Owerri (/oʊˈwɛri/ oh-Way-Ray,[5] Igbo: Owèrrè)[6] is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland.

Owerri also sits on huge crude oil and natural gas reserves like most of the Igbo land areas.

It is sometimes referred to as the king of soup and in some Igbo communities, beautiful women are sometimes likened to Ofe Owerri.

Ingredients for the soup, include snails, ponmo (cow skin), goat meat, okporoko (dried hake fish), dried fish, oporo (smoked prawns), grounded dried crayfish, wraps of ogili (fermented soya beans), fresh pepper, grounded dried pepper, grounded uziza seeds (Ashanti pepper), cocoyam, palm oil, sliced ugu leaves (pumpkin leaves), sliced oha leaves, sliced uziza leaves, stock cubes, achi powder and salt.

Popular super Eagle players hails from owerri, people like Emmanuel Emenike, Kelechi Iheanacho who played for major English clubs like Manchester City F.C.

striker and Nigeria national football team player Nwankwo Kanu was born and raised in Owerri.

He attended Holy Ghost College,[15] a renowned local secondary school in the Owerri town.

Catholics and Anglicans have the largest followings and Owerri is home to Assumpta Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri (Latin: Archidioecesis Overriensis) and the Seat of Wisdom Seminary.