Port Harcourt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Area
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Nickname: "Garden City"
Map of Nigeria showing the location of Port Harcourt in Nigeria.
Province	Rivers State
Governor	Peter Odili PDP
- City	186 km²
- Land	170 km²
- Water	16 km²
Population
- City (2005)	1,565,900
- Metro	3,560,320
	estimated
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+1)

Port Harcourt is a city located in the Niger Delta in Nigeria. It is the administrative centre and capital city of Rivers State. Port Harcourt was founded by the British in 1912. The British named it after Lewis, Viscount Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Colonies (1910–15).

The initial purpose of the port was to export coal that arrived in large quantities from the mining town of Enugu to the north via the Bonny River along which the port sits. It has a population of 3,560,230 (an estimate of 2006) which is the fourth largest city in Nigeria after Lagos, Ibadan and Kano. It is a major industrial center as it has a large number of multinational firms as well as other industrial concerns. Business related to the petroleum industry is conducted here. Port Harcourt is the chief oil-refining city in Nigeria, oil being one of Nigeria's most important commodities and main foreign exchange earner. There is also a fishing industry and a fish market. There are two universities within the city. Notable attractions include Isaac Boro Park, the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach and Isaka Holiday Resort.

The city is sprawling in nature as building codes and zoning regulations are very poorly enforced here. Land is cleared and 'lean to' buildings constructed sometimes overnight. This adds to flooding and sanitation problems, as with no proper drainage or sewer system, many parts of the city flood during the very heavy monsoon type rains that fall for half the year. Some of its more popular and well known residential areas are: G.R.A phases 1-5, Abuloma, Amadi-ama , Amadi Flats, Borokiri, Rumodara, Presidential Housing Estate, Rumibekwe Housing Estate, Elekoia Estate. The main industrial area is located in Trans Amadi. The city's metropolitan area makes up greater Port Harcourt which consist of Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Eleme, Oyigbo.

The city also boasts of wide roads and some over-head bridges to ease traffic in the city. These roads and bridges are very poorly maintained however, and actually add to traffic congestion rather than ease it. Another problem in traffic is caused by the installation of traffic lights when there is no stable electricity supply to power them.

Port Harcourt is also one of the centres for strong Pentecostal Christian growth in the region and is host to several large churches such as Royal House of Grace International Church and Abundant Life Evangel Mission headed by apostle Zilly Aggrey and apostle Eugene Ogu respectively.