Uturu

Uturu is a town located within latitudes 05.33°N and 06.03°N, in the northern part of Abia State, Nigeria. It is in the transition from rural to urban status, so it is witnessing many development activities.[1] It is popularly known as a location for several educational institutions and the Marist Brothers community. Schools in Uturu include Abia State University, Marist Brothers' Juniorate, Uturu, Gregory University, and several post-secondary schools.

The population of Uturu has been growing at a high rate over decades, until the last decade. Its present population is over 40,000. It has archaeological importance -in 1977 a team of archaeologists discovered signs of the habitation of early, middle, and late Stone Age Homo erectus.[2]

Uturu is divided into two regions, Ihite and Ikeagha. Ihite comprises Achara and Mba Ugwu (Ugwu-Ogu, Umu-Anyi, Ugwu-Ele, Ngodo, Amegu, Obi-Agu, Nnembi and Aro). Ikeagha comprises Isunabo, Akpukpa, Umumara, Nvurunvu, and Ndundu. In Uturu is the archeological site of Ngodo, in which was found a huge collection of stone-age implements, suggesting that the site was a major factory for such tools.

  1. ^ Chigbu, U. E. (2015). Repositioning culture for development: women and development in a Nigerian rural community. Community, Work & Family, 18(3): pp. 334-350. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2014.981506
  2. ^ Chigbu, U.E (2013). Fostering rural sense of place: the missing piece in Uturu, Nigeria. Development In Practice, Vol. 23 (2): pages 264-277. available at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2013.772120