Imo

Imo State exists because Biafra's last capital needed recognition. Owerri held out as the Republic of Biafra's final capital in 1969, the last stronghold of Igbo resistance. When Imo State was created in 1976, it formalized the region's distinct identity within reunified Nigeria. Named for the Imo River on its eastern border, the state calls itself the "Eastern Heartland." The Igbo have inhabited this land for almost a millennium, participating in the medieval Kingdom of Nri and later the Aro Confederacy before British conquest in the Anglo-Aro War. The Women's War of 1929 demonstrated anti-colonial resistance capacity. Oil palm defines the agricultural economy - so thoroughly that original rainforest has been replaced by oil-palm bush across most of the state. Adapalm Nigeria Limited manages 4,310 hectares of plantation. But petroleum matters more: over 163 oil wells at 12 locations make Imo a chief onshore producer. Addax, Chevron, Shell, and Agip all operate here. Owerri manufactures beverages, galvanized sheet-iron, leather products, and soap while serving as educational center. Third smallest state by area but fourteenth most populous (5.4 million), Imo's density concentrates economic activity. By 2026, oil revenue fluctuations and palm oil commodity prices will shape fiscal stability.