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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.
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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.
Idama is an island located in the mangrove forest of the oil rich Niger Delta area of Nigeria. It is part of the Akuku-Toru local government area of Rivers. Numerous settlements populate the Idama territory, which combine with the Idama clan to form the Idama Kingdom. The Idama clan is the major settlement in the kingdom, which serve as the headquarters. Idama kingdom, like other coastal kingdoms, is a low-lying land and is only few feet above sea level. It is situated in the southwestern part of Akuku Toru. It is an island on the bank of Idama Creek, a tributary of the Sombriero River (Olulo Toru) and the San Bartholemew River.
Before King Amachree I became the ruler of the main Kalabari people at their "Elem Ama" or the shipping settlement near the north of the Atlantic Ocean in the New Calabar River, in the 17th century, and brought about the amalgamation and unification of the Kalabari kingdoms.
The Idama Community existed as a distinct and autonomous community. In the area presently occupied by the community between the axis of the San Bartholemew and Sombriero Rivers. The Idama people were Ijaws who migrated from Okpoin-Ama, the native place of the Idama people, in the present day Ijaw area of Bayelsa state, in pre-colonial days. The people left Okpoin-Ama in search of a better life, as Okpoin-Ama was frequently threatened by a devastating flood. Six headmen led the migration. They were Opu-adwein Ebe Otukpo Obio Akain Atumogoli. They were predominantly migrant fishers, settling in such notable places as Aba -Ama and Boro-Ama in the tributary of the San-Bartholomew river, Kala-Ekulama and Darima near Ke, in present-day Degema.
At Lele-Ama the people settled at a bush land in the interior, close to the open Sombriero River, a place they christened Okpoin-Ama after the recent place of the Ekulama people. The only people at that time around the Okpoin-Ama where the Ebema and Bille people. Ebema was founded by Ebe who moved from Okpoin-Ama to a dry land just across the Sombriero river on the opposite side of Okpoin-Ama and settled there with his family. While living at Ebema, Ebe the Amayanabo of Ebema became friends with Agbani, the Amayanabo of Bille. This relationship led Agbani to marry a woman from Ebema, who gave birth to a male child named Agbaniye-Okio.
Ijaw people are people in Niger Delta in Nigeria, Predominantly found in Bayelsa state, Delta State and Rivers State.They are also found in other Nigerian states like Ondo, Edo and Akwa Ibom. Many are found as migrant fishermen in camps as far west as Sierra Leone and as far east as Gabon. Population figures for the Ijaws vary greatly,8 million. They have long lived in locations near many sea trade routes, and they were well connected to other areas by trade as early as the 15th century. The Ijos (Ijaws) are the descendants of the autochthonous people or ancient tribe of Africa known as the (H) ORU. They were known by this name by themselves and their immediate neighbours. The Ijos have kept the ancient language and culture of the ORU.
Okrika is a port town in Rivers State, Nigeria, capital of the Local Government Area of the same name. The town is situated on an island south of Port Harcourt, making it a suburb of the much larger city.
The Ijawlanguages, also spelt Ịjọ, are the languages spoken by the Ijo people in southern Nigeria.
The Kalabari are a sub-group of the Ijaw people living in the eastern Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Originally, they were known as the Awome. The name Kalabari was derived from their ancestor Perebo Kalabari who was a son of Mein Owei. Their original settlement was spelt as Calabar by the Portuguese which was pronounced Kalabari. This settlement (town) was abandoned as the people moved to other fishing settlements. Portuguese settlers continued to maintain the name Calabari which became surrounded by the Efik people of Duke town. When the British came the word Calabari was pronounced as Calabar (Kalaba) instead of Kalabari. At this time the original Ijoid Kalabaris had moved to a new location which became the new Calabar territory since the old Calabar is occupied by different people. Old Calabar became an Efik town with time which has the name Calabar.
Dẹgẹma is an Edoid language spoken in two separate communities on Degema Island in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, by about 120,000 people, according to 1991 census figures. The two communities are Usokun-Degema and Degema Town (Atala) in the Degema Local Government Area in Rivers State. Each community speaks a mutually intelligible variety of Dẹgẹma, known by the names of the communities speaking them: the Usokun variety and the Degema Town (Atala) variety. Both varieties are similar in their phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic properties.
Abonnema, originally known as Nyemoni, is a large town in the Kalabari Kingdom that was founded in 1882. Its territory was discovered by an expedition of eleven independent chieftaincy houses from the Kalabari city-state.
The Obolo People, also known as Andoni tribe, is part of the proposed Obolo State. Obolo people are found in Rivers State, Akwa Ibom State and Abia State. They have historical relations with Oron people, Ohafia, Ogoloma, Ido and Ibeno people of Niger Delta in Nigeria.
The Western Apoi tribe of the Ijaw people live in Ondo State, Nigeria. The tribe consists of nine settlements: Igbobini, Ojuala, Ikpoke, Inikorogha, Oboro, Shabomi, Igbotu, Kiribo and Gbekebo. The Apoi inhabited higher ground than most of the other Ijaw tribes. They speak the Yoruba language as they no longer speak the Ijaw language. They are bordered to the north by the Ikale and to the west by the Ilaje. The clan also shares border with the Arogbo Ijaw to the south and the Furupagha Ijaw to the east across the Siloko River.
The Arogbo Izon People "are a Clan or Sub-ethnic group of the larger Izon Nation, the 3rd Largest Ethnic Nationatity in Nigeria. Izon Nation is surely the largest Ethnic Group in the Niger Delta Natural Region. They are very valiant and courageous folks. They have domiciled in the Southeastern part of present day Ondo State from about the 9th Century A.D. The Arogbo Izon Ibe covers over One Hundred And Twenty (120) Izon Towns and Villages with headquarters at AROGBO TOWN.
Bille Kingdom
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 their Ijaw relatives. 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 Gbaran tribe of the Ijaw people lives along Taylor Creek in central Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Gbaran settlements include: Okotiama, Poloaku, Obinagha, Ogboloma, Nedugo, Agbia, Ibiaye (Ebiyai), and Koroama. Okotiama is the senior community. The close proximity of Gbaran villages along Taylor Creek has helped them maintain their shared cultural traditions. The clan god is Gbaran Ziba.
The Kula tribe of the Ijaw people lives in Akuku Toru Local Government Area, southwestern Rivers State, Nigeria. The Kula people were not originally speaking Kalabari as their language but has lost their real language due to trade and close interactions with the Kalabaris. The small Kalabari-speaking tribe is sometimes classified as a Kalabari community rather than as its own tribe. The tribal seat is the town of Kula founded and established by King Sara 1.
Abalama, Nigeria is a settlement 15 km southwest of Port Harcourt. It was established in 1880 by members of Elem Abalama. The settlement has grown to become a middle town of the Kalabari people in Rivers State of Nigeria.
Degema is a Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Degema.
Asari-Toru is a Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Chief Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas was appointed Nigerian Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture in 1989, then Minister of Aviation in General Ibrahim Babangida's cabinet. In 1999, he was appointed Minister of Labour and Productivity, and in 2000, Minister of Tourism in the Olusegun Obasanjo cabinet, leaving office in January 2001. He remains a force in Rivers State politics.
The Kalabari Kingdom, also called Elem Kalabari, is the independent traditional state of the Kalabari people, an Ijaw ethnic group, in the Niger River Delta. It is recognized as a traditional state in what is now Rivers State, Nigeria.
The Unyeada Kingdom, as "prowess of Eda", is an ancient Ijaw riverine settlement (Kingdom) located South of Ogoni tribe and to the West is Bonny Island and Ataba Town. Unyeada Kingdom is most populated segment of Obolo people and presently divided into two Administrative Districts in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.