Modern-day Akwa Ibom State has been inhabited by various ethnic groups for hundreds of years, primarily the closely related Ibibio, Annang, and Oron peoples in the North-East, North-West, and Southern zones of the state, respectively.[11]
Economically, Akwa Ibom State is based around the production of crude oil and natural gas as highest oil-producing state in the country.[12] Key minor industries involve agriculture as the state has substantial cocoyam, yam, and plantain crops along with fishing and heliciculture. Despite its vast oil revenues, Akwa Ibom has the seventeenth highestHuman Development Index in the country in large part due to years of systemic corruption.[13][14][15]
Economy
Akwa-Ibom State's economy is based on the production of crude oil and natural gas. It produces the most oil of any state in the country.[16] It includes the following oil- producing Local Government Areas: Ibeno, Mbo, and Eastern Obolo.[17]
Key minor industries are based on agriculture; the state has substantial cocoyam, yam, and plantain crops, along with fishing and heliciculture.
In the pre-colonial period, what is now Akwa Ibom State was divided into various city-states like the Ibom Kingdom and Akwa Akpa before they later became a British protectorate in 1884 as a part of the Oil Rivers Protectorate.[21] Prior to the British colonization, no central government had existed among the people of what is now Akwa Ibom State. The various ethnic peoples were largely organized into clan communities, based on kinship and relations.
Several Scottish missionaries went to Calabar in 1848, and Ibono in 1887. The British government did not attempt to establish more control over the area until 1904. In that year, they organized the Enyong Division, encompassing the area of the current state of Akwa Ibom, with headquarters at Ikot Ekpene, a predominately Annang city. Noted Africanist Kaanan Nair, noted this city as the cultural and political capital of the Annang and Ibibio peoples. The greater Southeast was largely dominated by the majority Igbo people. The creation of Enyong Division encouraged collaboration among the numerous minority ethnic groups in the area. They created the Ibibio Welfare Union, later renamed Ibibio State Union. This social organization was first established as a local development and improvement forum for educated African persons and groups who in 1929 were still excluded from the colonial administration. It was dominated by British colonists and their appointees.[citation needed][22]
In the early 1900s, the British actually gained formal control of the area before incorporating the protectorate (now renamed the Niger Coast Protectorate) into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate which later merged into British Nigeria; after the merger, much of modern-day Akwa Ibom became a centre of anti-colonial resistance during the Women's War and political activism through the Ibibio State Union.[23]
After independence in 1960, the area of now-Akwa Ibom was a part of the post-independence Eastern Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the South-Eastern State. Less than two months afterwards, the Igbo-majority former Eastern Region attempted to secede as the state of Biafra; in the three-year long Nigerian Civil War, now-Akwa Ibom was hard-fought over in the prelude to the Invasion of Port Harcourt while people from Akwa Ibom were persecuted by the Biafran forces as they were mainly non-Igbos.[24] At the war's end and the reunification of Nigeria, the South-Eastern State was reformed until 1976 when it was renamed Cross River State.
This division resulted in the creation of the state of Akwa Ibom, Uyo was chosen as the state capital in order to encourage development in all regions of the state.[26]
Climate
Akwa Ibom has a tropical monsoonclimate (Classification: Am) and is 42.58 meters (139.7 feet) above sea level. The city's average annual temperature is -0.99% lower than Nigeria's averages at 28.47 °C (83.25 °F). 342.56 millimeters (13.49 inches) of precipitation and 294.37 rainy days (80.65% of the time) are typical annual totals for Akwa Ibom.[27][28]
The Akwa Ibom region regularly has tropical monsoons. All year long, there are high temperatures and a lot of rain. The region of Akwa Ibom has an average yearly temperature of 60 degrees and 672 inches of precipitation. The average humidity is 80% and the UV-index is 7. It is dry for only 52 days of the year.[29]
The climate of Akwa Ibom is tropical with significant rainfall and a short dry season.[30][31][32]
Government
Politics in Akwa Ibom State are dominated by the three main ethnic groups: the Ibibio, Annang, and Oro. Of these three, the Ibibio remain the majority and have held sway in the state since its creation.
Ministries, Departments and Agencies
The list of ministries in Akwa Ibom State include the following:[33]
The main ethnic groups of the state include:Ibibio,Anaang, Oro and Obolo.
Religion
The people of Akwa Ibom are predominantly Christians.
976,791 Catholics (2020) in the two dioceses of Uyo[1] (1989) with 74 parishes under Bishop John Ebebe Ayah (2014), and Ikot Ekpene (1963) with 53 parishes under Bishop Camillus Raymond Umoh (2010), both suffragans of the Archdiocese of Calabar.
Like their Efik neighbors of Cross River State, people of Akwa Ibom speak various dialects of the Ibibio-Efik languages, which belong to the Benue–Congo language family, forming part of the Niger–Congo group of languages with close affinity to the Igbos with whom they share some language and cultural similarities due to many centuries of inter-tribal relationships between the Igbos of Arochukwu kingdom even before the advent of the colonial Europeans.
The following table lists languages of Akwa Ibom State, and the local government areas in which they are spoken:[36]
The current part of Akwa Ibom State that was within the former Calabar Kingdom, was the first site of Western education in Nigeria. The Hope Waddell Training Institute was founded at Calabar in 1895, and the Methodist Boys' High School, Oron in 1905. Other top schools, such as the Catholic seminaries Holy Family College at Abak and Regina Coeli College in Essene, were also soon founded.
Some educational institutes in the state today are:
Obong Victor Attah, former governor of Akwa Ibom State[45]
Hilda Baci, known for breaking the Guinness World Record for longest cooking marathon.[46]
Nathaniel Bassey is a Nigerian gospel music minister and RCCG Pastor from Uyo L.G.A, in Akwa Ibom state.
Moses Bliss, is a Nigerian gospel singer, worship leader and songwriter.
Bnxn, Daniel Etiese Benson (born 14 May 1997), known professionally as Bnxn (pronounced as Benson) and formerly known as Buju, is a Nigerian Afro-fusion singer, songwriter and record producer.
Obong Ufot Ekaette, secretary to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo[51]
Dominic Ekandem first cardinal in English-speaking West Africa. First Nigerian Cardinal to qualify as a candidate to the papacy.[52]
Senator (Engr.) Chris Ekpenyong Former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State in the Victor Attah administration and former Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly.[53]
Engr. Patrick Ekpotu, former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State[54]
Obong Akpan Isemin, elected governor of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria from January 1992 to November 1993 during the Nigerian Third Republic[citation needed]
Clement Isong, second governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; first civilian governor of the former Cross River State[63]
Emem Isong, multi-award winning filmmaker and CEO of Royal Arts Academy[64]
Young Jonn, John Saviours Udomboso known professionally as young Jonn is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer.
Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke, the 11th Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and the Pioneer Speaker of the Nigeria Youth Parliament[65]
Group Capt. Idongesit Nkanga, former military governor of Akwa Ibom State[66]
Samuel Peter, world heavyweight boxing champion[67]
William Troost-Ekong, is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Super League Greece club PAOK
Egbert Udo Udoma, from Ikot Abasi, former chief justice of Uganda[68][69]
Professor Okon Uya was briefly chairman of the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), appointed by President Ibrahim Babangida after the presidential elections of 12 June 1993 had been annulled and his predecessor Humphrey Nwosu dismissed.[71]
Politics
The State government is led by a democratically elected governor who works closely with the state house of assembly. The capital city of the state is Uyo.[72]
Electoral system
The electoral system of each state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two -third of the State local government Areas. If no candidate passes threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government Areas.[73]
Notable places.
Four points by Sheraton Ikot Ekpene. It's a hotel located at the heart of Ikot Ekpene town. Four Points by Sheraton Ikot Ekpene has an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, a terrace and restaurant in Ikot Ekpene, with free WiFi access as well.
Akwa Ibom state has one of Nigerians international stadiums situated in Uyo which was named after the former Governor Godswill Akpabio. The stadium has hosted both local and international matches of the Nigeria football team.[74]
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External links
akwaibomstate.gov.ng: Official website of the Akwa Ibom State Government
Pastor Nathaniel Bassey, Moses Bliss and Jimmy D Psalmist also made the list of 2022 Owwre.com Top 10 Nigerian Gospel Music Artists from Akwa Ibom State.