ENUGU STATE

Date Created: August 27, 1991

Capital: Enugu

Major Towns: Enugu, Nsukka, Oji-River, Awgu and Udi.

Enugu State was created on August 27, 1991. The state is situated on the highlands of the Agwu. Udi and Nsukka Hills to the east as well as Oji-River basin to the west. It is bounded by Abia State to the south, Anambra to the west, Kogi and Benue States to the north and Ebonyi to the east.

Enugu State has a total of (17) seventeen local government areas. These are Enugu South, Igbo-Eze South, Enugu North, Nkanu, Udi Agwu, Oji-River, Ezeagu, IgboEze North, Isi-Uzo, Nsukka, Igbo-Ekiti, Uzo-Uwani, Enugu East, Aninri, Nkanu East and Udenu.

The state is in the region of the tropical rain forest and the great oil belt of Nigeria. The annual rainfall ranges between 152cm to 203 cm. Temperature is between 32 and 87 when it is hottest between February, may and October each year.

The state is predominantly agricultural with yarn, palm produce and rice being their main produce. There is in place an agricultural policy aimed at maximizing its agricultural potentials.

Though the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) has a network of electric installations in the State, their services do not cover most of the communities in the state. This prompted the establishment of a Rural Electrification Board in the State.

A great deal of importance is attached to education in the State. As a result of the zeal and interest shown in education, the state government spends a lot of money yearly to ensure that necessary facilities for education are provided.

Apart from primary and post-primary schools, there exist a number of institutions of higher learning. These are the University of Nigeria Nsukka which is a federal government institution, the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu; College of Education Eha-Amufu and College of Agriculture, Ikwo.

The provision of medical facilities m Enugu State ranks second to education in order of priority and takes a large chunk of the annual budget. The state government is making serious efforts to ensure that hospitals and health centres, as well as maternity homes are provided in all the local government areas o f the state.

The most outstanding hospital in the state is the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. The teaching hospital is supplemented by a government general hospital, the Park Lane Hospital, Enugu and an Orthopaedic Hospital. Government also owns and runs a dental centre in the state capital.

 

Besides coal, new mineral deposits have recently bee discovered in Enugu State. These include limestone, iron ore crude oil, natural gas and bauxite.Though the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) has a network of electric installations in the State, their services do not cover most of the communities in the state. This prompted the establishment of a Rural Electrification Board in the State.

A great deal of importance is attached to education in the State. As a result of the zeal and interest shown in education, the state government spends a lot of money yearly to ensure that necessary facilities for education are provided.

Apart from primary and post-primary schools, there exist a number of institutions of higher learning. These are the University of Nigeria Nsukka which is a federal government institution, the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu; College of Education Eha-Amufu and College of Agriculture, Ikwo.

The provision of medical facilities m Enugu State ranks second to education in order of priority and takes a large chunk of the annual budget. The state government is making serious efforts to ensure that hospitals and health centres, as well as maternity homes are provided in all the local government areas o f the state.

The most outstanding hospital in the state is the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. The teaching hospital is supplemented by a government general hospital, the Park Lane Hospital, Enugu and an Orthopaedic Hospital. Government also owns and runs a dental centre in the state capital.

A well-developed network of roads connect important centres of trade and industry in the state. A rail line of the Eastern District of the Nigerian Railways runs through the State Capital Enugu to Port-Harcourt in Rivers State and Enugu to Makurdi then Northwards.

There exists a national television station in Enugu which is complemented by a state-owned station. There are also two radio stations in Enugu State. The Enugu State Broadcasting Service and F.R.C.N, Enugu which is part of the National Network of the Federal Radio corporation of Nigeria.

Enugu State has many industries that satisfy both local and international needs: these include; Enugu Vegetable Oil Products Limited, Nachi, Nigergas Company Limited, Emene, Aluminium Product Limited, Ohebe-Dim, Enugu Building Materials Industries Ltd, Ezzambgo, Emenite Ltd, Emene, Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company Ltd, Premier Cashew Industries Ltd, Oghe, Nigersteels Industries Ltd, Emene, Sunrise Flour Mill Ltd, Emene.

Others are Ebony Paints Ltd, Awknanaw, V . S. A. Livestock Feedmill, Ngwo, Projects Development Agency, the Enyimgba Salt Project and the Vanguard Inddstries and the Nigerian Construction and Furniture Company (NCFC), Enugu.

The Nike Lake Resort which is located about l0km away from Enugu, the state capital, provides a good spot for tourists in the state. The Five Star Hotel stand out as one of the key points in the state's drive for tourism. There are also the new yam and Mmanwu festivals