Ohafia is an Igbo town in the Ohafia local government area (LGA) in Abia State, Nigeria.[2][3] It is an Igbo speaking region. The ancestral capital of Ohafia town is the centrally located village of Elu. Ohafia Local Government Area, is an administrative jurisdiction assigned by the Nigeria Government, which covers the entire Ohafia villages and other towns such as Abiriba and Nkporo, with its Administrative Headquarters at Ebem Ohafia.[4]

Ohafia
LGA and Town
Ohafia is located in Nigeria
Ohafia
Ohafia
Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 5°37′N 7°50′E / 5.617°N 7.833°E / 5.617; 7.833
Country Nigeria
StateAbia State
Population
 (2022)[1]
 • Total358,200
 • Ethnicities
Igbo
Time zoneUTC+1 (WAT)
Postcode
442
Map

The ancestors of the Ohafia people were renowned as mighty warriors.[4][5] This aspect of the Ohafia peoples' history remains fundamental to the Ohafia people's sense of identity. The knitted warrior's cap or "leopard cap" (Igbo: Okpu agu)[4] is well known and is an associated product of Ohafia. The Ohafia warrior tradition is embodied in the performance of iri agha.[4]

Ohafia is home to the third largest military base in Nigeria, named Goodluck Jonathan Barracks after Nigeria's former President - Goodluck Jonathan. It houses the headquarters of the newly established 14 Brigade and 145 Battalion office complex of the Nigerian Army.

Ohafia encompasses twenty-six villages with population strength ranging between 300,000 and 400,000 as of 2022. And it is at a distance of 50.1 km away from the Capital city Umuahia in Abia State. The villages in Ohafia are Elu, Ibina (Ihenta), Nde Okala, Nde Anyaorie, Amuma, Amaekpu, Ebem, Nde Amogu, Okagwe, Nde Uduma Ukwu, Oboro, Nde Nku, Nkwebi, Amuke, Asaga, Ndi Uduma Awoke, Amankwu, Nde Ibe, Nde Orieke, Okon-aku, Amangwu, Ufiele, Eziafor, Abia, Akanu, Isiugwu.[6]

Geography/Climate

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The typical temperature in Ohafia Local Government Area is 27 degrees Celsius. With an average humidity of 59 percent, the region experiences two different seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. Ohafia Local Government Area is located in a region with a tropical savannah climate.[7]

Situated at an altitude of 103.0 meters (337.93 feet) above sea level, Ohafia experiences a Tropical Monsoon climate (Designation: Am). The area's annual temperature averages at 30.82 °C (87.48 °F), which is slightly 1.36% higher than the national averages in Nigeria. Ohafia usually receives approximately 294.96 millimeters (11.61 inches) of rainfall with 284.21 rainy days, accounting for 77.87% of the year.[8]

Economy

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In Ohafia Local Government Area, trade is a significant economic activity. The region is home to various marketplaces, including the Amavo central market, where a wide variety of goods are bought and sold. The Local Government Area's residents work primarily in agriculture, growing products including yam, cassava, melon, and vegetables there in significant amounts. The residents of Ohafia Local Government Area also work in the fields of food processing, blacksmithing, and wood carving.[7][9]

Localities

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Villages and Towns.[10]

  • Nkporo
  • Okon-Aku
  • Amangwu-Ohafia
  • Ohofor-Ohafia
  • Oma-Ohafia
  • Ebem-Ohafia
  • Aro-Ngwa
  • Amasa
  • Oso-Akwa
  • Ama-Asato
  • Amavo
  • Umunneise
  • Isiama-Ohafia
  • Nbem-Ohafia
  • Abiriba

Notable people

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  • Uma Ukpai, a Christian leader, an international evangelist, and preacher from Nigeria[11]
  • Ogbugo Kalu, former army officer who served in both the Nigerian Army and Biafran Army[12]
  • Eni Njoku, first black vice chancellor of University of Lagos and University of Nigeria Nsukka. The pioneer professor of botany in Nigeria.[13]
  • Ruggedman, Afro-rap artiste
  • Ezinne Kalu, Female Basketball player
  • J. Martins, Afro-pop artiste[14][15][16]
  • Ike Nwachukwu, military officer, former governor of old Imo state, diplomat and former senator
  • Ebitu Ukiwe, military officer, former military governor of Lagos state and Niger State, former chief of general staff (de facto vice president) to General Babangida's military government[17]
  • Kalu Idika Kalu is a former finance minister of Nigeria, minister of national planning and transportation minister. He served twice as the minister of finance.[3] He was a presidential aspirant in the 2003 Nigeria general elections, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the platform of The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).[18][19][20][21]
  • Chief Ojo Maduekwe, a former minister of culture and tourism (1999), minister of transportation (2000–2003), minister of foreign affairs (2007–2010 and national secretary to the People Democratic Party.[22][23][24]
  • Chief Umeh Kalu, He served as the Attorney General of Abia State and Commissioner for Justice of Abia State. Office: Attorney General of Abia State (Since 2007), Previous office: Attorney General of Abia State (2009 - 2019), Education: Nigerian Law School · Imo State University.[25][26][27]
  • Ude Oko Chukwu, former deputy Governor Abia State (2015 - 2023), former speaker 5th Abia state house of Assembly.[28][29][30]

References

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  1. ^ "Abia State: Subdivision". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  2. ^ "Abia 2023: Ohafia Stakeholders Back Emenike - THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  3. ^ Report, Agency (2022-08-30). "Ohafia Stakeholders Set Governance Agenda For Emenike". Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  4. ^ a b c d "A Brief Description of Ohafia". Archived from the original on 2009-04-29. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  5. ^ McCall, John (1993). "Dancing the past: experiencing historical knowledge in Ohafia, Nigeria". Passages. hdl:2027/spo.4761530.0006.006.
  6. ^ "Ohafia Postal Code | Post Code | Zip Code List". nigeriapostal.com. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  7. ^ a b "Ohafia Local Government Area". www.manpower.com.ng. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
  8. ^ "Ohafia, Abia, NG Climate Zone, Monthly Averages, Historical Weather Data". weatherandclimate.com. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  9. ^ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272459651_Performance_Of_Livestock_Farmers_Under_Special_Programme_For_Food_Security_In_Ohafia_Agricultural_Zone_Abia_State_Nigeria [bare URL]
  10. ^ "Ohafia Local Government Area". www.finelib.com. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  11. ^ "UKPAI, Dr. (Rev.) Uma". 30 March 2017.
  12. ^ "Ohafia honours Kalu, for rescuing school". The Sun Nigeria. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  13. ^ "Victor Kalu: Exit of an iconic scholar". The Sun Nigeria. 2017-02-24. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  14. ^ "'My father attempted to kill me thrice for becoming a musician' – J.Martins | Encomium Magazine". 31 December 2015. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  15. ^ BellaNaija.com (2012-01-03). "BN Bytes: Time to Jupa! Nigerian Star J Martins & Nnezi Diana Mbila say their traditional "I Dos"". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  16. ^ "J. Martins acquires Rolls Royce Phantom, G-Wagon 550". Vanguard News. 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  17. ^ "The symbolism of CAMP NEYA - Country Home Of Senator Orji Kalu — AbaCityBlog". abacityblog.com. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  18. ^ "The huge debt burden and how we got there (2)". Vanguard News. 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  19. ^ "Kalu Idika's mum dies at 100". The Sun Nigeria. 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  20. ^ "How Nigeria can end agitations, threat of war —Kalu Idika Kalu". Tribune Online. 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  21. ^ Tv, Bn (2017-02-16). "Ex Finance Minister Kalu Idika Kalu shares his thoughts on Nigeria's Economic Recovery & Growth Plan | WATCH". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  22. ^ "15 things you probably didn't know about late Ojo Maduekwe". Punch Newspapers. 2016-06-30. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  23. ^ "INTERVIEW: How Voice of Nigeria, VON, was badly mismanaged, with 6 of 8 transmitters lost – DG, Okechukwu | Premium Times Nigeria". 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  24. ^ "Ojo Maduekwe (1945-2016)". The Sun Nigeria. 2016-07-14. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  25. ^ "Excellence begets Excellence: The story of Chief Umeh Kalu, SAN". The Sun Nigeria. 2019-11-30. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  26. ^ "When Abia Attorney joined community's senior citizens". The Sun Nigeria. 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  27. ^ "My 10 years of intrigue, blackmail as attorney-general — Ex-Abia Commissioner for Justice Umeh Kalu". Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics. 2019-11-29. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  28. ^ "Insecurity: Why boundary disputes, clashes remain intractable – Oko Chukwu, Abia Deputy Gov". Vanguard News. 2021-03-15. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  29. ^ "Again, unknown gunmen raze Abia police station, kill two cops in A'Ibom". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  30. ^ "Abia Deputy Gov's community denies involvement in land dispute". The Sun Nigeria. 2021-02-16. Retrieved 2021-06-28.