THE A.O. CHIKWENDU CENTRE UMUAHIA (A.O. CENTRE)
The A. O Chikwendu Centre Umuahia (A.O. Center), is an Ideas Innovation Hub (IIH) designed to foster and incubate imagination, creativity, and innovation. Built on two plots of land right in the commercial nerve center of Umuahia’s capital city, the A.O. Center is an iconic building very close to the now relocated Umuahia Central Market (Ugwumabiri Umuahia) and the Railway Station that from the inception of the Umuahia, were the two major landmarks that drove the development and growth of the township, then known and called Beach.
Designed to reflect the future aspirations of the city in a manner that projects its ambitions to rapidly catch up with developments with other cities in the world in terms of modernity and aesthetics, the building bestrides the old, the present, and the future, providing a timeless connection to the life of the Man, Chief A.O. Chikwendu.
The A. O. Centre, sitting amidst the rust-covered roofs of old tenement buildings from colonial times, offers panoramic views from its terraced rooftop of the Ward 3 Section of the old Umuahia Township and the beautiful valleys and high lands that ring the city when approached from the Southernly side from Enugu. The Ward 3 Section of old Umuahia Township is an area that has a rich tapestry of history beginning from colonial times.
Following the arrival of the railway which runs from the Seaport in Port-Harcourt upwards to the Northern Cities of Kaduna, Kano, and Maiduguri, and the location of a Railway Station in Umuahia, the immediate areas adjoining the railway station rapidly began to be populated by teeming populations from communities from various parts of the South East and South-South attracted by the booming trade and exchange business around the Railway Station.
The area immediately close to the Railway Station and the Ugwumabiri Market established right next to the station became a well-sought-after location for the people migrating into Umuahia from their various villages to settle in and erect buildings.
Since the Railway has conveniently divided the emerging township into two sections, the area to the north of the railway from the market was named Ward 2 while the area to the South of the Railway became Ward 3. The Ward 3 part of the town served as a wedge that anchored a motley of arrivals from various parts hence the section became populated by a variegated and eclectic mix of people performing different trades and occupations.
This mix of characters and occupations gave Ward 3 a unique characteristic as a hotbed of old colonial township living, complete with tenement buildings, artisanal manufacturing, petty criminality, and social/political activism.
Expectedly, the bulk of the mercantilist class of the era before National Independence and after found their abode in this area, and with them most of the professional class also. Men such as Chief J.O Onyekwere of J.O. Onyekwere and Sons, and Chief Chidi Ebere of Chidi Ebere Motors, et al founded their flourishing businesses and homes around this part of the city. Ditto some of the most prominent professional men also such as Dr. M.I Okpara, late premier of Eastern Nigeria, the Irukwu’s, Barrister Ned, Chief Ogala Osoka, and Mr. J.O Igwe to mention but a few.
Chief A. O Chikwendu, the man in whose memory the A.O. Centre is built and dedicated to serving his ideals, also lived in this part of town, moving there shortly after the Civil War from his former residence at No. 48 Lagos Street in Ward 2. The plot of land at No. 16 Awka Street, which formerly housed his residence in Ward 3, is today part of the land that the A.O. Centre is built.
The A.O. Centre apart from its modernity and iconic beauty embodies the rich history of social/ economic and political transformation of the part of town in which it is situated. The old Ugwumabiri market is no longer in its former location, while the Railway station for many decades remained active. The old Umuahia Township is today the capital of Abia State and is transforming into a modern and rapidly expanding metropolis.
The A.O. Centre hosts the activities of the Chief A.O. Chikwendu Foundation (CAOCF) and the Initiative for Adaptive Thinking and Strategic Leadership (IATSL), a thought leadership initiative conceptualized by the Foundation to foster the adaptation of new thinking in providing solutions to old and new challenges confronting the society.
The A.O. Centre is equipped with amenities to foster creativity, innovation, and information sharing including workstations, training facilities, a mini board room, ICT and internet connectivity for business and research, clean energy supported twenty fours electricity, business support, and a rooftop restaurant to cater for users. Imitative of the concept and style of globally renowned business innovation hubs such as the Dubai World Trade Centre, the A.O.Centre would provide, especially to the younger generation and members of the community in which it is situated a particularly unique opportunity to foster beneficial relationships and embrace new ideas through the very many networking opportunities that activities in and around the Centre would bring about.
The A.O. Centre building, a first of its kind in Umuahia city stands as a signpost of growth and progress to usher the city, its dwellers, and visitors to the realm of possibility and an avenue for a modern business and living experience worthy of the era of the fourth industrial revolution and beyond.
The A.O. Centre is linked to the CAOCF and the AITSL, by the spirit of imagination, creativity, and innovation which it evokes in its conceptualization, design, and realization of the attributes of history, modernity, utility, and ascetics.
Welcome to the A.O. Chikwendu Centre, a true exemplification of the spirit of determination and boldness, a realization of aspiration, and a beckon of hope to all those who at one time or another would visit the Centre or find a use for its very many facilities and the opportunities provided by the activities that are undertaken within and outside its walls.
