. Car-hire services are available in major hotels.

There are the commercial motorbikes commonly called "Okada", and the more recent arrival on Ilorin's roads, "Keke NAPEP", imported commercial tricycles given on loan to beneficiaries in the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP/KEKE MARUWA) introduced by the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Compared to other cities and state capitals in Nigeria, transport fares in Ilorin are cheap. While taxis charge range between N50 to N100 per drop, a ride on the okada ranges depending on the distance as the driver deem fit.

A major expressway to Ibadan is currently under construction by P.W. International LTD

Culture

The city is a confluence of cultures, populated by Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Nupe, Baruba, other Nigerians and foreign nationals. There are very significant Christian and Islamic populations. Many ceremonial activities, mostly with religious aspects, take place in the city throughout the year.

Ilorin presents the visitors with friendly environment [generally called "Home of Peace"] hence host different religious practice and training institutions. Located on the city's GRA, the degree-awarding United Missionary Theological College (affiliated with the University of Ibadan) produces many church ministers, teachers and theologians of all denominations, the College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies in Adeta Area trains Muslims in various Islamic, Arabic and social science disciplines. Alfa Alimi's Mosque and residence is said to have been built in 1831. It was the first Juma'at Mosque in Ilorin.

The city also present a range of tourist attractions such as the imposing Sobi Hill, said to have offered protection to natives during inter-tribal wars in ancient times. The Okuta Ilorin is located in Asaju's compound, Idi-Ape Quarters. It is the stone on which Ojo Isekuse, one of the founders of the city, used to sharpen his metal tools. It was actually called "Okuta ilo irin" (meaning stone for sharpening metals), and Ilorin is said to have derived its name from there. The stone was a deified object of worship and sacrifice offerings in the past.

Pottery is big business in Ilorin. The city boasts the biggest traditional pottery workshops in Nigeria. They are located in Dada area of Okelele, Eletu in Oju Ekun, Okekura, Oloje, Abe Emi and Ita Merin.

Also thriving is the traditional textile industry. In various parts of the city, Aso-Oke, the wonderful textiles and hand-woven on simple looms are made in large quantities. Aso-Oke is patronized by traders and fashion designers from Kwara State, other parts of Nigeria and from abroad.

The cultural center houses the Kwara State Council for Arts and Culture, its performing troupe, and a gallery with artistic objects and antiquities. Souvenirs of cultural and historical values are also available.

Ilorin has a creation park formerly Amusement Park, now renamed Metropolitan Park is located on Unity Road, next to Guaranty Trust Bank. The Kwara State Stadium Complex has an Olympic-sized swimming pool with facility for diving among others. The only purpose-built baseball park in Nigeria is located in the Adewole area of the city.

The National Commission for Museum and Monuments has one of its centers in Ilorin, with interesting cultural and ethnographic objects from Nigeria's many cultures. The Esie Museum is of major note.

Christianity in Ilorin

The city has a host of ancient and modern Churches and very large congregations such as the holy order of Cherubim and Seraphim churches, Anglican, Methodist, Celestial Church of Christ, Catholic, Seventh day Adventist and Protestant populations of the Christian faith. Most Christian Churches in the state started schools and most of the innovative and positive ideas introduced through the church schools were readily adopted by the Muslim schools, once they saw the advantages that were to be derived from them.

The Ilorin Central Mosque

 

History

The first Ilorin central mosque was founded in 1820 at Agbarere popularly known as "Ile-elewa", under the leadership of Sheik Imam Munab'bau. This was followed in 1835 when another central mosque was built at Idi-Ape during the reign of the first Emir of Ilorin, Abdul Salam. However, more than a century later, this central mosque could no longer cope with the phenomenal growth in the population of the Muslim Ummah of the city. For this reason, in 1974, the 9th Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Zulkarnaini Gambari invited Grand Mufti Alhaji Mohammed Kamal-u-deen and the present Wazirin Ngeri of Ilorin, Dr. Abubakar Sola Saraki to co-ordinate the fund-raising and the construction of a new central mosque befitting of the status of Ilorin as a city of Islam.

The present Ilorin Central Mosque

On April 30, 1977, the foundation was laid for the new mosque by the Emir of Gwandu on behalf of the Sarki Musulmi, Sultan Abubabar III. At the time the new Ilorin Central Mosque was completed and officially opened in 1981 by the former president Alhaji Shehu Shagari.

Today the mosque is generally dilapidated with visible structural defects like cracks showing on some of the columns, the concrete walls and the domes, causing profuse leakages in a number of locations. The glass mosaic finishes on the walls and marble floors are cracked or chipped off making the mosque look generally rough and unsightly. Similarly, all the auxiliary structures like the toilet building and the steel stanchions are either dysfunctional or completely bad.

The "New" Ilorin Central Mosque

This project, the rehabilitation, refurbishment and redecoration of the Central Mosque is an effort to restore this important cultural icon. The planning work had started in 2007 when Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Zulu Gambari, CFR, the Eleventh Emir of Ilorin, with great assistance from Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the Turaki of Ilorin, and the Executive Governor of Kwara State, set up a technical committee headed by Alhaji Shehu Abdulgafar, on the rehabilitation and enhancement of the central mosque. The committee has worked actively and had invited expertise from specialists in mosque construction from around the World, especially from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria.

In addition to the general restoration of enhancement of the mosque, it will now have a total of 99 domes of different diameters, 75 feet above the floor. The large dome will be of gold finish while the four big domes around it will be coated in green and reflective illumination. The mosque form is enveloped within a pyramid shape of square base and 45 inclinations for the faces. It has four accessible minarets each standing at the height of 150 feet. Moreover all the dilapidated domes and minarets with mosaic finishing will be restored and the finished with cut-to-size marble. The exterior and interior will also be covered by special marble while the expanded courtyard will be constructed with heat-absorbing granite (marble) finish. The doors and windows will be replaced with specially designed ones befitting the new mosque concept.

Added facilities include:

·         3 Modern Ablution centers with toilets facilities, each able to hold 100 worshipers at a time.

·         A well equipped multi-purpose hall.

·         An Islamic library with modern facilities.

·         A car park.

·         Modern lighting equipment, air-conditioners and long-range speakers for salat calls among others

Education

It is home to Four of Nigeria's universities, the University of Ilorin, Hallmark University, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, and Kwara State University. It is also home for the following educational institutions:

·         Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin

·         Federal Government College Ilorin

·         Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin 

·         Muhyideen College of Education, Ilorin

·         College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies

·         United Missionary Theological Seminary.

·         School of Nursing and Midwifery

·         National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization

·         Agriculture and Rural Management Training Institute

·         Michael Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies

·         Kwara state University

·         Federal Training Center

·         Government Secondary School, Ilorin Founded in 1914

·         Ansarul Islam Secondary School, Ilorin

·         Mount Carmel College, Ilorin

EKET - The Oil City of Akwa Ibom State

Eket is the second largest city in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The name also refers to the indigenous ethnic group of the region and to their language. The city itself, an industrial city that in recent years has become a conurbation engulfing separate villages, has a population of over 200,000, while entire urban area, which covers Nsit Ubium, Afaha Eket and Esit Eket, has a combined population of 364,489, the second largest urban population in Akwa Ibom state.

Economy


An oil refinery is currently under construction in the outskirts of the city along the Oron road. The city has a stadium complex, an airstrip as well as other infrastructures of importance. It also has a number of hotels such as Villa Marina, Royalty Hotels, Crystal Palace Hotel, Roseboom Hotels, Eden Hotel and others.

Eket due to its industrial nature is a relatively expensive city. The government has plans of upgrading the city by the provision of further major roads in the city and the construction of housing estates.

In the 1990s, western environmentalists were concerned over the activities of oil exploitation in and around Eket, such as Shell and Mobil. The area is now newly "oil-rich" and Eket is the thriving hub of a new oil and gas business, with more than 250 companies providing support services such as catering, flights, and exports. However, this success has caused problems, especially a reluctance by local young men to engage in traditional work such as fishing. There are vocal local campaigns to increase the percentage of oil revenue that is given to the local community. Eket as an ethnic group comprises Eket, Esit Eket, Ibeno and Onna LGA

Eket People


The Eket are a people who live in this region. They are a sub-group of the Ibibio people. Eket is also the name of the main sub-language that they speak, a Benue–Congo language. Both languages are similar, but sufficiently distinct to give away the precise district the speaker originates from. The Eket have a form of caste or class society, with the "Amama" being the highest caste, and these are notable for undertaking traditional potlach-like feasts in which the poorer people are fed en masse. In addition to the Amama, groups of "Ekpo Ndem Isong" class rule individual villages and towns, and their will is enforced by the "Ikan" class (traditional masked police) to which entry is by merit rather than birth.

The local religion is one of ancestor-worship, worship of Ala the "earth deity", and seasonal agricultural festivals. Water is abundant in the Niger delta, and the vegetation luxurious. However, over-farming and poor farming practices are depleting soil nutrients on many farms and plots.

Popular surnames include Etteh (actually meaning father), Udofia and Essien. Just like the remainder of West Africa, the family name normally is an indicator of which specific region one is from.

UYO - The Capital City of Akwa Ibom State

Uyo is a city in south-eastern Nigeria and is the capital of Akwa Ibom State, a major oil producing state of Nigeria. The city became a capital of Akwa Ibom State on September 23, 1987 following the creation of Cross River State. The University of Uyo resides in this city. The population of Uyo, according to the 2006 Nigerian Census which comprises Uyo and Itu, is 436,606. While the urban Area, including Uruan, is 554,906.

Transportation


The city can be accessed by road via the A342 highway, as well as Abak Road, Nwaniba Road, Itu Road, and Aka Road. Nearby airports include the Uyo Airport, also known as the Akwa Ibom International Airport.

Uyo is a fast growing city, as the city has witnessed massive infrastructural growth in the past nine years. It has an intensive network of divided highways, such as the IBB Way, Atiku Abubakar Avenue, Udo Udoma Avenue, Nsikak Eduok Avenue, and Edet Akpan Avenue which is an eight-lane superhighway and currently the widest road in the Uyo metropolis. Currently, flyovers are being constructed to ease traffic. Three flyovers have already been completed at the Itam axis of the urban area which is under Itu jurisdiction. Plans are in process for more flyovers as well as ongoing dualisation of Aka road, ongoing construction of Ring Road 3 with flyovers (a portion of it will be ten lanes) and the dualisation of Wellingtion Bassey Way.

Housing


As a fast growing city, Uyo is home to many notable housing districts such as the Ewet Housing Estate, Shelter Afrik, and other estates located in various parts of the city as well as private estates and other residential districts. The city has two major industrial estates including the Itam Industrial Estate. The city of Uyo is notably neat and hospitable to foreigners and its aborigines. Highbrow residential areas in Uyo include the prestigious Ewet Housing Estate, Shelter Afrik, and a host of other choice areas in the city and its environs. The state government plans to construct newer residential districts as well as a central business district within the metropolis.

Recreation


The city boasts public recreational areas such as the Ibom Connection and the prestigious Le Meridien Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort which is still under construction and, when completed, will be the largest hotel in the West African region. The State has other recreational projects under construction, such as the Ibom Tropicana Resort, which will include a 16-story 5-star hotel, a dome, a cinema, a shopping area, water parks, and other recreational facilities. It and similar projects are expected to boost the tourism potential of the state. The city also has a museum.

Education


Uyo is home to the University of Uyo, formerly known as the University of Cross River State. Its name was changed when, in 1991, the government of Nigeria established it as a federal university. Uyo is also home to a campus of the National Open University of Nigeria and the Uyo City Polytechnic.

AKWA IBOM STATE NIGERIA- The Land of Promise

Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria named after the Qua Iboe river. It is located in the coastal South-Southern part of the country, lying between latitudes 4°321 and 5°331 North, and longitudes 7°251 and 8°251 East. The State is bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost tip of Cross River State.

Akwa Ibom is one of Nigeria’s 36 states with a population of over 5 million people and more than 10 million people in diaspora. It was created in 1987 from the former Cross River State and is currently the highest oil and gas producing state in the country. The state’s capital is Uyo with over 500,000 inhabitants . Akwa Ibom has an airport (Akwa Ibom International Airport) and two major sea ports on the Atlantic Ocean with a proposed construction of a world class seaport Ibaka Seaport at Oron. Along with English, the main spoken languages are Ibibio, Annang, Eket, and Oron languages.

Major Cities


Uyo is the capital city of Akwa Ibom State. Eket, Ikot Ekpene, Oron, Abak, Ikot Abasi, and Etinan are a few of many prominent cities.

Administrative Areas


Akwa Ibom is divided into 31 Local Government Areas:

Abak
Eastern Obolo
Eket
Esit-Eket
Essien Udim
Etim-Ekpo
Etinan
Ibeno
Ibesikpo-Asutan
Ibiono-Ibom
Ika
Ikono
Ikot Abasi
Ikot Ekpene
Ini
Itu
Mbo
Mkpat-Enin
Nsit-Atai
Nsit-Ibom
Nsit-Ubium
Obot-Akara
Okobo
Onna
Oron
Oruk Anam
Ukanafun
Udung-Uko
Uruan
Urue-Offong/Oruko
Uyo

History


The region of the State was created out of Cross River State on September 23, 1987.

Demography


The people are predominantly of the Christian faith. The main ethnic groups of the state are:


Ibibio
Annang
Oron
Obolo


The Ibibio, Annang, who speak a dialect of the Ibibio Language, Oron and Obolo, comprising Ibono (Ibeno) and Eastern Obolo people, are the largest ethnic groups. The Oro [Oron] is an ethnic group similar to the Efik, which is predominant in neighbouring Cross River State, and found in five of the state's Local Government Areas. Located at the Atlantic Ocean seafront are the Ibeno and Eastern Obolo people. The Ibono have similarities with the Oro and Obolos. The Igbo language is also spoken in Akwa Ibom in the northern and western land borders.

The Ibibio language belongs to the Benue–Congo language family, which forms part of the Niger–Congo group of languages.

Despite the homogeneity, no central government existed among the people of what is now Akwa Ibom State prior to the British invasion in 1904. Instead, the Annang, Oron, Efik, Ibonos and Ibibio were all autonomous groups.

Although several Scottish missionaries arrived in Calabar in 1848, and Ibono in 1887, the British did not firmly establish control until 1904. In that year, the Enyong Division was created encompassing the area of the current state of Akwa Ibom, with the headquarters at Ikot Ekpene, an Annang city emerged described by the noted Africanist Kaanan Nair, as the cultural and political capital of Annang and Ibibio. The creation of Enyong Division, for the first time allowed the numerous ethnic groups to come together. This further provided a venue for the creation of the Ibibio Welfare Union, later renamed Ibibio State Union. The social organization was first organized as a local development and improvement forum for educated persons and groups who were shut out from the colonial administration in 1929. Nonetheless, some historians have wrongly pointed to the union to buttress their argument about the homogeneity of groups in the area. The Obolo Union comprising Ibono and Andoni stock was another strong socioeconomic and cultural Organisation that thrived in the region. The Ibono people have fought wars to maintain their unique identity and territory in the region more than any other group.

When Akwa Ibom state was created in 1987, Uyo was chosen as the state capital to spread development to all regions of the state.

Education


The current region of Akwa Ibom State in old Calabar Kingdom were the first to encounter Western education in Nigeria with the establishment of Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar in 1895, Methodist Boys High School, Oron in 1905 and other top flight schools such as the Holy Family College at Abak and Regina Coeli College, Essene. Currently various institutions for higher education have sprung up and spread across the state.

Some Educational Institutes in the state include:

University of Uyo
Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron
Akwa Ibom State University
Obong University, Obong Ntak Inyang
Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic
Uyo City Polytechnic
Apex Polytechnic
Herritage Polytechnic, Eket
School of Nursing; Uyo, Eket, Oron, Ikot Ekpene, Etinan
Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit
School Of Basic Studies
College of Arts & Sciences, Nnung Ukim


Politics


Politics in Akwa Ibom state is dominated by the three main ethnic groups, the Ibibio, Annang and Oron. Of these three, the Ibibio remain the majority and have held sway in the state since its creation.

PORT HARCOURT - The Garden City

Port Harcourt (Igbo: Diobu, Iguocha or Ugwuocha; Pidgin: "Po-ta-kot") is the capital of Rivers State, Nigeria. It lies along the Bonny River and is located in the Niger Delta. According to the 2006 Nigerian census Port Harcourt has a population of 1,382,592. The Mayor of Port Harcourt City is Chimbiko Akorolo. From Iguocha Port Harcourt was renamed by Frederick Lugard after Lewis Vernon Harcourt in 1913 who was the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

The area that became Port Harcourt in 1913 was originally the farmlands of the Diobu village group of the Ikwerre, an Igbo sub-group. The colonial administration of Nigeria created the port to export coal from the collieries of Enugu located 151 miles (243 km) north of Port Harcourt, which it was linked to by a railway called the Eastern Line, also built by the British.

Commercial quantities of crude oil was discovered in Oloibiri in 1956 and Port Harcourt's economy turned to petroleum when the first shipment of Nigerian crude oil was exported through the city in 1958. Through the benefits of the Nigerian petroleum industry Port Harcourt was further developed with aspects of modernisation such as overpasses and city blocks. Oil firms that currently have offices in the city include Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron.

Port Harcourt's primary airport is the Port Harcourt International Airport located in the periphery of the city; Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base is the location of the only other airport in the city; used by commercial airlines Aero Contractors and Virgin Nigeria (now Air Nigeria) for domestic flights. The main educational establishment in the city is the University of Port Harcourt.

History


Port Harcourt was founded in 1913 by the British colonial administration of Nigeria The purpose of Port Harcourt was to export the coal which geologist Albert Ernest Kitson had discovered in Enugu in 1909. The colonial government caused the people of Diobu to cede their land and by 1913 the building of a port-town was started. Other villages that were later absorbed into the city included Oroworukwo, Mkpogua and Rumuomasi, In the creeks to the south of the original port were the fishing camps and grounds of the Okrika-Ijaw group.

During World War I Port Harcourt was used as a point for military operations against the Central Powers in German Kamerun. After the discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri in 1956, Port Harcourt exported the first shipload from Nigeria in 1958. Port Harcourt became the centre of the Nigerian oil economy and it subsequently reaped benefits of its associations with the petroleum industry by undergoing modernisation and urbanisation. Port Harcourt's growth is further due to its position as the commercial centre and foremost industrial city of the former Eastern Region; its position in the Niger Delta; and its importance as the centre of social and economic life in Rivers State. After the Republic of Biafra seceded from Nigeria in 1967 Port Harcourt fell to Nigerian forces on May 19, 1968. From an area of 15.54 km2 in 1914, Port Harcourt grew uncontrolled to an area of 360 km2 in the 1980s.

Geography and climate

Port Harcourt City Centre


The main city of Port Harcourt is the Port Harcourt city in the Port Harcourt Local Government Area, consisting of the former European quarters now called old Government reservation area (GRA) and New layout areas. The Port Harcourt Urban Area (Port Harcourt metropolis) is made up of the city itself and parts of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. Port Harcourt City, which the capital of Rivers State, is highly congested as it is the only major city of the state. A law has recently passed by the state house and governor Amaechi's administration to spread development to the surrounding communities as part of the effort to decongest the Port Harcourt metropolis. The Greater Port Harcourt urban area, spans eight local government areas that include Port-Harcourt local government, Okrika, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Ogu/Bolo, Tai and Eleme local governments respectively has a total population estimate for 2012 at 1,947,000 making it the fifth largest urban area in Nigeria (only the urban areas of Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Abuja that are bigger than it.

Climate 


Port Harcourt features a tropical monsoon climate with lengthy and heavy rainy seasons and very short dry seasons. Only the months of December and January truly qualifies as dry season months in the city. The harmattan, which climatically influences many cities in West Africa, is less pronounced in Port Harcourt. Port Harcourt's heaviest precipitation occurs during September with an average of 370 mm of rain. December on average is the driest month of the year, with an average rainfall of 20 mm. Temperatures throughout the year in the city are relatively constant, showing little variation throughout the course of the year. Average temperatures are typically between 25°C-28°C in the city.

Economy and infrastructure

The Port Harcourt Refining Company Ltd.


The city is a major industrial centre as it has a large number of multinational firms as well as other industrial concerns, particularly business related to the petroleum industry. It is the chief oil-refining city in Nigeria. Rivers State is one of the wealthiest states in Nigeria in terms of gross domestic product and foreign exchange revenue from the oil industry, crude oil being its main export earner.

Some of Port Harcourt's more popular and well-known residential areas are Port Harcourt Township (or just 'Town'), GRA (Government Reserved Area) phases 1—5, Rumuomasi, Ogbunabali, Rumuola, Diobu, Amadi Flats, and Borokiri. The main industrial area is located in Trans Amadi. Face-me-I-face-you architecture is quite common to Port Harcourt. The Podium Block of Rivers State Secretariat is an icon of the city. An eighteen storey building, it has the tallest building in the South/South and South/East Geopolitical zones combined. The city has an international airport, Port Harcourt International Airport, two seaports (FOT Onne, Port Harcourt Wharf), two stadiums (Sharks Stadium which is the civic center) and Liberation Stadium located in Elekahia and two refineries. The city plays host to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology; there is also a University of Port Harcourt, which is Located in Obio/Akpor which was carved out of Port Harcourt Local Government Area for ease of administration. The city is sprawling in nature as building codes and zoning regulations are poorly enforced. Land is cleared and 'lean to' buildings constructed sometimes overnight. This adds to flooding and sanitation problems since with no proper drainage or sewer system, parts of the city flood during the very heavy monsoon-type rains that fall for half the year.

Greater Port

Under the leadership of Governor Chibuike Amaechi plans have been announced for the creation of a new city to be called the Greater Port-Harcourt City. The new city is to be located close to the Port-Harcourt International Airport. The total coverage area for the Greater Port Harcourt city Development is 1900 km2 spanning 8 local governments in Rivers State including all of PH Local Govt, Ogu Bolo, Eleme, Ikwere, Etche, Obio Akpor,Okrika, Eleme local government areas. The Authority (GPHCDA) was established by law in April 2009 with a mandate to facilitate the implementation of the Greater Port Harcourt master plan and build the new city.

The Authority is led by an administrator, Dame Aleruchi Cookey Gam, supported by a management team comprising the Secretary to the authority and Board, Dr Silva Opusunju, Director Finance Aaron Obelly, Director Administration (Permanent Secretary) MI Tella, Director Public Affairs Kenneth Anga, Director Legal Dr. Justice Nwobike, Director Projects Edmund Altraide, Director Development Control Sir Ngozi Worgu.

The Greater Port Harcourt city hosted several of the events at the 17th national sports festival tagged 'Garden City games'.