The coastal city of Port Harcourt is perhaps the most exciting city in Nigeria. The white sand of its beaches is considered some of the most beautiful and well-maintained shorelines in Africa. And since becoming a foremost export route in the early years, following up with the boom in oil activities much later, in addition to its array of natural and tourist sites, the city's allure is ever inviting. More fascinating, however, is the way of life of its residents ' trendsetting, hardworking, social and very happy people, as OLAWUNMI OJO found out during a recent visitPORT HARCOURT is the largest city in southern Nigeria, after Lagos. It is referred to as the garden city because of its numerous avenues and ornaments. It is the capital of oil rich Rivers State.Originally known as 'Igwe Ocha,' and traditionally inhabited by the Ikwerre, a sub-tribe of the Igbos and the Ijaw people, the Port city was renamed Port Harcourt in 1913 by the British after the then British Secretary of state for the colonies, Sir Lewis Viscount Harcourt. As a port town and being the largest east of Nigeria, it principally served as route for exportation of coal, which had been discovered in the Southeastern regional city of Nigeria, Enugu. A railway system built in 1916 made it possibleto transportgoods and crops from variousareas near Port Harcourt. The city also had warehousing facilities capable of storing huge amounts of goods. The goods, meant for export, were then loaded onto ships headed to other continents. From the south of Nigeria, Port Harcourt is connected by water-filled creeks, which also helped in the ferrying of goods using canoes and boats up to the port.Located in the Niger Delta region lying along the Bonny River, an eastern distributary of the Niger River, upstream from the Gulf of Guinea, Port Harcourt is divided into urban area and the greater/rural area. The urban area consists of Port Harcourt City Local Council Area, made up of old Government reservation area (GRA) and New layout areas. The greater Port Harcourt City, as it is officially known, spans eight local council areas that include Port Harcourt, Okrika, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Ogu/Bolo, Tai, and Eleme. It is highly congested being the only major city of the state.A People, Their Customs And Interesting Social LifeTHE Ikwerre people are the majority here as this was their ancestral land. Their main activities and source of livelihood was fishing, farming and hunting. They speak the same dialect, lived in clans ruled by chiefs and had no king. The language mostly spoken by locals is the Nigerian Pidgin English.Predominantly Christians, the people of Port Harcourt are hard working. However, they are also heavily enshrined in their local customs, especially in the way they engage in traditional dances and music. They are mostly found performing their tradition in funerals and traditional occasions like marriages and wrestling festivals. The tradition is also rich in various cultural dances and activities such as masquerades Mmnanwu, Isakabari, Pioru, Alagba of Kalabari, all performed in beautiful costumes. The people are generally very accommodating, which perhaps is the reason for the peace and relaxed ambience naturally experienced within the city.At a time, crime rate in Port Harcourt was one of the highest in the country. The worst cases were crimes committed by criminal gangs disguising their illegality as freedom struggles for the marginalized locals of the oil rich Niger Delta region. But other than these and congestion, the city is largely peaceful and sociable. And wait for it, night crawling may be returning to the oil city once again, what with its many recreational and fun spots, entertainment centres like cinemas, night clubs, bars and restaurants, and a seemingly endless list 5-star hotels.Eastern Gardens Chinese restaurant, Portofino Food, Chicken Calypso fast food & restaurant, Bouvati Foods, Choice Restaurant, Rivers Restaurant, Asian Restaurant, Rebisi Bush Bar, Cheers Bar, Casablanca, Barracuda Bar and the Garden Bar are some of the locations where one could either have fun, listen to good music, take to the dance floor with Disc Jockeys doing their thing or get delighted with local, western or Chinese delicacies.Breathtaking FestivalsTHE city's festivals are celebrated with the best display of culture, tradition and lifestyle of the people.Nwaotam FestivalNwaotam Festival is celebrated annually every December 25. It is celebrated to welcome the New Year and to eliminate the bad spirits of the previous year. During this celebration, many tribal groups spend the night in the sea to offer prayers that will ward off the evil forces. On the next day, a procession is held at the seashore to signal the start of the celebration.Oki FestivalThe Oki Festival is a ceremonial and social dance festival celebrated by the Kalabari people. The dancers who join in the festival represent a family of fish. The head of the family is the Oki, a sea creature that looks like a sword shark. During this event, the fish families show their fish-like dance to the Kalabari people.ION International Film FestivalThe ION International Film Festival is a festival that happens every December. It is a caravan festival that aims to promote independent films, music videos, animation, documentaries and movie trailers. Annually, the ION International Film Festival tours around the world to uphold global awareness and unity through producing socially relevant movies that will have a good impact on the world. This festival runs for four days with series of events that take place.Music FestivalThe Music Festival promotes the city's local music performers and entertainers. This is a venue for them to discover new styles in music and learn from each other.Garden City Literary FestivalThe Garden City Literary Festival happens in the month of September. This festival takes place to celebrate literature and arts in Port Harcourt. Many famous people in the field of literature and arts are invited to partake in this event. Some of them are asked to share their knowledge and expertise to the audience.Potbed of Natural Resources AndA Booming EconomyCOAL was the first natural resource discovered by the British in the 1900s. This area is also rich in oil and is the largest refining city in Nigeria. Also found hereare palm kernels and oil. Cocoa was introduced by the British; tin was mined for export and the local people planted peanuts for consumption and for sale. The city also has fish in abundance.Wildlife was abundant in the city in the early years but civilization and urban development has since dwindled the numbers. However, the government and tourism sector have made efforts to preserve the remaining natural parks and wildlife within.In terms of its economy, Port Harcourt is the heart of Nigeria's Oil industry with virtually all major multi-national oil companies being represented there until recently, owing to security threats from militants. Other economic The economic activities however include manufacturing such as food processing, manufacture of paper products, paints, petroleum products refinery and road construction, metal works and cement making, enamelware, bicycles, furniture, and soap making. Services include legal services, hospitality, medical, educational and engineering services. Extractive industries also exist, wheeling and dealing in the mining of coal, tin and petroleum, oil and gas liquefaction.Also agricultural and agro based businesses exist in the city. Logging and timber processing, tobacco processing and cigarette making, plastic moulding and the manufacture of rubber based products like tyres, bands and tube and glass making being the crux of this sector.Imports are mainly automobiles, electronics, textiles and processed food, while numerous small scale enterprises like consumer retailing, artisanship and transportation businesses also thrive in the city. Various government organs such as the Nigerian Ports Authority, NNPC and the customs play various regulatory roles in the local economy.The main industrial area of the city is Trans Amadi. Residential areas include Port Harcourt Township known locally as Town, and G.R.A phases 1-5, Abuloma, Amadi-ama, Amadi Flats, and Borokiri.Sights, Landmarks And Vast Tourism PotentialsPORT HARCOURT is a major industrial centre with a large number of multinational firms, industrial concerns and petroleum businesses domiciled there. But it is inclusively also very rich in tourist attractions. With long expanses of beautiful coastal sandy beaches stretching from Opobo through Brass to Koluama, numerous long and winding creeks, streams, and rivers, forests with their associated shrines and wildlife, and museums, the tourism potential of the city is enormous.Port Harcourt Tourist BeachThe Port Harcourt Tourist Beach is the most popular one in the city. Though manmade and created in 1988 along the Kolabi Creek line, its designers created a serene environment for tourists. Visitors to the beach can enjoy the white sands and waves. They can have a picnic on the sand and take a walk through the hiking trails. One of the big attractions of this beach is that it is right on the edge of the city.Ifoko BeachIfoko Beach is another popular spot with its vast shoreline and exotic scenery. Unlike the Tourist Beach, it is not manmade. One of the best beaches in the area, it is well maintained by the local residents. The local fishermen depend on the sea for their livelihood. The rainforest borders the shoreline. Tourists can enjoy freshly caught seafood from any of the local restaurants.Finima BeachesFinima is a small town in Bonny Island surrounded on the west and south by long stretches of beaches. The beautiful beaches are said to attract tourists and fun seeking especially during festive periods like Christmas and Easter.Private BeachesThere are a number of the private beaches surrounding Port Harcourt. They are part of the growing resort industry of the city. People looking for privacy and quiet time can find it at a private beach, like Yowiks Beach near Kono. These resort beaches are popular among honeymooners looking for the enjoyment of a beach and the privacy of a hotel.Zoological gardenThe garden is home for localised species of animals, which include gorilla, drill, chimpanzee, a golden potto forest elephant, among other uncommon animals.National museumThe museum has large numbers of traditional ornaments of the 19th Century. It also contains intrinsic artworks like terra-cottas, bronze figures and cast iron pieces depicting Nigeria's pre-colonial history.The Obi Wale MuseumThis museum shows the cultural and historical life in the Rivers state. The museum is small, but it has carvings and paintings of various kinds that all depict the culture and the history of the state. With interesting carvings, the museum is one of the Port Harcourt museums worth visiting.Rivers State MuseumThe Rivers museum offers a variety of art and old pieces on display. You can enjoy learning more about the culture. This is one of the most visited Port Harcourt museums, ostensibly because it is near the city centre and many hotels.Isaac Boro ParkIsaac Boro Park is one that has survived, where many other public recreation spaces have been encroached. This recreational park is ideal for families to have fun. You can relax and have picnics under beautiful trees here, which is why the park is sacred in the heart of city dwellers.The Natural Park, FinimaDeveloped by Nigeria LNG, Finima Nature Park is popular for eco-tourism. The park covers the rain forest, mangrove swamps and area of sandy soil with fresh water ponds and tall timbers between the swamp and beach; and harbours creatures like the pygmy hippo, crocodiles and monkeys.Bonny IslandSituated at the southern edge of Rivers State, Bonny Island is an oil rich Island. Due to its strategic position, the island hosts various oil companies including Royal Dutch Shell, Mobil, Chevron, Agip, and Elf. The Island has beautiful beaches mostly used by the oil company staff and the locals.Some other major Port Harcourt's sites and landmarks include the Monument of King Jaja, The Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), the eighteen storey Podium Block of Rivers State Secretariat, reputed to be the tallest building in the Southsouth and Southeast Nigeria, the city's two seaports F.O.T Onne and PortHarcourt Wharf, the two stadia - Sharks Stadium and Liberation Stadium and two refineries - Eleme Refinery and the Port Harcourt Refinery.Port Harcourt' A Studied ModernisationYEARS back, the state of infrastructure in the Oil city was nothing delightsome. Buildings were constructed haphazardly with little thought given to town planning laws. Sewage and drainage systems were either poorly constructed or non existent in some townships, just as transportation was made hellish because of the bad condition of most of the road network.But in recent time, painstaking efforts have been taken or initiated to infrastructure and general living condition of the people. For instance, the network of roads being built across the state, with Port Harcourt having its fair share, in addition to efforts by the government of the day to construct fly-overs to help accelerate traffic flow in the fast-growing city are commendable.According to Ibim Semenitari, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, the administration in the state is determined to ensure that every person in Rivers State can have access to affordable health, education, infrastructure and water. 'The Amaechi administration is focused and determined to install an economy and a social system that would launch the state to an enviable position of reckoning globally.This is in addition to our commitment to ensure food security and economic advancement of the people.
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