5 things you must do in Abia State

fuad lawal

May 14, 2015 7:01 PM

If you love history and the beauty of nature, Abia is where you should go.

An Akwete weaver with her apprentice

Abia State, located in south-east Nigeria. Abia State was created out of the old Imo in 1991 with its capital is Umuahia. The state, which is nicknamed "God's Own State", is an acronym which is gotten from the four most dominant ethnic groups, Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato and Afikpo. Afikpo has now been cut out of Abia as it is now the capital of Ebonyi State.

Here are five things you must do when next you are in Abia:

1. Have a picnic at the Azumini Blue RiverLocated in Azumini town, Ukwa East LGA, the river is a sparkling blue river which is surrounded by fine sands and glassy stones. By the river banks are beautiful beaches which provide pleasant places for leisure, fishing, boating, yachting and skiing. There are relaxation facilities as chairs and tables. At the beach, barbeque grills are delicacies provided for picnickers. The river is about thirty minutes drive from Aba through Enugu – Port-Harcourt expressway.

2. Stop by at the Arochukwu CaveArochukwu cave is very dark inside with many outlets, some of which are about a hundred yards away from the main entrance. During the slave trade era, this shrine was used for consultative purposes and as a court of law. In the cave are the destiny gate, a flowing stream (Iyi-eke), the gate of no return and a spring through which victims were sold into slavery.

3. Marvel at the mastery of the Akwete Weavers Akwete is a small town in Ukwa-East LGA and about 25 minutes drive from Aba through Enugu – Port-Harcourt expressway. The town is known for its specialty in the production of Akwete cloth using fabricated handlooms. This native cloth has beautiful designs made from various materials as cotton, silk etc. The cloth is used in making assorted styles of wears and souvenirs item like caps, head-gears, hand bags, shoes etc.

4. Haggle prices at Aba Central MarketThis is an international market where goods of all kinds are manufactured and sold. It is one of the largest markets in Nigeria. Aba is the most indigenous industrial cities in Nigeria, and so Aba market has the potential to be one the biggest industrial raw material markets in West Africa.

5. See a bit of history at the National War Museum, UmuahiaCommissioned in 1985, the museum which is located at Ebite Amafor in Isingwu Autonomous community in Umuahia North LGA, occupies a large area of land surrounded by undulating hills. The museum has three galleries; traditional warfare, the armed forces and the Nigerian civil war weapon galleries. The relics of war being housed in these sections include weapons used during the pre-colonial civil disturbances, imperial warfare materials and those of the Nigerian civil war.

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