Asaba, Delta

For the town in Japan, see Asaba, Shizuoka.

Asaba Ahaba
Nickname(s): Ani Mmili
Asaba Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 6°11′52.2348″N 6°43′42.4783″E / 6.197843°N 6.728466194°E / 6.197843; 6.728466194Coordinates: 6°11′52.2348″N 6°43′42.4783″E / 6.197843°N 6.728466194°E / 6.197843; 6.728466194
Country	Nigeria
State	Delta State

Asaba (Igbo: Ahaba)^[1] is the capital of Nigeria's Delta State, and has an estimated population of 149,603 (2006 census).^[2]

Etymology

Ahaba in Igbo is from 'Ahabagom', meaning I have chosen well, a quote from the founding father of Asaba.

Geography

The City of Asaba, the capital of oil rich Delta State of Nigeria is strategically located on a hill at the western edge of the majestic River Niger. The historic River Niger is a trans-African link beginning from West Africa and down into the Atlantic Ocean. Asaba forms a connector between western, eastern and northern Nigeria through the River Niger from the north and via the Asaba Niger Bridge, an east west link and a Nigeria landmark.

Asaba lies approximately 6 degrees north of the equator and about the same distance east of the meridian; about 100 miles north of where the River Niger flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The greater Asaba occupies an area of about 300 square kilometers. It maintains an average tropical temperature of 90 degrees during the dry season and an average fertile rainfall of 6 inches during the rainy season. Igbo is the native language in Asaba and neighboring towns/environs.

Demographics

Asaba is part of the ethnic territory of the Igbo people. The origin of the people indigenous to Asaba are Igbos, with growing immigrant communities of Itsekiri, Urhobo, Isoko, Ijaw, Hausa and Yoruba people .

History

Asaba was once the colonial capital of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate. It was founded in 1884^[3]. It hosted the Royal Niger Company, which the British authorities set up to stimulate trade and the exportation of goods to England. That company has grown today into the UAC Nigeria PLC. Its traditional ruler is the Asagba, Joseph Chike Edozien. Maryam Babangida, wife of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who was Nigeria's head of state from 1985 to 1993 was born in Asaba.^[4]

References

1. ^ Isichei, Elizabeth Allo (1997). A History of African Societies to 1870. Cambridge University Press. p. 249. ISBN 0-521-45599-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=LqIVnr9h7DsC&pg=PA249. Retrieved 2008-12-13. 
2. ^ "A History and Tradition". Asaba Online. Asaba Progressive Front. Archived from the original on 2007-09-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20070915005614/http://asaba.com/modules/content/index.php?id=3. Retrieved 2007-06-19. 
3. ^ Letters from Nigeria,D.W. Carnegie,BiblioBazaar, LLC, ISBN 9781103271009
4. ^ "Maryam Babangida". Pre-Adult Affairs Organisation. http://www.pre-adultaffairs.org/corexp/docs/gfpbios/babangida.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-22. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• Asaba Online
• Asaba Portal
• Asaba Association Non-profit Group
• Asaba Development Association in the United Kingdom