The image of an Uburu Woman carrying a bowl of locally produced salt welcomes you to the town of Uburu a Community in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. There are two major salt lakes in the State namely Uburu Salt Lake and Okposi Salt Lake also known as Nmahiezi behind Federal Government College Okposi. These lakes have been the raw material source, providing brine with which women in the Community have been producing salt for over a century. The doggedness of a typical Ebonyi Woman is brought to bear here as the process of local salt production is not for the faint hearted.
Despite the laborious nature of the process, it has remained an exclusive activity for women. From fetching the salt water from the lake, to filtering the brine for sand and dirt, to boiling till water evaporates, a lot of energy is invested. Likewise, resources because the evaporation procedure can take a whole day to get a sizable commercial quantity and this consumes a lot of firewood.
The locally produced salt is said to be medicinal and useful for hypertension management as no chemical is used in the production. There is also a strong believe that it neutralizes poison and so sought after by traditional healers from far and near.
When next you visit Ebonyi State, ask of their local salt, have a taste of it, then you will understand where the State got the sobriquet “Salt of the Nation”