Awka

Understand

thumb|Nnamdi_Azikiwe_University_main_gate_Awka thumb|Aroma flyover, Awka, Anambra state 01 Awka is one of the oldest settlements in Igboland, established at the centre of the Nri civilisation, which produced the earliest documented bronze works in Sub-Saharan Africa, around 800 AD, and was the cradle of Igbo civilisation.

The city was declared capital of Anambra State in 1991 when the state was created. It hosts two primary universities, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (owned by the Federal government) and Paul University (run by the Anglican church).

The town lies at about 40 km east of the Niger from Onitsha and shares boundaries with Nibo, Amawbia, Isiagu, Okpuno and Amansea. It stretches from about km 40 North of Onitsha/Enugu road to about km 50 towards the South on the same road and as one travels along the Onitsha/Enugu road, one observes Amansea town and the village of Umuokpu which is a part of Awka. A distance about 20 km mark the beginning and the end of the area from Achalla to Nise starting at the boundary with Agulu in Aniocha local government area, the town stretches over a distance of about 26 km.

The city is about 200 km (125 miles) by road directly north of Port Harcourt. A network of roads connects Awka with Onitsha, Enugu, and Ihiala. Awka is located midway between two major cities in Northern Igboland such as Onitsha and Enugu state.

Get around

Like most cities in Nigeria, transportation in Awka is based primarily on motorcycle, tricycle, bus, taxis or private car.

Do

The people of Awka perform many festivals annually. The period of each festival is determined by counting the appearance of the moon so that each native month has its own festivals. Festivals in Awka involve diverse cultural activities which portray the glamour of the city’s indigenous way of life. These festivals are a unifying force which binds the people of Awka together. These festivals are occasions for merriment and seasoned with a purpose attached to different aspects of a city’s life. It is usually a period of rest from strenuous daily activities, giving people quality leisure time to consume all the entertaining cultural aesthetics of the event. Through ages, Awka traditional festivals with their associated cultural display have sustained cultural uniformity amongst Awka people and neighbouring towns. thumb|Awka whip Masquerade cultural dance The Uzo-iyi Festival comes up annually and it is a show of the rich cultural festival of the Igbo with the unique attributes of the people of Umuoji. This age long festival was aimed at appreciating God for the bumper harvest of the previous year as well as soliciting for his blessing as another farming season sets in. During the festival, the masquerades mainly consist of animal masquerades drawn from the twenty three villages that made up Awka. This festival always drew multitudes of people from different states and Awka at large. Ika Agba Festival is one of the top cultural festivals in Nigeria. It is usually being celebrate…

Eat

There are one stop restaurants at Awka available for visitors and travellers to stop by and have a sumptuous meal. Prominent among these restaurants include:

Drink

There are nice joints and bars in Awka where visitors can go and enjoy themselves.