Awka, 25 Years After

By James Eze (eziokwubundu@gmail.com)

Awka was just a mere province when President Ibrahim Babangida carved out Anambra State from present Enugu and Ebonyi States and named Awka the capital. It was a pronouncement that placed a heavy burden on the hitherto sleepy town which had long earned a name from the exploits of its massively talented blacksmiths. As one of the Senatorial Zones at the time, Awka was also noted for its great sons and daughters including the cerebral Prof Kenneth Dike, the first black Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan who was clearly ahead of his time. There is also General Isaac Chikadibia Obiakor, first African Military Advisor to the UN on Peacekeeping Operations as well as Senator Ben Obi, former Presidential Adviser on politics among many others.

With its assumption of the status of the capital of Nigeria’s most endowed state in human capital terms, all eyes soon turned to Awka. Expectations were high as Nigerians wondered what Anambra’s famous citizens would do with their new state capital. In most people’s vision of Awka, it would not take time to see high rise buildings spring up to announce the emergence of what should be the new capital city of the South East. Hopes were high on the rapid evolution of a 21st Century city with dazzling boulevards and gleaming terrace homes.

25 years after, the great expectations that we all had of Awka have not quite come to pass. But there is a great beginning at the moment. Years of turbulent political brinkmanship and a seeming paucity of vision by successive leaders had left Awka as a wishful thought until now. In other words, for more than twenty of its twenty five odd years as a state capital, no administrator was able to figure a way out of the puzzle of turning Awka into a modern capital. Worse still, there were no landmarks or anything to remind a passer-by that he was within the range of the capital of a great state… a clear indication that while there was politics aplenty, there was not enough leadership.

At least not until APGA took over the state twelve years ago. Happily, Awka has dramatically evolved in the past two years to assert itself in the social matrix of the South East. While it does not have mazy boulevards and freeways yet, the stretch of the federal highway that snakes through it to Enugu has been transformed to a six-lane thoroughfare with three amazing flyovers that fittingly announce the ambition of the Obiano administration. Although they are not fully completed now, the flyovers have changed the face of Awka for good. The once sleepy town will fully transform into a city of light when the suspensions on the bridges are fully lighted on completion and they begin to splash a pool of incandescent light into the night skies to lure revelers out for the assorted pleasures the city offers in abundance.

Indeed, social life has since picked up in Awka on a scale that makes socialites predict that if security remains airtight in Anambra as is the case at the moment, Awka would soon become the entertainment capital of the South East, outstripping Owerri and Enugu with the economic power of Anambra youths, most of who often return to their villages on weekends out of habit.
Awka presents a fascinating social mosaic on Friday nights when the old night clubs and emerging new ones sizzle with offerings that keep the night endlessly young. There is also a slew of drinking bazaars and a pizazz of fun-vending outlets that offer more than what goes through the mouth. Pun intended!

Beyond the steamy nights and the tapestry of titillating offerings, Awka will soon acquire the full honours of a modern city with sparkling business districts and highbrow residential areas. In a manner of speaking, the Obiano administration has taken the matter onto its hands. The Awka Capital Development Authority (ACDA) has already concluded the aerial mapping of the city and all of Anambra with a view to deciding what should be built where. The agency, headed by debonair Arc Mike Okonkwo has also produced brilliant drawings and plans of an ultramodern city with contemporary motifs that combine the clockwork inefficiencies of Dubai, Seoul and Kigali with the African themes that fit into our peculiar environment. Sadly, the sudden slump in the nation’s economy which has wiped out revenues from the centre has slowed down the earlier programmed pace of work on the new Awka Capital City project. But it has not entirely killed the dream.

The good news about Awka is that unlike before, Anambra’s many illustrious sons and daughters have started buying up choice real estate and moving into locations to build. And if they could do it for many Nigerian and West African cities, they could certainly do it for our own Awka.



http:///forum/general-discussion/awka-emergence-mere-province-emerging-city

good development...

Awka @ night

More

More awka

U mean there is no single brown roof?
Wonderful!!!

manutdrichie:
U mean there is no single brown roof?
Wonderful!!!

Bruh...

Forget seat of power development, repair Umunya along Enugu expressway

I wish i were an iboman

manutdrichie:
U mean there is no single brown roof?
Wonderful!!!

the place is decent and purified .the buildings are new and habitable. Awka is ideal for relaxation for its fresh airy environment.

Ooni:
I wish i were an iboman

my bro,you are always welcome. one love

Keneking:
Forget seat of power development, repair Umunya along Enugu expressway

Fashola the tribalist is the minister of yorubaland only, he should have started work on that road

basilo101:

Fashola the tribalist is the minister of yorubaland only, he should have started work on that road

If our brother Jonathan could not do that road in 6 years when we had a lot of money is it now that oil price is low that u expect him to do it so quick??

Awka is one of the fastest growing cities in West Africa.

Newsi:
Awka is one of the fastest growing cities in West Africa.

It's fattening to know Abuja was created in 1970 while awka was created in 1991 meanwhile awka is giving Abuja a run for its money.

Keneking:
Forget seat of power development, repair Umunya along Enugu expressway

awka has been neglected for far too long...its just as important as every other part of anambra

Awka is fast becoming a big city, properties and rents are fast becoming costlier than in Onitsha, the newer parts of the emerging city looking neater and growing so fast

The government should start developing urban roads in the city. I mean standard dual carriages with streetlights

Location of Anambra in Nigeria
Coordinates: 6°20′N 7°00′E
Country  Nigeria
Date created 27 August 1991
Capital Awka
Government
 • Governor[1] Willie Obiano (APGA)
Area
 • Total 4,844 km2 (1,870 sq mi)
Area rank 35 of 36
Population (2006 census)1
 • Total 4,055,048
 • Rank 10 of 36
 • Density 840/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Anambrarian
GDP (PPP)
 • Year 2007
 • Total $11.83 billion[2]
 • Per capita $1,615[2]
Time zone WAT (UTC+01)
ISO 3166 code NG-AN
Website anambrastate.gov.ng



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anambra_State

This is nice, Awka looks better than how it was when I last visited

i came into awka in the year 2009 comparing then and now there is agreat difference in virtually all aspect. Ranging from infastrusture to interpersonal relationship. Then once you cant speak igbo they will think you are forming and they will give you some gap but now t. Virtually everyone can communicate in english. More inter city roads have being worked o though some of their indigenes or occupant when building house dont care about the distant from the main road and when govt map those building for violatinon nothing is done at the end. Ndi awka good people always proud of their land 'awka ba ayi'he town as turn to city

Ceenelly:
i came into awka in the year 2009 comparing then and now there is agreat difference in virtually all aspect. Ranging from infastrusture to interpersonal relationship. Then once you cant speak igbo they will think you are forming and they will give you some gap but now t. Virtually everyone can communicate in english. More inter city roads have being worked o though some of their indigenes or occupant when building house dont care about the distant from the main road and when govt map those building for violatinon nothing is done at the end. Ndi awka good people always proud of their land 'awka ba ayi'he town as turn to city

awka development was quick and surprising to us all

raker300:
It's fattening to know Abuja was created in 1970 while awka was created in 1991 meanwhile awka is giving Abuja a run for its money.

You're very stupiid for that statement.

WIZGUY69:



You're very stupiid for that statement.

wow. Take a chill pill bro

Rubbish!!!

I like this. If only they will emphasize on street sweeping

lacasera14:
Rubbish!!!

says a guy named after a soda

Hi!! Where i can find forum 'video'?

Awka

I think I have to start buying some landed properties and start establishing some investments in Awka...

I have decided that all my investments from now onwards will be facing east.
Nairaland has opened my eyes and made me know that we are not one and will never be in this country called Nigeria.
It's time every Igboman started directing their investments home.

For your soil tests ; contact me, Engr. Ezekiel@ 08060244464.....We deliver in all types of soil tests

Awka is now the fastest growing city in Africa.

Created in 1996