Delta State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State on August 27, 1991. Bordered on the north by Edo State, the east by Anambra and Rivers States, and the south by Bayelsa State across the Niger River for 17 km and the Forçados River for 198 km, while to the west is the Bight of Benin which covers about 160 kilometres of the state's coastline. The State was initially created with 12 local government areas in 1991 which was later extended to 19 and now has 25 local government areas. Asaba as its state capital is located along the River Niger on the northeastern end of the State, while the state's economic centre is the twin cities of Warri and Uvwie
Igbuku is a community in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. It is located on the shores of the River Ase. Igbuku shares a common boundary with Ofagbe, Ovrode, Ibrede, Aboh, and Ashaka. The town is made up of descendants from Ndokwa speaking founders and have over time intertwined in intermarriages with Isoko neighbours, that almost everyone from the town can trace to a mixed ancestry. Most early founders were from Ellu, Ovrode, and Aradhe hence most people trace their ancestry to Ellu, Ovrode, and Aradhe. There are also migrants from Ellu, Ofagbe, Ibrede, and Aradhe. Ndokwa and Isoko languages are the main means of communication.
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.
Asaba is the capital of Delta State, Nigeria. A fast growing city, it is located at the western bank of the Niger River, in the Oshimili South Local Government Area. Asaba had a population of 149,603 as at the 2006 census, and a metropolitan population of over half a million people.
Bayelsa is a state in the South South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State, making it one of the newest states in the federation. The capital, Yenagoa, is susceptible to high risk of annual flooding. It shares a boundary with Rivers State to the east and Delta State to the north across the Niger River for 17 km and the Forçados River for 198 km, with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean dominating its southern borders. It has a total area of 10,773 square kilometres (4,159 sq mi). The state comprises eight local government areas: Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Brass and Southern Ijaw. The state is the smallest in Nigeria by population as of the 2006 census. Being in the Niger Delta, Bayelsa State has a riverine and estuarine setting, with bodies of water within the state preventing the development of significant road infrastructure.
Anioma people are located in present day Delta State, Nigeria. A genetically distinct and heterogeneous group. They encompass the communities which span across the 9 northeastern Local Government Areas of Delta State and speak different derived dialects of varying varieties including the Enuani languages and Ukwuani language. Igbo itself is a member of the Edoid language of the Niger-Congo linguistic family. The similarity of the dialects is gradated and generally decreases in linguistic proximity to Igbo the further away from the Niger. They occupy Delta North Senatorial District, which consists of the Enuani (Oshimili/Aniocha), and Ukwuani/Ndokwa geographical and linguistic zones of Delta State.
Isoko is an Edoid language, one of the languages in Delta State spoken by the Isoko people in Isoko South, North and part of Ndokwa East Local Government Areas of Delta State, Southern part of Nigeria in Niger Delta region. It is also spoken in some part of Bayelsa. The Isoko language has close similarities between them and Edo people with other Edoid language because it is an Edoid language,the Isoko people are “an ethnic nationality made up of people and their ancestral roots can be traced through history to the Benin (Aka) kingdom, attested to by the linguistic and cultural similarities that exist between the Isoko people and the Benin (Aka)people” although a few of the Isoko communities or clans have their origins attached to the Ibo language and Urhobo language. Some 750,000 people consider themselves Isoko. Language is a mark of identity and plays an all-important role in the life of a people. The Isoko language however, is being threatened with extinction as reported by Idudhe (2002), as a result of neglect in teaching, learning and use. The Isoko language has about 20 to 21 dialects, but the Aviara/Uzere dialect is the standard dialect of the language.
The Boma tribe (Bumo) of the Ijaw people live in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The thirteen Bumo settlements are: Diebu, Ekowe, Emette, Eniwari, Fonibiri, Igbematoru, Ikianbiri, Kainyanbiri, Ozezebiri, Peremabiri, Polobugo and Seibiri.
The Engenni people live in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. They are considered to be Edoid based on linguistic grounds. They live in close proximity with Ijaw people. They primarily live in Ahoada west local government area of Rivers state, Nigeria. Although they consider themselves to be Engenni, the Engenni speak an Edoid language. Alagoa (2003) said: “---The penetration of the Niger-Delta by Edoid groups extends to the Epie-Atissa and Engenni of the central and Eastern Niger-Delta----The Epie, along with the Ogbia and other groups of the central and eastern Niger-Delta, are historically united with the Ijaw.” The other groups of the central and eastern Niger-Delta which Professor Ebiegberi Alagoa said that were historically united with the Ijaw, include the Engenni, as shown from his narrative above. The Engenni have close relations with neighbouring Ijaw tribes such as the Zarama and Epie-Atissa.
The Kabo tribe of the Izon people lives in the vicinity of Patani in Delta State, Nigeria. The tribe gets its name from its founder, Kabo, and from Kabobolou Creek. Two Kabo towns are located along the creek. Other Kabo settlements include: Patani, Elemebiri (Ofonibeingha), Asamabiri, and Ekperiwari.
The Kolokuma tribe of the Ijaw people live along the Nun River in Bayelsa State, Southern Nigeria. Kolokuma settlements include: Seibokorogha (Sabagreia), Odi, Okoloba, Igbedi and Kaiama. The geographic position of the Kolokuma clan caused them to interact with neighboring peoples including the Mein, Western Tarakiri, Isoko, and Ndokwa Igbo. Also, wars were fought between the Kolokuma and the Boma and Oyakiri tribes in the distant past. Egbesu is the tribal god of the Kolokuma. Historically, the tribe came under the central authority of the high priest of Egbesu. The Kolokuma people speak the Izon language. They are predominantly farmers and fishermen. The freedom just fighter Major Adaka Boro was from the Kolokuma tribe.
Ndokwa East is a Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Aboh.
Ase is a coastal community on the shores of the Ase River, off River Niger in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Ase River derives its name from Ase town. Ase is an idyllic countryside with a spectacular and breathtaking natural beach, evergreen rain-forest vegetation rich in flora and fauna which overhangs the Ase Creek. Ase is a serene natural tourist resort still waiting to be explored. Ase shares common boundaries with Ibedeni, Onyah, Aviara, Uzere, Patani and Trofani.
Asaba International Airport : is the primary international airport serving Asaba and the whole of Delta State, Nigeria, and other nearby cities. It is located approximately 7.9 kilometers east of the city centre of Asaba.
Onogbokor is an Isoko-speaking town in the Ndokwa East Local Government Area (LGA), Delta State, Nigeria. Until the creation of Delta State in 1991, it was formerly with the Ndoshimili LGA with headquarters located in Kwale, in the defunct Bendel state. It shares common boundaries with Iyede-Ame in the south, Igeh to the east, Umuolu and Itebiege to the north and Akara-etiti on the west. The town has three quarters: Ushie, Ogbe-ekpako and Ove. Inhabitants of the town dominantly speak the Isoko dialect with few migrant Ụkwụànì speakers. They intermarry Ụkwụànìs, Ijaws and other tribes. As a clan, it has four communities: Ewo-Okpe community, Okporo community, Ewo-eboy community and Obere community. There are migrants from neighbouring nearby communities and pockets of Ijaw fishermen and Hausa petty traders in the clan.
Onogbokor Clan is a clan whose origin is traced to Okpe-Isoko Kingdom, Isoko-North LGA of Nigeria. It is governed by a traditional ruler with the title Odio-Ologbo, who hails from the royal family in Ushie quarters of the town. The first crowned Odio-Ologbo of the clan was His Royal Highness Gideon D. Akporeha (Uloho) I, who is the custodian of all political authority over the quarters and the communities. He was a well-known traditional ruler who was recognised and gazetted by the government of Delta State in 1996 and presented with a staff of office. He was a member of Delta state, Ndokwa-East, and Isoko Traditional Councils. His reign witnessed peace after a protracted legal battle for the throne. He reigned from 1996 to 2017. In 2018, a regent, the first son of Uloho I, HRM (Hon.) Gibson O. Akporeha 1, a former Vice Chairman in Ndokwa-East Local Government Area of Delta State from 1999-2003, was crowned the Odio-Ologbo of Onogbokor in accordance with the Ruling House crowning rites. He reigned from 2018-2020 as a regent and later died the same year his regency ought to have lapsed. Another lineage of the Royal Family in Ushie Quarters presented the current Odio-Ologbo, His Royal Highness, Isaac Onomeyare Ajawobu, Uloho II, who was appointed by the Delta State Governor Ifeanyichukwu Arthur Okowa on August 14, 2021, and was presented with a staff of office on April 13, 2022. The leadership of the Clan is decentralized. Each community has its own leadership structure with balanced gender representation including the youth. The clan's belief system is a combination of traditional worship and Christian practices. Apart from the usual Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas, Onogbokor Clan boasts of three main festivals celebrated annually: the Ogene festival, Ogrigri festival and the Obere-fishing festival which attracts fishermen from different parts of Delta State and other neighbouring states.
The Idama (E'dama) clan of the Ijaw people lives in central Rivers state, Nigeria. This small clan is sometimes classified as a Kalabari tribe clan rather than as its own clan.
The Kaiama Declaration was issued by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) of Nigeria on 11 December 1998 to attribute the political crisis in Nigeria to the struggle for the control of oil mineral resources, while asserting that the degradation of the environment of Ijawland by transnational oil companies and the Nigerian State arise mainly because Ijaw people have been robbed of their natural rights to ownership and control of their land and resources. The council was formed in the town of Kaiama after 5,000 Ijaw people representing over 40 Ijaw clans, chose to articulate their aspirations for the Ijaw people, and to demand an end to 40 years of environmental damage and underdevelopment in the region.
The South South is one of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria representing 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.
Awah, or Avba, is a town in Delta State, Nigeria. Located on the shores of the Ase River in the Ndokwa East Local Government Area, it is one of the Isoko speaking communities found in the Old Aboh political division. Until the creation of Delta State in 1991, it was formerly with the Ndoshimili Local Government Area with headquarters located in Kwale, in the defunct Bendel state.
