Welcome to the Heart of Uyo

---

My steemian friends,
Have you ever been to the city of Uyo? It's one of the most beautiful cities located in the south-eastern part of Nigeria.

Besides being the capital of Akwa Ibom State, Uyo is a place that is widely known for its rich cultural heritage and state-of-the-art facilities.

One of the major city highlights is the Ibom Plaza, located right in the centre of town. We call it the heartbeat of Uyo. This is because it's the central hub for both social and commercial activities.

_{Shops outlets inside the plaza}

When you arrive at Ibom Plaza, you'd meet several vendors who sell various types of electronics, edibles and fashion accessories. Service providers are not left out.

---

Items	Price	Steem approx.	Negotiable
Phones	From as low as ₦15,000 - ₦1m+	145 - 9677	✅
Powerbanks	At least ₦10,000	97	✅
Phone chargers	₦2,000 - ₦10,000	19-97	✅
Shoes	>₦4,000	>38	✅
Dresses	>₦5,000	>48	✅
Polos	₦5,000	48	✅
Foodstuffs	₦100 above	>1	✅
Suya	₦1,000 above	>9	❎
Seasonal fruits, etc.	100 above	>1	✅

---

Hustle and Bustle

_{Vendors outside the plaza}

Before now, the Ibom Plaza was a bustling relaxation and market place. There were many activities, good and bad, as will be expected in any crowded place.

People came to buy and sell, argue over newspaper headlines, hang out with friends or simply enjoy the chilling evening breeze. However, the Akwa Ibom State government stepped in some weeks ago, shutting down all activities for maintenance and renovation.

What you are about to see is the new look of our beloved Ibom Plaza which was reopened some days ago.

_{Plaza designed to match the Christmas theme}

---

All roads lead here!

The Ibom Plaza is the place where four of the city's major roads, not only connect but also take off from.

There are over six entrances as well, each bursting at either of these roads.

• Oron road
• Ikot Ekpene road
• Aka road and
• Abak road.

_{Coming from Ikot-Ekpene road, opposite De Choice mall, cross to the first bypass, which is opposite Abak road. You can spot De Choice mall from there.}

To head to the next part of the plaza...

_{Step out. Move right. Walk through the gate. Explore!}

_{The entrance from Oron road/Ikot-Ekpene road roundabout.}

What You'd See

The Ibom Plaza has many eye-catching features for you to feed your eyes on. First on the list is the magnificent Offot Ukwa Statue at the entrance facing Ikot Ekpene road. This monument, represented by a prominent male warrior blowing a cone-like object to welcome visitors, is more than an art. It symbolises the history of the Offot Clan and their spirit of hospitality toward visitors.

This iconic landmark (the Ibom Plaza) was constructed in 2001 by the then Governor, H.E Obong Victor Attah. Using his knowledge as a world-class architect, he modelled the plaza as a "twin-plaza" open space. The entire site covers approximately 1.5 - 2 hectares of land.

This large open space has a shopping centre, entertainment or viewing centre and the two bypasses, one connecting Aka to Oron roads and another leading to Ikot Ekpene and Abak roads.

It was modelled after a gothic Greco-Roman arena and has an open theatre equipped with a giant elevated screen, allowing thousands of football and sports enthusiasts to gather and watch satellite-beamed football matches. Religious organisations host events here as well.

What's new?

Now the plaza has been reopened, it has several lush flora. New flower gardens are added to the stone architecture. There are also new symbolic art pieces scattered around the walkways.

Watch me tour around the place.

While stepping out, I spotted an Hilux van parked at one of the entrances. That shows that there's an enhanced security management team dedicated to ensuring that the plaza remains a safe, family-friendly environment for both locals and tourists.

• Opening hours: 7 AM - 11:59 PM
• Entry fee: Free
  Steem Atlas pin [//]:# (!steematlas 5.03436663 lat 7.92819142 long Ibom Plaza d3scr)
• Google map
• Camera brand: POCO phone (All photos are taken by me)

Quick tip: If you ever lose your way in Uyo, ask the commercial driver to take you to Ibom Plaza. You'd always find your way from there.