Umuahia and Aba
One city governs. The other makes. Together they set the rhythm of Abia.
The 17 local governments
Two cities, four councils
Umuahia is the capital. Its councils are Umuahia North and Umuahia South. Aba is the commercial heart, and its councils are Aba North and Aba South.
A visitor can treat them as two stops on one road. The Enugu–Port Harcourt expressway joins them, and the other thirteen local governments fill the country on either side.
Umuahia, the capital
Umuahia governs the state and keeps the harder memory. The Abia Tower of Peace marks the highway junction. Inside the town, a painted roundabout is the Umuahia Tower, and the bus terminal is where the coaches come in.
The National War Museum is in Umuahia North, chosen because this was Biafra’s last capital. Mater Dei Cathedral is the Catholic seat. The International Conference Centre in Government Station Layout is the hall for state occasions.
Aba, the workshop
Aba is a trading city. Goods made in the workshops of Ariaria and Enyimba travel well beyond the state, and that trade is the culture of the place: something to visit, buy, and invest in.
Christ the King Cathedral is the Catholic landmark people still call CKC. The National Museum of Colonial History occupies the old consulate at No. 6 Ikot Ekpene Road. From Aba, Ukwa East — Akwete and the Azumini river — is about half an hour out.
Which council you are in
The city names cover more than one local government. This is the split.