Streets in Old GRA, Port Harcourt: A Street Guide

The best-known streets in Old GRA, Port Harcourt are Forces Avenue and Harley Street, with quieter residential streets such as Ernest Ikoli Street, Igbodo Street, Eleme Street and Yola Street around them, and Azikiwe Road and Moscow Road on the government side of the district. Old GRA is the colonial-era Government Reserved Area, in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State. It is a small, low-density district of wide, tree-lined roads and large compounds, so it has far fewer named streets than New GRA.

Where the streets of Old GRA are

Old GRA was laid out in the colonial period as the residential quarter for government officers, and it is still the seat of state power: Government House and the Rivers State House of Assembly are in the district. D-Line lies to the north and Diobu to the west, and the old Township and Borokiri are to the south. New GRA, the later extension organised in Phases 1 to 5, is a separate district in the same local government. The background to the district, its housing and its tenants is in the Old GRA area guide.

The word GRA is used loosely in Port Harcourt listings. A property advertised as GRA may be in Old GRA, in one of the New GRA phases or on the Peter Odili Road corridor, and the three price differently. A street name settles the question, which is the main practical use of the list below. The streets people most often confuse with Old GRA, such as Tombia Street and Evo Road, are covered in streets in New GRA.

The best-known streets inside Old GRA

• Forces Avenue: the most prestigious address in the district and one of the best known in the city. It is a broad, tree-lined avenue of large walled compounds, official residences, corporate guest houses and a small number of offices and hotels. The Government House complex adjoins this part of the district, so security is visible and constant.
• Harley Street: a main street of Old GRA, rebuilt in recent years as a dual carriageway. The Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, formerly the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital and still widely called BMH, is on it, and clinics, pharmacies, offices and guest houses have gathered around the hospital. It is busier than the streets behind it.
• Ernest Ikoli Street: a residential street named after the pioneering journalist and nationalist, with houses in their own compounds and a private school.
• Igbodo Street, Eleme Street and Yola Street: quiet residential streets of detached houses on generous plots. Like much of Old GRA, they are named after Nigerian towns and communities, and several private nursery and primary schools are found on them.

This is not a complete register of every street. Old GRA also has short closes and unnamed service lanes, and some compounds are addressed by a plot number rather than a street. If an advert names a street you do not recognise, ask the agent for the nearest of the streets above and visit before you pay anything.

The roads on the government side

• Azikiwe Road: the main road that leads from the Aba Road axis down towards the old Township. Government House is reached off it, and Isaac Boro Park, the public park named after the nationalist leader, is beside this corridor. It is a through road lined with public buildings, banks and offices rather than a residential address.
• Moscow Road: the road associated with the State Secretariat complex and the House of Assembly. It is institutional and busy on working days, and quiet at weekends.

Properties that front these roads are priced as commercial or institutional space.

What property is like on Old GRA streets

The typical property is a detached house in a large walled compound. Some are original government-era houses, a number of them in poor repair. Others have been renovated or rebuilt by private owners on the same plots. There is a small number of purpose-built apartment blocks and terraces, and on Harley Street and the edge roads some houses have become offices, clinics and guest houses. The secondary streets have kept their residential character.

Indicative rents, and where each street sits

There are no reliable street-by-street rent figures for Old GRA, so use the indicative annual ranges for the district as a whole:

• 2-bedroom flat: ₦1,500,000 – ₦4,000,000 per annum
• 3-bedroom flat: ₦2,500,000 – ₦6,000,000 per annum
• 3-bedroom duplex: ₦3,000,000 – ₦8,000,000 per annum
• 4-bedroom or larger detached or semi-detached house: ₦4,000,000 – ₦12,000,000 per annum

Forces Avenue and the quietest residential streets, such as Ernest Ikoli Street, Igbodo Street, Eleme Street and Yola Street, sit at the top of each range when the house is renovated, because they combine the largest plots with the least traffic. Homes on or just behind Harley Street sit in the middle: convenient, but busier because of the hospital. Unrenovated houses and older flats sit at the bottom wherever they are. On compound properties a service charge for security, generator fuel and grounds is paid on top of the rent.

The full move-in calculation is in renting in Port Harcourt, and sale prices by area are in Port Harcourt property prices. To see what is available now, browse flats for rent in Old GRA, houses for rent in Old GRA or houses for rent in Port Harcourt.

Who the streets of Old GRA suit

• Senior civil servants and state officials who want to live beside their offices
• Oil and gas executives and corporate tenants who want a large house on a quiet street
• Long-settled professional families, and diaspora families with Port Harcourt roots
• Clinics, professional firms and guest houses looking for premises around Harley Street
• Buyers who want a large plot with a well-documented title in a central location

Tenants who prefer a newer, fully managed apartment should compare the New GRA area guide, and the best areas to rent in Port Harcourt sets out the cheaper alternatives.

What to check before you rent or buy

• Which GRA: confirm the street and confirm that it is in Old GRA, not a New GRA phase.
• Building condition: inspect the roof, wiring and plumbing of any older house, and ask what was actually renovated.
• Flood history: most of the district drains well, but ask residents about the specific street and visit after heavy rain.
• Power and service charge: confirm the generator hours, who pays for diesel and what the charge covers, in writing.
• Title, for a purchase: insist on a Certificate of Occupancy with a traceable history and have a Rivers State solicitor verify it before you pay. The steps are in buying property in Port Harcourt.

Own a house, flat or office in the district? List your property on Cabans and put the street name and Old GRA in the title so that the right tenants find it.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main streets in Old GRA, Port Harcourt?

The best-known streets in Old GRA are Forces Avenue and Harley Street, together with residential streets such as Ernest Ikoli Street, Igbodo Street, Eleme Street and Yola Street. Azikiwe Road and Moscow Road are the busy roads associated with the government side of the district.

Which local government is Old GRA in?

Old GRA is in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State, the same local government as New GRA, D-Line, Diobu and the old Township.

Is Forces Avenue in Old GRA?

Yes. Forces Avenue is one of the principal streets of Old GRA and one of the most prestigious addresses in Port Harcourt, with large compounds, official residences and corporate guest houses.

Which hospital is on Harley Street, Old GRA?

The Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, formerly the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital and still widely called BMH, is on Harley Street in Old GRA.

Is Tombia Street in Old GRA?

No. Tombia Street, Evo Road, Woji Street and King Perekule Street are in GRA Phase 2, which is part of New GRA. Adverts that say only GRA may mean either district, so always ask whether a property is in Old GRA or in a New GRA phase.

How much is rent on the streets of Old GRA?

The indicative annual ranges for Old GRA as a whole are ₦1,500,000–₦4,000,000 for a 2-bedroom flat, ₦2,500,000–₦6,000,000 for a 3-bedroom flat and ₦4,000,000–₦12,000,000 for a 4-bedroom or larger house, before service charges. Renovated houses on large plots on the quietest streets sit at the top of those ranges.

Related guides

Browse Old GRA on Cabans: Old GRA area page, properties in Port Harcourt. Related guides: Old GRA area guide, Streets in New GRA, Port Harcourt, New GRA area guide, Renting in Port Harcourt.