Owerri

Owerri has an airport 23 kilometres (14 mi) southeast of the city, called the Imo Airport, located in Obiangwu, Ngor Okpala LGA. The Airport (Sam Mbakwe Airport) provides flight services to Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Enugu. Right now, it serves as an alternate for Port Harcourt. Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport is now an International Cargo Airport. Some major roads that go through the city are; Port Harcourt Rd., Aba Rd., Onitsha Rd., and Okigwe Rd. Roads within the city are; Douglas Rd., Weathral Rd., Tetlow Rd., and Works Rd. Relief market is the main market in Owerri after the demolition of Eke Ukwu Owere.

Owerri sits in the rain forest and produces many agricultural products, such as yams, cassava, taro, corn, rubber and palm products. Owerri also sits on huge crude oil and natural gas reserves like most of the Igbo land areas.

Owerri has a tropical wet climate according to the Köppen-Geiger system. Rain falls for most months of the year with a brief dry season. The Harmattan affects the city in the early periods of the dry season and it is noticeably less pronounced than in other cities in Nigeria. The average temperature is 26.4 °C.

Important educational institutions in Owerri include Imo State University, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State Polytechnic Umuagwo, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, African Institute of Science and Technology (AIST CCE Owerri), Federal College of Land Resources Oforola, Seat of Wisdom Seminary Owerri, Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Christ the King Secondary School, Obike, Methodist High school, Government Training College, Federal Government Girls College Owerri, Madonna Model Secondary School, Owerri, Owerri Girls Secondary School, Government Secondary School Owerri, Development Secondary School Owerri, Emmanuel College Owerri, Holy Ghost College Owerri, Obube Comprehensive Secondary School (Egbelu Obube), Obube Secondary School, Community Secondary School Oforola Owerri, Government Technical college Owerri, Army Day Secondary School Obinze Owerri MSME Business School Aladinma Housing Estate, Owerri, Pearlville Secondary School[9], etc.

One major food that is peculiar to the owerri people is known as ofe owerri (ofe means soup, while owerri is the capital of Imo state). It is sometimes referred to as the king of soup and in some Igbo communities, beautiful women are sometimes likened to Ofe Owerri. Ingredients for the soup, include but not limited to the following: Snails, ponmo (cow skin), Goat meat, Okporoko (dried hake fish), dried fish, Oporo (smoked prawns), grounded dried crayfish, wraps of Ogili (fermented soya beans), fresh pepper, grounded dried pepper, grounded Uziza seeds (Ashanti pepper), cocoyam, palm oil, sliced ugu leafs (pumpkin leaves), sliced oha leafs, slized uziza leaves, stock cubes, achi powder and salt.[10]

Owerri has a major Nigerian football club: Heartland F.C. It was known previously as Iwuanyawu Nationale, but the team retained its nickname: The Naze Millionaires. Former Inter Milan, Arsenal, Portsmouth F.C. striker and Nigeria national football team player Nwankwo Kanu was born and raised in Owerri. He attended Holy Ghost College[11], a renowned local secondary school in the Owerri town.

Christianity is the dominant religion in Owerri. Catholics and Anglicans have the largest followings and Owerri is home to Assumpta Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri (Latin: Archidioecesis Overriensis) and the Seat of Wisdom Seminary. The archdiocese covers an area of 2,996 square kilometres. 670,986 of the 1.7 million people in the area are members of the Catholic Church. All Saints Cathedral, Egbu is the first and Largest Anglican Church in Owerri and the home of first Igbo translated Bible.

• Ihitte Ogwa