Abia State

Abia

God's Own State

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National War Museum, Umuahia

The National War Museum in Umuahia was established in 1985. The museum has a collection of objects of traditional and modern warfare. There are also outdoor displays of warships, military aircrafts, armoured tanks, and "Ogbunigwe" (bombs produced locally by Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War).

Photograph by George Osodi
Arochukwu Long Juju Cave Complex

The Arochukwu Long Juju Cave Complex is in the Arochukwu LGA and is a significant cultural tourist site. The cave contains the shrine of Ibn Ukpabi whose oracle pronounced judgements in disputes among the Aro Igbo people. Those found guilty were believed to be the property of the gods and were sold as slaves or retained to serve the priests and gods. The National Commission for Museums and Monuments submitted the site in 2007 for inclusion among the UNESCO World Heritage sites .

In the nearby village of Ujari there is a slave memorial museum.

Picture source: Jungle Journalist
A woman making traditional Akwete cloth © Lisa Aronson

Akwete weavers can be found in Akwete in the Ukwa East LGA of Abia State. The cloth they weave is made from cotton, silk, raffia and wool threads and is created using locally fabricated handlooms. A pair of these intricately-designed cloths can take up to two years to complete.

Photograph by Lisa Aronson
Azumini Blue River

The Azumini Blue River is in the Ukwa East LGA of Abia State. The river which is clear and blue with sandy banks is a major tourist site in the state. It has natural swimming pools which attract visitors from within and outside the state.
Amakama Wooden Cave

The Amakama Wooden Cave is in the Umuahia South LGA. The 'cave' is a hollow in a tree large enough to hold up to twenty people. It was a place of refuge during times of war and slave raids.
Ngodo and Other Caves

The Ngodo Cave in the Umunneochi LGA, which contains stalactites and stalagmites, is prominent among a number of rock caves in different parts of Abia State. Other caves include the Uhuchukwu Cave in the Isuikwuato LGA, Ulochukwu Abiama Cave in the Bende LGA, the Eziofia Cave in the Ohafia LGA and the Onulbina Cave in the Arochukwu LGA.
National War Museum, Umuahia

The National War Museum in Umuahia was established in 1985. The museum has a collection of objects of traditional and modern warfare. There are also outdoor displays of warships, military aircrafts, armoured tanks and the "Ogbunigwe" (bombs produced locally by Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War).
National Museum of Colonial History, Aba

The National Museum of Colonial History in Aba was opened in 1985. The museum's building, which is also a national monument, was brought in from Britain in the 1890s and assembled at Akwete to serve as a trade station. Its collection consists of objects relating to the colonial period in Nigeria and the country’s path to nationhood, old Nigerian money and relics of the slave trade era.
Museum of Antiquities, Ujari

The Museum of Antiquities is in Ujari in the Arochukwu LGA of Abia State. Its collection includes objects from the period of the slave trade, as well as items exchanged over the years through commerce and confiscated during various wars.
Chief Okoroji's House, Arochukwu

Chief Okoroji's house in Arochukwu was declared a monument in 1963 by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. It is thought to have been built in the 1880s. The interior is decorated with various 19th century objects which include rare brass spiral manillas, slave chains, cannons, swords, guns and a shrine.
Obu House, Elu Ohafia

Obu House in Elu Ohafia was declared a monument in 1963 by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. Its roof is supported by pillars on which masquerades, warriors, geometrical patterns and women are intricately carved.
Chief Ochu Kalu's House, Ndi Okereke Abam

Chief Ochu Kalu's House in Ndi Okereke Abam was declared a monument in 1963 by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. The building has a central court surrounded by four wings. A room in the south wing was used for ritual sacrifices and contains a cell in which the victim was kept. The building has a number of richly decorated doors and the west wing has an intricately carved pillar to which antelope horns are attached.
Omo Ukwu of the Ndi Ezera Clan, Ohafia

Omo Ukwu of the Ndi Ezera clan in Ohafia was declared a National Monument in 1963. Omo Ukwu is a temple adorned with intricately carved figures. Painted on its walls are a series of geometric patterns. Twenty-two life-sized figures stand along its inside walls. Omo Ukwu is a temple adorned with intricately carved figures. Painted on its walls are a series of geometric patterns. Twenty-two full sized figures stand along its inside walls.
Iwaji Festival

The most significant festival in Abia State is the annual New Yam Festival (also known as Iwaji) celebrated in thanksgiving to the gods for a good harvest. It is usually held at the end of the rainy season in early August.