Abia

Abia State exists because Igbo commercial genius needed a dedicated arena. Carved from Imo State in 1991, its name abbreviates four regions (Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato, Afikpo), but Aba dominates everything. This city earned the title "China of Africa" for producing anything imaginable at impossible prices. The Ariaria International Market, one of West Africa's largest, exemplifies network effects in physical form: thousands of manufacturers cluster because buyers know to come here, and buyers come because manufacturers cluster. The roots trace to Aro Confederacy trading networks that connected the coast to the interior for centuries. When the British disrupted those networks in the Anglo-Aro War (1901-1902), Igbo commercial instincts simply adapted. The 1929 Aba Women's Riot showed this defiance early - tens of thousands of women protesting colonial taxation in Africa's first major anti-colonial uprising. Oil and gas now contribute 39% of GDP, but manufacturing defines Abia's identity. The state produces shoes, leather goods, textiles, and plastics that supply markets across Nigeria and beyond. By 2026, Abia will leverage its manufacturing ecosystem to capture more of West Africa's import substitution push as countries seek local alternatives.