The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Énú Ụ́gwụ́, meaning "hill top", denoting the city's hilly geography.

[15] The Aro Confederacy ended, and the British added the rest of Aro-dominated areas to The Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, declared in 1900.

[16][17] Europeans first arrived in the Enugu area in 1903 when the British/Australian geologist Albert Ernest Kitson led an exploration of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate to search for especially valued mineral resources under the supervision of the Imperial Institute, London.

[19] In 1915 the British began talks with the indigenous people of the land that would become Enugu about its acquisition in order to lay the Eastern Line railway and to build a colliery.

[14] The Eastern Line railway connecting Enugu with Port Harcourt was completed in 1916 in order to facilitate the export of coal through its seaport[26][24] and the city was developed sole for this purpose.

On the African side of the city, a rapid influx of migrant workers led to the development of squatter camps on the Udi Hills near the coal mines and the Iva Valley.

[25] Under colonial British rule, working conditions in Nigeria were harsh, characterized by regular physical punishment, forced acts of humiliation, and irregular payments of arrears owed to workers.

[31] "Zikism" was a post World War II movement that was created out of admiration for Nnamdi Azikiwe who was a prominent nationalist of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC).

[30]: 88–89 [31] A detailed account of the incident was also published in the memoirs of the British Resident of Enugu at the time, James Stewart Smith.

[14] On 4 October 1967 the Nigerian military bombarded Enugu with artillery just outside its boundaries before capturing it a week later, shortly after this Umuahia became the new capital of the republic.

[57] Other weather conditions affecting the city include Harmattan, a dusty trade wind lasting a few weeks of December and January.

The tallest building in Enugu's Central Business District (CBD) is the African Continental Bank (ACB) tower with six stories.

[61] The tower was built in the late 50s for the African Continental Bank Limited which was founded by Nnamdi Azikiwe who became the first president of Nigeria after the country's independence from the United Kingdom in October 1960.

Hotel Presidential cost $2.5 million to build and was commissioned by the government of what was then the Eastern Region to serve visiting businessmen, officials and tourists.

[85] In cultural and linguistic terms, Enugu is within the northern cluster of the Igbo region which includes other communities like Agbani, Awka, Owo, Nike, and Nsukka.

[84] By the 1953 census, the Igbo community remained the vast majority at 87% of the population; however, various Igbo subgroups inhabited different parts of Enugu as of the mid-twentieth century including the Enugwu-Ngwo people (residing on the Hill-Top plain near the Milliken Hills on the west, with farmlands extending into the valleys), the Awkunanaw people (living in the Achara Layout and Uwani areas), and the Ogui Nike people (inhabited areas around Hotel Presidential as well as areas such as Obiagu, Ama-Igbo, Ihewuzi, and Onu-Asata) and other Nike groups (settled in regions like Abakpa, Iji-Nike, and Emene).

However, decades of urban sprawl and migration — both internal movement within the city and the influx of new residents — have significantly altered these demographic patterns over time.

Relevant authorities also facilitate cooperation between Igbo and non-indigene communities while shared festivals, intermarriage, and religious commonalities — particularly among Hausa, Fulani, and Yoruba Muslims — contribute to this environment.

This festival is held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium as a parade of carnival-like masquerades that are accompanied by music and it is supported by the Enugu Council of Arts and Culture.

[95] Some other spots include: The Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Sculptural Garden and Art Gallery, the Eastern Region Parliamentary Building, the Old Government Lodge,[95] and Enugu Golf course.

Every year, over 3 million naira in prizes are awarded, making it one of the most prestigious and supportive platform for young Nigerian artists.

The festival not only serves as a platform for local artists but also attracts cultural tourism, shedding light on societal issues and fostering conversations around Eastern Nigeria's heritage.

It was at this time that he met and became friends with Nigerian poet Christopher Okigbo where they started the publishing house Citadel Press, among its titles How the Dog was Domesticated and How the Leopard Got His Claws.

[123] Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, writer of Half of a Yellow Sun, a winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007,[124][125] was born in Enugu in 1977 and grew up in Nsukka.

[129] Enugu was a host for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup games (24 October – 15 November) alongside Calabar and five other Nigerian cities with matches taking place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.

[128] Its hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup benefited Enugu through the renovation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, having had such things as a new artificial surface laid.

[132] The Nigerian Civil War brought widespread devastation that forced a decline in coal production from damage or destruction of equipment.

[137] Brewing and soft-drink bottling are among other industries in the city; there is also a Mercedes assembly plant[100][138] as well as the production and manufacturing of machinery, pottery, tiles, steel, cement, asbestos, petroleum, and pharmaceuticals.

[143] Consequently, the area called Enugu State as well as the rest of Nigeria, which was once a self-sufficient net exporter in agricultural produce, must import food.

It is home to over 20 startups that incude Xend Finance, Linkskool School Management, Greenage Technologies, Digital Dreams Limited, Quiva Games and many more.