Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria. It is located in the coastal southern part of the country, lying between latitudes 4°32′N and 5°33′N, and longitudes 7°25′E and 8°25′E. The state is located in the South-South geopolitical zone, and is bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost tip of Cross River State.
Akwa Ibom is one of Nigeria’s 36 states, with a population of over five million people. The state was created in 1987 by Ibrahim Babangida from the former Cross River State and is currently the highest oil- and gas-producing state in the country. The state’s capital is Uyo, with over 500,000 inhabitants. Akwa Ibom has an airport and two major seaports on the Atlantic Ocean with a proposed construction of a world-class seaport Ibaka Seaport at Oron. The state also boasts of a 30,000-seat ultramodern sports complex. It is shaped like the Allianz arena stadium and it has modern and world-class facilities. Akwa Ibom state is also home to the Ibom E-Library, a world-class information centre. In addition to English, the main spoken languages are Ibibio, Annang, Eket and Oron.
The region of the state was created out of Cross River State on September 23, 1987 by the then Military Administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.
Demography
The people are predominantly Christian. The main ethnic groups of the state are:
Ibibio
Anaang
Oron
Eket
Obolo
Including their Efik brothers and sisters of Cross River State, they speak various dialects of the Efik-Ibibio language, which belongs to the Benue–Congo language family, which forms part of the Niger–Congo group of languages.
Despite the homogeneity, no central government existed among the people of what is now Akwa Ibom State prior to the British invasion in 1904. Instead, the Annang, Oron, Efik, Ibonos and Ibibio were all autonomous groups.
Although several Scottish missionaries arrived in Calabar in 1848, and Ibono in 1887, the British did not firmly establish control of the area until 1904. In that year, the Enyong Division was created encompassing the area of the current state of Akwa Ibom, with headquarters at Ikot Ekpene, an Annang city described by the noted Africanist Kaanan Nair, as the cultural and political capital of Annang and Ibibio.[citation needed]
The creation of Enyong Division for the first time allowed the numerous ethnic groups to come together. This further provided a venue for the creation of the Ibibio Welfare Union, later renamed Ibibio State Union. This social organization was first organized as a local development and improvement forum for educated persons and groups who were shut out from the colonial administration in 1929. Nonetheless, some historians have wrongly pointed to the union to buttress their argument about the homogeneity of groups in the area.[citation needed] The Obolo Union, comprising Ibono and Andoni stock, was another strong socioeconomic and cultural organization that thrived in the region. The Ibono people have fought wars to maintain their unique identity and territory in the region more than any other group.
When Akwa Ibom state was created in 1987, Uyo was chosen as the state capital to spread development to all regions of the state.
Notable People from Akwa Ibom
Obong (Arc.) Victor Attah Former governor of Akwa Ibom State
Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, Governor of Akwa Ibom State from May 2015 to date
Senator Ita Enang Senior Special Assistant (National Assembly – Senate) to President Muhammadu Buhari
Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio Former governor of Akwa Ibom State. Former Senate Minority Leader
Group Capt. Idongesit Nkanga Rtd Former military governor of Akwa Ibom State
Effiong Bob
Senator (Engr.) Chris Ekpenyong Former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State in the Victor Attah administration.
Obong Ufot Ekaette, Secretary to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo
Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke, the 11th Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and the Pioneer Speaker of the Nigeria Youth Parliament.
Obong Akpan Isemin Elected governor of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria from January 1992 to November 1993 during the Nigerian Third Republic
Late Dominic Cardinal Ekandem (CFR) first cardinal in English-speaking West Africa. First Nigerian Cardinal to qualify as a candidate to the papacy.
Late Chief (Dr) Clement Isong (CFR) second governor, Central Bank of Nigeria. First civilian governor of the former Cross River State
Samuel Okon Peter (OON), (DSP) World heavyweight boxing champion.
Vincent Enyeama Professional footballer (Goalie) and former Super Eagle captain.
Chief Don Etiebet, Former Minister of Petroleum
Emem Isong, Multi-Award winning Filmmaker and C.E.O of Royal Arts Academy
Nse Ikpe-Etim, Nollywood Actress
Ini Edo, Nollywood Actress
Ime Bishop Umoh, Nollywood Actor
Etim Inyang, Former Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force (I.G.P) 1985 to 1986
Imoh Umoren, award winning filmmaker
Udo Udoma, from Ikot Abasi and one time chief justice of Uganda
Politics
Politics in Akwa Ibom state are dominated by the three main ethnic groups, the Ibibio, Annang and Oron. Of these three, the Ibibio remain the majority and have held sway in the state since its creation. For the past eight years, the Annang people held sway, since the governor for those eight years was from Ikot Ekpene senatorial district.
