Mgbidi

Mgbidi is the headquarters of Oru West, a local government area of Imo State in southeastern Nigeria. It is located at latitude 5.37° N and longitude 6.57° E. It was the headquarters of the Oru Local Government Area before its division into two local government areas, Oru West and Oru East, in 1996 under the presidency of Sani Abacha. Mgbidi is in the oil rich Njaba River sub-basin alongside Oguta, Awo-Omamma, Eziama, Izombe et al.^[1]

The town is one of the oldest towns in Imo State, bounded on the north by Ibi-Asoegbe and Aji, on the east by Amiri and Otulu, on the west by Ozara, and on the south by Oguta. Mgbidi is located in the far north of Imo State, which is why it is bounded by Amorka in Anambra State.

Mgbidi has eleven communities, which are merged to form the six Autonomous Communities found in Mgbidi. The eleven communities are Imeoha, Eziali, Umuekwe, Okwudor, Umuorji, Umuokpara, Umuehi, Umuabiahu, Uzinaumu, Ihitte and Ugbele.

Mgbidi is known for a traditional ritual, called Ikwesi, which is performed by young girls when they are about to become an adolescent. Every girl is required to do this before they can become a mother. The ritual predates the advent of Christianity in the town. Nowadays, there is a Christianized version of Ikwesi.

A forum for the social, economic and cultural development of Mgbidi, the Mgbidi Peoples Forum (http://www.mgbidipeoplesforum.org), was formed in 2009.

References

1. Ezekiel, J.C; et al. (2013). "Preliminary interpretation of gravity mapping over the Njaba sub-basin of southeastern Nigeria: An implication to petroleum potential" (PDF). Academic Journal of Geology and Mining Research 5(3): 76. ISSN 2006-9766.