Owerri Chukwukadibia
A road in Owerri
Motto:  Heartland
Owerri Owerri in Nigeria
Coordinates: 5°29′06″N 7°02′06″E / 5.485°N 7.035°E / 5.485; 7.035
Country	Nigeria
State	Imo
LGA	Owerri Municipal, Owerri North, Owerri West. Owerri capital territory consist of 4 local governments; Owerri Municipal, Owerri North, Owerri West and Part of Mbaitoli
Government [1]
• Type	Executive Chairman-Council
• Governing body	Local Government Council
• Party	APC
• Chairman	Emma Odor (Owerri Municipal); Henry Njoku (Owerri North); Henry Onwukwe (Apiti) (Owerri West)
Population  (2016)[2]
• Total	1,401,873
	Disputed estimate
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
Postcode	460...[3]
Area code	083
National language	Igbo
Website	imostate.gov.ng

Owerri (/oʊˈwɛri/ oh-Way-Ray,^[4] Igbo: Owèrrè)^[5] is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland.^[6] It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas including Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West, it has an estimated population of about 1,401,873 as of 2016 and is approximately 100 square kilometres (40 sq mi) in area. Owerri is bordered by the Otamiri River to the east and the Nworie River to the south.^[7] The Owerri Slogan is Heartland.

History

Owerri was founded by in the 14 century CE by Ekwem Oha.^[8]

Owerri was the last of three capitals of the Republic of Biafra in 1969.^[9] The capital of the secessionist state was continuously being moved as Nigerian troops captured the older capitals. Enugu and Umuahia were the other capitals before Owerri. Present-day Owerri does contain some statuary memorializing the war, particularly in locations which suffered heavy bombing, but most war artifacts and history are located in the museum at Umuahia, Abia State. On 5th April 2021, a mass prison break happened in Owerri, in which 1,844 inmates were released.^[10] It is alleged that the Eastern Security Network was responsible for the attack.^[11]

Transport and trade

A Roundabout in Owerri

Owerri has an airport 23 kilometres (14 mi) southeast of the city, called the Imo Airport, located in Obiangwu, Ngor Okpala LGA. The Airport (Sam Mbakwe Airport) provides flight services to Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Enugu. Right now, it serves as an alternate for Port Harcourt. Sam Mbakwe (Imo) International Cargo Airport is now an International Cargo Airport. Some major roads that go through the city are; Port Harcourt Rd., Aba Rd., Onitsha Rd., and Okigwe Rd. Roads within the city are; Douglas Rd. , Weatheral Rd., Tetlow Rd., and Works Rd. Relief market is the main market in Owerri after the demolition of Eke Ukwu Owere.

Owerri sits in the rain forest and produces many agricultural products, such as yams, cassava, taro, corn, rubber and palm products. Owerri also sits on huge crude oil and natural gas reserves like most of the Igbo land areas.

Climate

Owerri has a tropical wet climate according to the Köppen-Geiger system. Rain falls for most months of the year with a brief dry season. The Harmattan affects the city in the early periods of the dry season and it is noticeably less pronounced than in other cities in Nigeria. The average temperature is 26.4 °C.

Education

Food

One major food that is particular to the Owerri people is known as ofe owerri (ofe means soup, while Owerri is the capital of Imo state). It is sometimes referred to as the king of soup and in some Igbo communities, beautiful women are sometimes likened to Ofe Owerri. Ingredients for the soup, include snails, ponmo (cow skin), goat meat, okporoko (dried hake fish), dried fish, oporo (smoked prawns), grounded dried crayfish, wraps of ogili (fermented soya beans), fresh pepper, grounded dried pepper, grounded uziza seeds (Ashanti pepper), cocoyam, palm oil, sliced ugu leaves (pumpkin leaves), sliced oha leaves, sliced uziza leaves, stock cubes, achi powder and salt.^[15]

Sports

Owerri has a major Nigerian football club: Heartland F.C. It was known previously as Iwuanyawu Nationale, but the team retained its nickname: The Naze Millionaires. Popular super Eagle players hails from owerri, people like Emmanuel Emenike, Kelechi Iheanacho who played for major English clubs like Manchester City F.C. and Leicester City F.C., Former Inter Milan, Arsenal, Portsmouth F.C. striker and Nigeria national football team player Nwankwo Kanu was born and raised in Owerri. He attended Holy Ghost College,^[16] a renowned local secondary school in the Owerri town.

Religion

Christianity is the dominant religion in Owerri. Catholics and Anglicans have the largest followings and Owerri is home to Assumpta Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri (Latin: Archidioecesis Overriensis) and the Seat of Wisdom Seminary. The archdiocese covers an area of 2,996 square kilometres. 670,986 of the 1.7 million people in the area are members of the Catholic Church. All Saints Cathedral, Egbu is the first and Largest Anglican Church in Owerri and the home of first Igbo translated Bible.

Notable people

• Obed Ariri, footballer and American football player
• Luchy Donalds, actress

Gallery

• 
  Freedom Square Owerri,Imo State
• 
  Freedom Square Owerri
• 
  Statues in Heroes Square Owerri, Imo state
• 
  Freedom Park Owerri
• 
  Akachi Monument, Owerri, Imo state
• 
  Assumpta Cathedral Owerri
• 
  Otamiri River in Egbu, Owerri

See also

• Ihitte Ogwa

References