Enugu

Enugu (ⁱ/eɪˈnuːɡuː/ ay-NOO-goo;Igbo: Énugwú) is the capital of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in southeastern Nigeria. The city has a population of 722,664 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Énú Ụ́gwụ́ meaning "hill top" denoting the city's hilly geography. The city was named after Enugwu Ngwo, under which coal was found.

Since the 17th century the location of present-day Enugu has been inhabited by the Nike (/niːˈkeɪ/ nee-KAY) subgroup of the Igbo people; one of Enugu's neighbourhoods still retains the village's old name Ogui. In 1900 the Southern Nigeria Protectorate was established by the colonial administration of the British Empire. The discovery of coal by the colonialists led to the building of the Eastern Line railway to carry coal from the inland city to the port of Port Harcourt, a city created for this purpose located 151 miles (243 km) south of what was called Enugu Coal Camp. Enugu was then renamed simply Enugu and developed as one of the few cities in West Africa created from European contact. By 1958 Enugu had over 8,000 coal miners. As of 2005 there are no significant coal mining activities left in the city.

Enugu (disambiguation)

Enugu may refer to: