Chapters
Aba
Made in Aba · Rainforest
The five ages
- 1
Crisis
2023 · town-centre level 1The fuel subsidy is gone and the naira floats. Aba’s tailors and shoemakers make goods for half of West Africa, but generators eat their profits and imports undercut them. Start from the basics: homes, markets, power and order.
- 2
Recovery
2024–2027 · town-centre level 4Steady power for the market’s 37,000 shops, roads that don’t flood, and “Made in Aba” sold as proudly as any foreign label.
- 3
Boom
2027–2032 · town-centre level 7Aba-made shoes, bags and clothes sell across Africa, and the workshops grow into factories.
- 4
Workshop of Africa
2032–2040 · town-centre level 10Towers rise over the old market, and the city’s brands sell worldwide.
- 5
World stage
2040s · town-centre level 13Summits, a seat at the table and rockets on the pad. The city’s economy outgrows whole countries.
People of Aba
The figures who appear as the city grows, run by the Council chairman.
The Council chairman
That is youA term to give Aba’s makers power, roads and a name the world knows.
The shoemakers of Aba
Made in AbaThey cut, stitch and finish by hand, for half of West Africa.
Portrait: fictional depiction
Enyimba’s supporters
The People’s ElephantTheir club won Africa’s top prize twice, in 2003 and 2004.
Portrait: fictional depictionYour hero in battle
Helicopter gunship
Air coverFlies over walls straight to the fight. Ability: Air cover. Every unit nearby fights harder: +35% damage for 12 seconds.
The council
| Seat | Who they are | Speaks for |
|---|---|---|
| The council treasurer | The money | people, trade and the treasury |
| The divisional police officer | Security | the police and Peace |
| Adviser on religious affairs | Churches and mosques | Faith and faith balance |
| The education secretary | Schools and training | Progress and research |
| The market leaders of Ariaria | The traders’ union | Wealth and Unity |
| The health secretary | Clinics and hospitals | Health |
| The power adviser | Power and fuel | the grid |
| The legislative council | Councillors | whether you keep office |
Raiders and bosses
Who comes for the city in each age. Bosses come once you are into their age. How raids work.
| Age | Raiders | Boss |
|---|---|---|
| First Crisis | Armed robbers | None |
| Second Recovery | Gangs from the outskirts | None |
| Third Boom | Kidnap gangs | Kidnappers from the hills A night raid on the satellite towns |
| Fourth Workshop of Africa | Militants | None |
| Fifth World stage | Armed militia | A border incursion Unnamed troops cross the border |
Soldiers
| Soldier | From level | |
|---|---|---|
| Police officer | Riot police with shields and batons. | 2 |
| Soldier | Infantry with rifles. | 3 |
| Armoured car | Hard to stop and slow to fall. | 7 |
| Marksman | One heavy shot from far away. | 10 |
Buildings
Every building Aba can raise, shown as it looks in the middle of the story. What each type does.
People
Housing estate
Unlocks at town-centre level 1From face-me-I-face-you blocks to towers. Houses your people.
Hospital
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Raises Health, and healthy workers produce more. Raiders never touch it.
High Court
Unlocks at town-centre level 5Raises Trust and some Peace. Low Trust lets officials skim taxes.
Economy
Agro farm
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Mechanised farming and food processing. Tap it when it fills.
Cement works
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Cement for every building site in the city. Materials.
Steel works
Unlocks at town-centre level 2Iron rods and steel frames. Materials.
Cold store
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Refrigerated food storage. Raises your Food storage.
Warehouse
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Containers and building stock. Raises your Materials storage.
Bank
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Raises how much Wealth you can keep.
Market
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Umbrella stalls that grow into malls. Wealth, plus a little Unity.
Power station
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Gas turbines, then solar fields. Every building draws power; when supply runs short, generators come on and output, Health and Unity suffer.
Freight terminal
Unlocks at town-centre level 10Containers of shoes and clothes leave by road and rail. A large Wealth producer.
Culture
Church
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Raises Faith. Keep churches and mosques in balance: if one far outnumbers the other, Unity falls. Raiders never touch it.
Mosque
Unlocks at town-centre level 1Raises Faith. Keep mosques and churches in balance: if one far outnumbers the other, Unity falls. Raiders never touch it.
University
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Lecture halls that grow into a tech campus. Makes Knowledge and runs research. Raiders never touch it.
Stadium
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Match days and concerts. Raises Unity. A big enough stadium can host the Africa Cup of Nations.
Air base
Unlocks at town-centre level 7A helipad and hangar. Brings the helicopter gunship to your forces.
Enyimba International Stadium
Unlocks at town-centre level 8Home of Enyimba, the first Nigerian club to win the CAF Champions League, in 2003, and winners again in 2004. Heritage for the ladder.
Defence
Police station
Unlocks at town-centre level 3Raises Peace and keeps robbers off the streets.
Security post
Unlocks at town-centre level 2A floodlit post behind sandbags that fires on attackers.
Security wall
Unlocks at town-centre level 4Concrete walls with razor wire and cameras, section by section.
Checkpoint
Unlocks at town-centre level 4A manned barrier where an avenue crosses the security wall.
Armoured unit
Unlocks at town-centre level 10Armoured vehicles behind sandbags. Hits hard, reloads slowly.
Space centre
Unlocks at town-centre level 13Level 1 launches a satellite, level 3 flies an astronaut, level 5 lands on the Moon.
Army
Army barracks
Unlocks at town-centre level 2Each level holds more soldiers.
Shoe and garment works
Unlocks at town-centre level 5Workshops and factories that make Aba’s shoes, bags and clothes. Raises Progress.
Landmarks
Ariaria International Market
Unlocks at town-centre level 4One of the biggest markets in West Africa, with about 37,000 shops; much of what is “Made in Aba” is sold here. Wealth and Unity.
The shoemakers’ lanes
Unlocks at town-centre level 6Lanes of workshops where shoes and bags are cut, stitched and finished by hand. Wealth and Progress.
Aba Sky Needle
Unlocks at town-centre level 13A future project: a kilometre-tall tower with a glowing observation ring, taller than anything on Earth today. The world comes to look.
Aba Arcology
Unlocks at town-centre level 14A future project: a stepped city in a single building, with farms, schools and homes for 100,000 people on its terraces.
Solar Crown
Unlocks at town-centre level 15A future project: a ring of solar parks and gardens held high above the city on white pillars. Clean power and a skyline nobody can copy.
Research
| Technology | Branch | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Improved seed | Farming | Better seed and fertiliser: +10% Food. |
| Cold chains | Farming | Less food spoils on the way: +15% Food storage. |
| Irrigation | Farming | Year-round farming: +15% Food. |
| Agro-processing | Farming | More value from every harvest: +20% Food. |
| Building codes | Building | Fewer collapses, faster approvals: builds 8% faster. |
| Steel frames | Building | Taller and stronger: buildings +10% sturdier. |
| Local cement | Building | Cheaper materials: builds cost 8% less. |
| Prefab towers | Building | Factory-built floors: builds 10% faster. |
| Police training | Defence | Better trained officers: +8% damage. |
| CCTV network | Defence | Cameras on every post: posts +12% damage. |
| Body armour | Defence | Better protection: +12% unit health. |
| Drones | Defence | Eyes in the sky: +12% damage. |
| Instant payments | Trade | Transfers in seconds: +10% Wealth. |
| Ease of business | Trade | Fewer forms and fees: +12% Wealth. |
| Free trade zone | Trade | Investors and exporters move in: +20% Wealth. |
| Teacher training | Learning | Better teachers: +15% Knowledge. |
| Tech hubs | Learning | Coders and start-ups: research 15% faster. |
| Research labs | Learning | Universities that invent: +20% Knowledge. |
| Festival calendar | Heritage | Concerts, carnivals and festivals: Faith and Unity rise. |
| Nollywood studios | Heritage | Films for the whole continent: Heritage. |
| Afrobeats on the world stage | Heritage | The city’s sound goes global: Heritage. |
| Fintech signature | Heritage | Signature tech. Money moves by phone: Knowledge and Progress. |
| Urban rail signature | Defence | Signature tech. Trains link the districts: walls and posts 25% stronger. |
Did you know?
- Aba is the commercial centre of Abia State; the state capital is Umuahia.
- Ariaria International Market in Aba has about 37,000 shops.
- Enyimba of Aba became the first Nigerian club to win the CAF Champions League, in 2003, and won it again in 2004.
- In late 1929 thousands of women in south-eastern Nigeria, including Aba, rose against taxes and the warrant chiefs.
- Aba’s workshops make shoes, bags and clothes sold across West Africa as “Made in Aba”.
- The fuel subsidy ended on 29 May 2023, and pump prices more than doubled.
- On 14 June 2023 the naira was floated; it fell from about ₦461 to about ₦770 to the dollar.
- Headline inflation peaked at 34.80% in December 2024; food inflation hit 40.87% in June 2024.
- Nigeria signed the Artemis Accords on 13 December 2022, one of the first two African countries to do so.
- The national motto is “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”.