IMO STATE

Date Created: February 1976

Capital: Owerri

Major Towns: Okigwe, Orlu, Oguta, Nkwerre, Owerri and Mbaise.

Imo State was created on 3rd February, 1976. The state is bounded by Anambra state to the north, Abia state to the east, and Delta and Rivers to the west and south respectively.

It has a total of 27 local government areas as at 1996. They are Aboh-Mbaise, Ahiazu-Mbaise, Ezinihite, Ideato South, Ihitte/Uboma, ikeduru, Mbaitoli, Obowo, Nkwerre, Orsu, Orlu, Oguta, Ngor Okpala, Ohaji Egbema, Okigwe, Isiala-Mbano, Owerri, Oru and Owerri West. Others are Owerri North, Oru West, Isu, Onuimo, Nwangele, Njaba, Ehime-Mbano and Ideato North.

Imo State has many rivers. The main rivers in the state are Imo, Otamiri and Njaba. The major lakes are Oguta and Abadaba.

The State is blessed with abundant natural resources. These include crude oil, lead, zinc, white clay, fine sand, limestone and natural gas in commercial quantities. The state also produces agricultural produce such as palm produce, cocoa and rubber. The main staple crops are yam, cassava and maize.

Education is given priority in the state. In the 1996 school year. Imo State primary school enrolment was 561,214. There are currently 2,040 primary schools, 305 secondary schools, 15 private secondary schools, four Technical Colleges and 65 approved private vocational/commercial colleges in Imo State. Total enrolment for secondary school in the 1996 school year was 186,026. Enrolment in technical colleges and vocational/commercial colleges for the same year was 22,650. Total number of teachers in both primary and secondary for the same was 22,121.

There are five institutions of higher learning in the state namely: Imo State University, Owerri, Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri; Federal University of Science and Technology, Owerri, Michael Okpara College of Agriculture, Umuagwu; and the Polytechnic, Nekede.

In the industrial sector, major state-owned industries in Imo State include: Standard Shoes Company, Owerri, which produces different types of footwear; Clay Products; Ezinachi-Okigwe, which produces burnt bricks for all kinds of buildings; Sack Hercules, Owerri, which assembles motor-cycles and bicycles; Nsu tile Factory, Ehime-Mbano, Imo Health Foods Limited, Ubakalo, Adapalm Nigeria Limited; Imo Modern Poultry Limited, Avutu-Obowo; Modern Produce Inspection Laboratory, Owerri, and Oguta Motels Limited, Oguta.

Industries under partnership include - Fuason Industries, Owerri, which produces galvanized iron sheets, the Afrik Enterprises, Awo-Omama, a pharmaceutical company, Imo Concord Hotel, Owerri. Industries that had been partially privatized include card packaged Industry, Orlu, Resin Paints Limited, Aboh Mbaise and Aluminium Extrusion Industry, Inyisi. Industries in the private sector include Sab Spare Parts and Allied Accessories, Okigwe, which make motor-spare parts, Oma Pharmaceutical, Awomoma, which produces drugs and medicines,Magil Industries Atta, which makes steel, sponge, bread, polythene and paper.

In the area of health care services, there are 45 mission hospitals, 2 jointly-owned hospitals, 346 private hospitals/clinics and maternity homes. There are also three Federal/ State/Local Government Basic Health Service Clinics and a total of 37 dispensaries. The State Government has a School of Nursing located at Owerri and a School of Midwifery at Aboh-Mbaise. The schools breed nurses/midwives who serve in government and private medical institutions Voluntary agency schools of nursing/midwifery operate in the State, thus complementing the efforts of the government in the production of pare-medical staff.

As regards tourism there are many tourist centres in Imo State. An outstanding tourist attraction is the Mbari located at Ikenegbu. The Mbari centre boasts of various artefacts which depict the cultural heritage of the people. The Amphi-Theatre is another gigantic work of art in the state. The theatre which has 3,000 sitting capacity is a promotion of the national objective on culture as well as modern effort to preserve our cultural heritage.

Other places of tourist interest in the State include the Oguta Lake Holiday Resort with its sand beach measuring one kilometre by 50 metres. 18 - hole golf course, colonial building with its attractive scenery and various species of birds. There are also the rolling hills of Okigwe where hill locks of varying heights and-ruggedness add to the fascinating environment.