Salt of the Nation

Ebonyi State

Abakaliki

Ebonyi State is a state of Nigeria, in the south of the Eastern region. It is inhabited and populated primarily by Igbo. Its capital and largest city is Abakaliki. It is one of the six states created in 1996 by the Abacha government. Ebonyi was created from parts of both Enugu State and Abia State. It is the location of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu.

LGAs

year of Creation

Some Facts

Economy

There are ten primary languages spoken in Ebonyi State: Afikpo, Mgbo, Izzi, Ezaa, Edda, Ikwo, Kukele, Legbo, Mbembe,Okposi,Uburu and Oring. These languages are all subgroups of the Igbo language and are commonly spoken throughout south eastern Nigeria.

There are a variety of colourful dances in the State. The notable ones are the "Nkwa Umuagbogho" of Ehugbo, "Nkwa Nwite" of Ehugbo, "Oji anya lere" of Amasiri, "Uri" and "Akpoha lgurube" and the "Dibugwu" cultural dances of OgbuEdda. Traditional industries and works of art include blacksmithing at Ezza and pottery works at Ishiagu in lvo LGA. Other works of art produced in the State include carved doors and stools, walking sticks, tra ditional flutes, wooden mortars and pestles.

Geography

With a land area of about 5,935 sq. km, Ebonyi State is popularly known as the ‘Salt of the Nation’ apparently because of the large deposits of salt water in the state. The State shares a border with Benue State to the North, Enugu State to the west, Imo and Abia States to the south and Cross River State to the east.

Ebonyi State has an estimated population of 4,339,136 based on the 2005 census and the inhabitants are spread across 5,935 square kilometers. The state is predominantly dominated by the Igbos with other minority ethnic groups from neighbouring states.

Agriculture

Ebonyi is primarily an agricultural region. It is a leading producer of rice, yam, potatoes, maize, beans, and cassava in Nigeria. Rice and yams are predominantly cultivated in Edda, a region within the state. Ebonyi has several solid mineral resources, including lead, crude oil, and natural gas, but few large-scale commercial mines.

The state government has, however, given several incentives to investors in the agro-allied sector to encourage production. Ebonyi is called "the salt of the nation" for its huge salt deposit at the Okposi and Uburu Salt Lakes.