Aba
Aba is a city in Abia State, South East Nigeria, and also the commercial center of Abia State. Aba is well known for its craftsmen and also the most populous city in the South Eastern Nigeria.
Understand
In 2016, Aba had an estimated population of 2.5 million and area of 72 km². Aba is mainly peopled by the Igbo ethnic group. The Igbo people are one of the indigenous peoples of South Eastern part of Nigeria make up 95% of the population of Aba. Their traditional language of Aba peope is Igbo. English is also widely spoken, and serves as the official language in governance and business.
Aba is the host for Abia State University Teaching Hospital which serve as referral hospitals in Abia State, Abia State Polytechnic, and Rhema University.
Aba has much arable land that produces plantains, yams, coco yam, maize, potatoes, rice, cashews, taro, and cassava. Oil palm is the most important cash crop in Aba.
Aba is the commercial center of Abia State and it is popularly called the "Enyimba city". It was established by the Ngwa clan of Igbo people as a market town, in 1901. The city became a assembling point for agricultural products after the British made railway running through it from Enugu to Port Harcourt. It is a major urban settlement and commercial centre. The indigenous people of Aba are the Ngwa.
Villages
Aba is made up of many villages such as:
- Aba-Ukwu
- Eziukwu-Aba
- Obuda-Aba
- Umuokpoji-Aba
- Ohazu
Economy
Aba is surrounded by oil wells which separate it from the city of Port-Harcourt. A pipeline powers Aba with gas from the Imo River natural gas repository. The major economic contributions of Aba are Textiles, palm oil, pharmaceuticals, plastics, cement, and cosmetics. This trade activities makes the Ariaria International Market the second largest market in Nigeria after the Onitsha Main Market. There are also companies like Heineken brewery, a glass company and distillery within the city. Aba is famous for its handicrafts.
Get in
By plane
Travelers that want to go to Aba by air have to make use of the closest airport to Aba which is Sam Mbakwe Cargo International Airport (Owerri Airport) located in Ngokpala Imo State which is one hour drive to Aba. Airlines that service Sam Mbakwe Cargo International Airport are Overland Airways and Arik Air. There are buses readily available to transport people from the Airport to Aba. Also travelers who wish to come to Aba by air can make use of Port Harcourt International Airport which is 2 hours to Aba. Another airport that can also service visitors who want to come into Aba by air is Akwa Ibom Airport (Akwa Ibom State). The distance between Uyo (Akwa Ibom) and Aba is 73.28 kilometres (45.53 mi).
By train
The rail transport is also another means visitors can travel into Aba very conveniently, but as of 2021 the railway is under repair. Travellers that wish to come to Aba by rail transport should connect to Aba from Port Harcourt rail transport. The coastal parts of the state are equally accessible with boats and canoes.
By bus
Travelers who want to come to Aba by bus should feel free because there are so many reliable bus transport companies that come to Aba from other cities and states. The average cost of travelling to Aba by bus from the South-South and South-East is ₦1,700 while the average cost of travelling to Aba from the other parts of Nigeria is ₦6,000. Reliable transport companies such as the Young Shall Grow, Abia line, God is Good Motors, Peace Mass Transit, Imo Transort Company (ITC) among many others transport others transport companies are readily available to convey people from different parts of the country to Aba.
Get around
Transportation in Aba is different from what you might see in most major cities in Nigeria. Aba doesn’t have much of a good road network and good roads but there has been great improvement in that area in the past two years. You must enter the city by road through any of various transport companies as Aba does not have an airport. Visitors need to take a ride around the city through the popular Osisioma Junction since the only means of transportation within the city is via a commercial bus, a tricycle popularly known as keke or a motorbike known as okada.
See
- The Aba River is a river in southern Nigeria. It runs through the city. It is a tributary of the Imo River. Its headwaters are in Okpu-Umuobo in the Ngwa heartland into the Aba City.
- Enyimba International Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Aba, Nigeria. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It serves as a home ground of Enyimba F.C. The stadium holds 16,000 people after the installation of seats. On November 3, 2008 the stadium received a temporary ban after the home crowd attacked referees after a heated 1-1 tie with rivals Heartland F.C
- Ariaria International Market was established in 1976 following a fire outbreak that destroyed the old Ekeoha Market in Aba. The market was originally sited in a swampy area.
Do
- Iwaji Festival also known as New yam festival is the most significant festival in Aba. It is an annual celebrated at the end of the rainy season in early August in other to render thanksgiving to the gods for a good harvest. It is mostly celebrated at the grassroots level or centrally, and the celebration comes with lots of preparation and fanfare. During the festival, the first tubers of yam harvest are prepared in celebration and thanksgiving to the land’s deities for a fruitful harvest. Before the official celebration, the people perform certain rituals according to the customs and traditions of the locality. The traditional ruler or the oldest person around usually performs the ceremony. As mediators between their deities and the villagers, the chief celebrant dips a piece of the roasted yam into a bowl of palm oil and eats
- Ngwa Day festival
Buy
Markets
There are several well known markets in Aba that serve the entire region with quality furnitures, wares, fairly used wears and household wares, plastics, provisions, cosmetics, food items etc. These markets include:
- 1 Ariaria International Market, No. 171 Faulks Road, Off-Owerri Road Aba, ☏ +234 813 364 0561. M-Sa 7AM-6PM. Ariaria International Market which is an open-air market is is not only one of the largest markets in Nigeria, it is also one of the biggest in Sub-Saharan Africa. it is also one of the largest markets in West Africa and it was nicknamed "China of Africa" because of its versatility in the making of wears and leather works. The market is known for its shoe making and leather works thus making it one of the largest leather shoe-making markets in West Africa with an estimated two million traders. The market cuts across three local government areas in Abia State such as: the Aba North, Aba South and Osisioma. Ariaria International Market was established in 1976 after the fire outbreak that destroyed the old Ekeoha Market in Aba.
- 2 Ekeoha Market (Shopping Plaza) (Aba Shopping Center), Asa Road Aba, ☏ +234 813 324 9548. M-Sa 7:30AM-5PM. Ekeoha market (Shopping Plaza) is home to the freshest and finest fabrics in Nigeria. It is one of the biggest clothing markets in the Nigeria including Africa. This is a place where you can buy any type of fabric. This market is also notable for sales of electronics, electronic parts and accessories.
- Ehere Market also known as the Ehere Modern Market is located at the Ogbor Hill axis of Aba. It is one of the modernized and upgraded markets in Aba. It is a full-fledged and functional market where visitors can purchase a whole range of products such as groceries, food items, clothing, textile, fashion, building materials, and whole lot of other general products.
- Eziukwu Market (Cemetery Market) was established in 1987 and it was formally known as cemetery market. It is accessible on both road and rail. it is strategically located on the railway track that link Aba, Enugu, Abakiliki, Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri. It is a well known market for items such as stockfish, toiletries, drinks, stationary, groceries, cosmetics items, provisions, furniture, electrical lightings, local crafts, food items among many other items. It is a major depot for all sorts of foodstuff arriving from Northern part of Nigeria. This market shares boundary with Aba Cemetery, hence the name Cemetery Market. The market has lots of distributors, dealers and importers of different products.
- Alaoji Motor Parts Market is along the Aba Port Harcourt expressway. This is a market for vehicle spare parts both brand new and fairly used, accessories and auto mechanics. The market also has highly skilled and professional mechanics who repair and handle automobiles.
Supermarkets
3 Royal Supermarket, located at No. 77 Aba-Owerri Road, Abayi, Aba, ☏ +234 813 374 7464. Monday to Sunday, 7am-8pm. Royal Supermarket is superstore that sells varieties of quality and original products such as household items, beauty care products, food stuff, provisions, cosmetics, food items, toiletries among many others.\
4 Good Supermarket, located at 139 Mcc Road, Abayi, Aba, ☏ +234 818 423 6426. Monday-Saturday, 8am-6pm. Good Supermarket is an In-store shopping supermarket. They sell wines, beverages, gift items, groceries, toiletries among others.
5 Xenev supermarket, located at Km 10 Glass-Force Umuchichi Road, Aba, ☏ +234 803 672 5728. 8AM-7PM, Monday-Saturday. Xenev supermarket offers sales of food items, beverages, cosmetics, toiletries, wines, gift items and lots more.
Onyi Ejike Supermarket, located at No. 6B, Obohia Road, Aba South, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria, ☏ +234 81 54222605. Monday - Saturday, 8:00am - 8:00pm. Onyi Ejike Supermarket is one of the supermarkets in Aba that sale food items, beauty products, fashion wears, wines and beverages.
Eat
Food you can’t afford to miss while in Aba are, Abacha, Ofe Achara, Ofe Akwu and Rice, Ofe Oha, Ofe Onugbo, Ofe Egusi these can either go with pounded yam or fufu others are Fisherman soup, Banga, Afang and Edika Ikong.
- 1 Hybrid Super Restaurant, No. 162 Okigwe Road, Aba, ☏ +234 806 480 8766.. M-Sa 11AM-5PM. Their food menu is Ofe Achara, Ofe Akwu and Rice, Ofe Oha, Ofe Onugbo, Ofe Egusi. It also offers Indoor and Out door catering services. 300-400 naira. Delivery fee ₦400, min order ₦300.
- 2 Easy Life Restaurant, No. 7 Ovom Road, Ogbor Hill, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State, ☏ +234 806 458 3998. M-Sa 8AM-9PM.
- Petite Bouvet located at No. 85/ 113 Ikot Ekpene Road Aba, Oghor-Hill Aba, Abia State. Customer care line: +234 806 549 0092.
- Candies Fried Chicken located at No. 196 Cameroun Road, Aba, Abia State. Customer care line: +234 803 911 0977.
- Good Mother Eating House located at No. 221 Clifford Road, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria. Customer care line: +234 703 669 6491.
- Corporate Lodge located at No. 21 Park Road, Aba 450211, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria. Customer care line: +234 803 437 8899.
- My Dear Delicious Food located at Shop 4, Aba, Nigera. Customer care line: +234 813 726 0441.
Drink
The most popular dish you can get in a beer parlor are fresh fish or Nkwobi.
- 1 The Man Food, located at No. 67 Okigwe Road, Aba, ☏ +234 803 670 3502. Monday to Sunday, 9am-9pm.
- 2 Happybells cuisine and bar, located at No. 293 Aba-Owerri Road, Abayi, Aba, ☏ +234 810 063 4949. 8AM-8PM, Monday-Sunday.
- 3 Royal City Joint, located at No. 120 Power Line, Abayi 450222, Aba, ☏ +234 902 513 9943. Monday to Sunday, 8:30am-9:30pm.
Sleep
Budget
When it comes to accommodation, Aba hotels can be affordable, although there are not much luxurious hotels in Aba like most of the big cities in Nigeria, Aba hotels are comfortable and well managed with outstanding services. If your vacation or business trip is on budget, there are so many budget hotels you can lodge in. These hotels has affordable lodging properties and basic amenities and good comfort, for example amenities like coffeemaker, satellite TV and shuttle service.
1 Luxury City Royal, No. 84b, Aba-Owerri Road, ☏ +234 706 188 2007. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: 10AM. Luxury City Royal provided luxury facilities to her guest such as restaurant, bar/lounge, gift shop, security, 24 hours electricity, air conditions, free parking space, free internet access, a banquet hall, a meeting room, luggage storage, spa and a beauty salon, a fitness centre, a swimming pool, a conferencing facility, a business centre and a gym. There is also car hire service available and laundry/dry cleaning services are also available for guests on request. ₦11,000-35,000 per night.
2 City Global Hotel Ltd, No. 32 Ekenna Avenue off Okigwe Road, Aba, Abia State. City Global Hotel Ltd is a budget hotel. The price is pocket-friendly. The hotel has a restaurant and a bar. Each of the rooms has air-condition, a flat screen TV, a refrigerator and an en suite bathroom. Meals can be ordered at the onsite restaurant, while guests can enjoy soft and alcoholic drinks at the bar and lounge. Laundry and car hire services are surcharged. The hotel has event facilities. The hotel has onsite parking space and guarded by security personnel round the clock. ₦5,760-₦15,840.
Splurge
Visitors that want the best amenities and the most comfort in hotels in Aba. Few of the best and most expensive hotels or resorts in Aba area:
3 5 kilometer Hotel, Km 5 Along Ikot-Ekpene Road, Aba Abia State. Check-in: 12:00, Check-in: 12:00. 5 kilometer Hotel is a 4-star hotel and it has such facilities as restaurant, bar/lounge, laundry facilities, Room Service, 24 hours Security.
4 The Addrex Hotel & Suites Aba, No. 18 Opobo Rd, Ogbor Hill, Aba, ☏ +234 810 000 0895. The Addrex Hotel & Suites Aba has such facilities as restaurant, bar, swimming pool, free parking space, free breakfast, fitness centre and air conditioned rooms.
Stay safe
Aba could easily be described as a beautiful and serene environment couple with the gift of nature and the atmosphere is cool and conducive. Aba is also a big trading center and the major commercial city in Abia State and it is conducive for business due to the fact that it is an industrial area. over the years, the city has grown through several challenges. Though, despite all these challenges Aba can be said to be a a safe place due to a mix of her rich culture and business acumen. The city is open in terms of business, culture and religion both for residents and tourists and this makes it very easy for every one to get assimilated into the city.
Connect
The networks in certain parts of Aba can be very erratic at times. On certain days you cannot make a phone call at all or you will not be able to recharge your phone for the most of the day making business very difficult at times. But situation its occasional and that is the more reason why it is wise that travelers who wish to stay in Aba for a long term to make sure that they have at least two phones or a dual SIM phone.
Go next
From Aba, you can travel some other cities and states in Nigeria like:
- Akwa Ibom
- Port Harcourt
- Owerri
- Umuahia
- Ikot Ekpene
- Ikot Abasi (Opobo)
- Osisioma
- Afikpo