Abia, state, east-central Nigeria. Abia was administratively created in 1991 from the eastern half of former Imo state. It is bordered by the states of Enugu and Ebonyi to the north, Akwa Ibom to the east and southeast, Rivers to the south and southwest, and Imo and Anambra to the west. Abia includes areas of oil-palm bush and tropical rain forest in its southern part and woodland savanna in its hilly north. Most of the population is engaged in agriculture; yams, taro, corn (maize), rice, and cassava are the staple crops, and oil palm is the main cash crop. Mineral resources include lead and zinc.
The state’s chief industrial centre is Aba, which lies on the railway north from Port Harcourt and manufactures textiles, pharmaceuticals, soap, plastics, cement, footware, and cosmetics. Umuahia, the state capital, has a palm-oil–processing plant and several breweries. Abia state is mainly inhabited by the Igbo (Ibo) people and is one of the most densely populated areas in Nigeria. The main highway network serves Umuahia and Aba. Pop. (2006) 2,833,999.