Andoni River

Last updated
Andoni River

The Andoni River [1] (Okwan Obolo) is one of the many rivers in Rivers State, Nigeria. [2] Andoni River is located between the New Calabar River and Imo River.[ citation needed ] It is believed to have derived its name from St. Anthony, a European explorer who visited the area in 15th century. [3] The mouth of the river gives way to large mangroves which are an important habitat for aquatic animals. [4]

Contents

Fauna

The river is host to many fish species including Sarotherodon melanotheron, Galeoides decadactylus, and Ilisha africana. [5] Additionally the river mangroves are home to the many other aquatic animals including oysters Crassostrea gasar and shrimp Penaeus monodon. [6] Over the last decade evidence has emerged that the river and it's estuary are declining in capacity to support habitats for local fish populations. [7]

Pollution

Report says in 2022 that Andoni River is one of the rivers in Rivers State that is being polluted by oil spillage as a result of illegal oil refinery. [8] The estuary is also enduring contamination from quick hydrocarbon contamination sources and nearby contamination from dissolved sullied dregs, released household and human squander, and long separate stream contamination.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niger Delta Basin (geology)</span>

The Niger Delta Basin, also referred to as the Niger Delta province, is an extensional rift basin located in the Niger Delta and the Gulf of Guinea on the passive continental margin near the western coast of Nigeria with suspected or proven access to Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé and Príncipe. This basin is very complex, and it carries high economic value as it contains a very productive petroleum system. The Niger delta basin is one of the largest subaerial basins in Africa. It has a subaerial area of about 75,000 km2, a total area of 300,000 km2, and a sediment fill of 500,000 km3. The sediment fill has a depth between 9–12 km. It is composed of several different geologic formations that indicate how this basin could have formed, as well as the regional and large scale tectonics of the area. The Niger Delta Basin is an extensional basin surrounded by many other basins in the area that all formed from similar processes. The Niger Delta Basin lies in the south westernmost part of a larger tectonic structure, the Benue Trough. The other side of the basin is bounded by the Cameroon Volcanic Line and the transform passive continental margin.

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), is a social movement organization representing the indigenous Ogoni people of Rivers State, Nigeria. The Ogoni contend that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), along with other petroleum multinationals and the Nigerian government, have destroyed their environment, polluted their rivers, and provided no benefits in return for enormous oil revenues extracted from their lands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niger Delta</span> The delta of the river Niger

The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitical zone, one state (Ondo) from South West geopolitical zone and two states from South East geopolitical zone.

Environmental issues in the Niger Delta are caused by its petroleum industry. The delta covers 20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi) within wetlands of 70,000 km2 (27,000 sq mi) formed primarily by sediment deposition. Home to 20 million people and 40 different ethnic groups, this floodplain makes up 7.5% of Nigeria's total land mass. It is the largest wetland and maintains the third-largest drainage basin in Africa. The Delta's environment can be broken down into four ecological zones: coastal barrier islands, mangrove swamp forests, freshwater swamps, and lowland rainforests. Fishing and farming are the main sources of livelihoods for majority of her residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild fisheries</span> Area containing fish that are harvested commercially

A wild fishery is a natural body of water with a sizeable free-ranging fish or other aquatic animal population that can be harvested for its commercial value. Wild fisheries can be marine (saltwater) or lacustrine/riverine (freshwater), and rely heavily on the carrying capacity of the local aquatic ecosystem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obolo people</span> Ethnic group in Niger Delta, Nigeria

The Obolo people also known as Andoni or Doni, are a multi-ethnic group in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Obolo people are primarily found in Rivers State and Akwa Ibom State, however, they are also are present in the states of Bayelsa, Cross River, Abia, and Enugu.

The Ibani tribe are a mixed Ijaw ethnic group who live in the Bonny and Opobo areas of Rivers State, Nigeria, on the Atlantic coast. Bonny town is the tribal seat of the Ibani which is located on the bight of Bonny River. Ibani language is spoken predominantly by residents of Bonny and Opobo. Igbo is also widely spoken amongst the people and considered a general language.

Eastern Obolo is a Local Government Area (LGA) in southern Nigeria, with its headquarters at Okoroete. It is a coastal local government area in Akwa-Ibom State under great tidal influence from the Bight of Bonny. Eastern Obolo LGA was mapped out of Ikot Abasi LGA by the Federal Government of Nigeria on 4 December 1996 with over 30,000 residents across a total area of approximately 17,000 km2. It comprises 16 villages, divided into two clans, namely Okoroete and Iko. It has ten political wards. All the villages in Eastern Obolo are of the Obolo ethnic group, there exist a common ancestral lineage which allows for peaceful coexistence and inter-relationship amongst them.

Ibeno is located in the south south of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Ibeno town lies on the eastern side of the Kwa Ibo River about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the river mouth, and is one of the largest fishing settlements on the Nigerian coast. Ibeno lies in the Mangrove Forest Belt of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, bounded to the west by Eastern Obolo Local Government Area, to the north by Onna, Esit Eket and Eket, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central African mangroves</span> Largest area of mangrove swamp in Africa, located on the coasts of West Africa, mainly in Nigeria

The Central African mangroves ecoregion consists of the largest area of mangrove swamp in Africa, located on the coasts of West Africa, mainly in Nigeria.

Obolo is a major Cross River language of Nigeria. Obolo is the indigenous name of a community in the eastern Delta of the River Niger, better known as Andoni. Obolo refers to the people, the language as well as the land. It is an agglutinative and an SVO language.

John Ikuru (1877–1947) was the son of king Ikuru Efuya, founder of Ikuru Town and Madam Obiringene of Opobo; his mother came from Ekede. He was born in 1877 in Ikuru Town, and had his primary school education at St. Paul's School, Opobo/Nkoro, from 1887 to 1895, and secondary school education at the Wesley Boys’ High School, in Lagos. At that time, Christianity was already sweeping through the entire Western Region of now Nigeria and the Niger Delta, through the evangelistic activities of the Church Missionary Society with Bishop Ajayi Crowther as the pioneer Missionary. So, trained in Lagos, John Ikuru embraced Christianity and became exposed to Christian ethics and philosophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niger Delta mangroves</span> Mangrove forest within a deltaic depositional environment

Nigeria has extensive mangrove forests in the coastal region of the Niger Delta. Considered one of the most ecologically sensitive regions in the world, the Niger Delta mangrove forest is situated within a deltaic depositional environment. These mangrove forests serve a critical role in regional ecological and landscape composition, and support subsistence gathering practices, and market-based income opportunities. Anthropogenic development threatens the survival of Niger Delta mangrove populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South South</span> Place in Nigeria

The South South is one of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. It designates both a geographic and political region of the country's eastern coast. It comprises six states – Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niger Delta swamp forests</span>

The Niger Delta swamp forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southern Nigeria. It consists of freshwater swamp forests in the Niger Delta of the Niger River. This swamp forest is the second largest in Africa after the Congolian swamp forests. Although there are large cities just outside the ecoregion, the area has been relatively isolated by the difficulty of building roads across the swamps, although this is changing with development of oil and logging industries. Scientific surveys have only begun in recent years, and new species were being identified into the 1990s. Crude oil exploration and pollution has been a threat to forests in the Niger Delta region.

The Unyeada Kingdom, sometimes referred to as "Ayanda" a corrupted version of Unyeada, some literal version interpreted it as "prowess of Edabiri". Unyeada is an ancient riverine settlement (Kingdom) located in western part of Obolo Land, administratively in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Situated in the south of Ogoni tribe and Kingdom of Bonny to the west and Eastern Obolo to the east. Unyeada territory stretches from Iburubu Sea near the mouth of Andoni River to Okwan Obbu or Imo River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Otuo Ogbalakon</span> Okaan-Ama of Unyeada Kingdom

King Otuo Ogbalakon (Ogbolakon) or King Otuo was the 17th-century warrior-king of Obolo (Andoni) people in the Eastern Niger Delta. He was unpopular for fighting against Bonny and their colonial allies. Her mother, princess Ariaunwa Okpok-Ogbolikan of Old Unyeada was recorded by history as the first Obolo (Andoni) Princess to rule as a monarch (Okaan-Ama) after the demise of her father, King Ikana Okpok of Edabiri dynasty in the 17th century. Princess Ariaunwa married Prince Ogbolaikon of Alabie now known as Agwut-Obolo and begat Otuo. In 1792, when Otuo became of age he was crowned as the King of Old Unyeada Kingdom.

Agwut-Obolo Town (Alabie) is literally interpreted in Obolo language as. Also, the tribal seat of the Obolo people. Located in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Agwut-Obolo is an ancient religious centre in the pre-colonial Eastern Niger Delta where the deity of "Yok-OBolo", the National god of the Obolo Nation is situated. Following the exit King Jaja of Opobo and his group from the Kingdom of Bonny in 1869 seeking refuge in Obolo (Andoni) Land, Jaja entered a traditional oath of allegiance to venerate the deity of " Yok-Obolo" at Agwut-Obolo or Alabie as condition of his acceptance into the Obolo territory.

Ijok-irin also known as Unyeada Fishing Festival is an annual cultural and fishing festival of the Obolo people. Ijok-irin means "Fish Fest", in Obolo languages is peculiar to Unyeada Kingdom in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. The festival celebrated during the Summer period in Nigeria between the months of July and August to ushered in the new Fishing season of the Obolo people who are predominantly fishermen. The tradition of migrant fishermen returning home from fishing expedition cross the Gulf of Guinea with their biggest catch to observe the Ijok-irin is till visible with the Unyeada people.

Andoni Elephant Park or Andoni Elephant Sanctuary is a community forest located on the picturesque Andoni Island, one of the world's most biodiverse Barrier island. The reserve was officially gazetted by the then Government of Rivers State under Chief Melford Okilo administration in 1983. The island Andoni is in the southern part of Rivers State in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta, measuring about 124 square kilometres is consist of three ecological zones; Freshwater swamp forest, Tidal flat which comprised, estuaries, mangrove and creeks, and Atlantic Beach According to United Nations Development Programme's Niger Delta Biodiversity Project Report 2012, Andoni Island, though relatively small in size compared to List of national parks of Nigeria, represent some of the last remaining pristine natural resources, home to some Nigeria's endemic or near endemic mammals species on IUCN Red List mammals. Some of the wildlife that are residents in the park includes; African forest elephant, pygmy hippopotamus, West African manatee, the aquatic antelope sitatunga and the waterbuck.

References

  1. Ejituwu, Nkparom C. (1991). A History of Obolo (Andoni) in the Niger Delta. Manson Publishing Company. ISBN   978-978-2451-45-3.
  2. "Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)". ESCR-Net. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  3. The Obolo (Andoni) of the Eastern Niger Delta – University of Lagos
  4. Zabbey, Nenibarini; Uyi, Hanson (2014). "Community responses of intertidal soft-bottom macrozoobenthos to oil pollution in a tropical mangrove ecosystem, Niger Delta, Nigeria". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 82 (1–2): 167–174. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.03.002. PMID   24667085.
  5. "West African ilisha - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  6. "FAO: Giant tiger prawn home". www.fao.org. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  7. Ezekwe, Clinton Ifeanyichukwu; Edoghotu, Moni Iniobi (2015). "Water quality and environmental health indicators in the Andoni River estuary, Eastern Niger Delta of Nigeria". Environmental Earth Sciences. 74 (7): 6123–6136. doi:10.1007/s12665-015-4635-9. ISSN   1866-6280. S2CID   126937887.
  8. "Pirates, pollution hinder women from fishing in Rivers - Daily Trust". dailytrust.com. Retrieved 2023-09-14.

4°26′N7°20′E / 4.433°N 7.333°E / 4.433; 7.333