Ugbo Kingdom

Last updated January 17, 2024

The Ugbo Kingdom is a kingdom in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State, South West Nigeria, with its capital in Ode Ugbo. The people of Ugbo Kingdom are predominantly fishermen.^[1]^{[ failed verification ]}

History

Administration

Ugbo Kingdom consists of sixteen quarters and is headed by appointed chiefs according to their^{[ who? ]} traditions and customs. One of the heads of the quarters, called Chief Gbogunron, is responsible for putting the traditional ritual leaves on the newly appointed King on coronation day.^[2]

Geography

Ugboland is located along the coastal shores of South-Western Nigeria. Close neighbours of Ugbo people include the Ikales, the Itshekiris, the Ijaws, the Apois, the Ijebus, and the Edos. Ugboland occupies the coastline of the South-Western region of Nigeria in the current Ondo State. The entire area consist coastal landmarks, creeks, rivers and lagoons. It is within the western zone of the Niger Delta beginning from the Bight of Benin in the East, and all the way from Oghoye through several Ugboland creeks to Abetobo.

Ugboland is situated on an elevation of between 1.0 and 1.5 meters above sea level. It is plainly plain as there is no presence of any hill.

Climate and vegetation

Ugboland is in the swampy mangrove forest zone, being located in this region therefore, the temperature fluctuates according to the frequency of rainfall. Usually, the area has two distinct seasons i.e. rain and dry season. The rainy season is usually lengthy because of the location of the area, it last for about nine months within a year with about 2500mm per annum of rainfall, which falls between February and November every year. The dry season last for three months because of the location of the region, it starts from November and end in February when the rainy season starts. The temperature of the area fluctuates between 22 °C in the rainy season and 28 °C in the dry season.

The climatic condition of Ugboland does encourage forest growing. The place is situated and serves areas which are largely in the tropical monsoon climate. The lands with three distinct seasons, (cold, hot and rainy) exert great influence on the appearance of the vegetation. The trees are fairly tolerant of local, physical and climatic conditions to survive. They grow rapidly in the rainy season, shed their leaves during the hot/dry season and remain comparatively inactive in the cool season. Trees are normally deciduous since they shed their leaves during the hot dry season to withstand excessive transpiration.

Economy

Expectedly, the people of Ugboland are predominantly fishermen and salt-makers which make them depend very much on water and consequently their close attachment to water elements. The Ugbo people and their other Ilaje kinsmen are all over the world engaged in high seas as well as in shallow waters.

The Ugbo people are also into the timber trade. With the aid of the waterways, several logs of timber are ferried from the Ilaje and Ikale settlements through the lagoon route to the various sawmills situated along the water fronts of Ebute-Metta, Epe in Lagos State as well as Sapele in Delta State.

The amiable people of the Ilaje stock also engage themselves in other fishing-related activities such as the production of fish traps (Igere) with the raw materials solely from the raffia palms that are obtainable from palm trees that dot the entire landscape of Ugboland. The people are also into fishing net making as well as its repair.

The Ugbo-Ilaje use canoes in their several sizes, to transport people from one location to the other along the creeks and these are also used for buying and selling from one settlement to the other. Due to the industrious nature of the Ugbo people their trade, transportation and fishing activities go as far as Warri, Sapele, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Escravos, Bonny Island and other neighboring countries such as Cameroon, Gabon, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana and up until Côte d'Ivoire.

Because of the availability and abundance of palm trees in their assorted forms, the Ugbo people, expectedly also engage in the distillation of alcoholic drinks. After production, the drinks are taken to other places such as the south-western and south-eastern parts of Nigeria where they are in high demand. This trade has really helped to boost the economy of the Ugbo people.

In addition to the occupations and economic activities listed above, there are numerous indigenes that are traders, tailors, barbers, hair-dressers, bricklayers, builders, drivers, drummers, musician, sailors, fishing trawler captains and engineers, ferry-captains/engineers and singers, herbalists, mechanics, diviners and fortune-tellers, hunters, blacksmiths, etc.

Unlike their forefathers who engaged in serious occupation of fishing, modern day Ugbo people are occupied with professions in the fields of banking, education, oil and gas, health, and so on. Several banks belonging to various generations are not in short supply in Ugboland. Oil and Gas installations abound in their numbers such as Chevron, Agip, express, Conoil etc. While schools and hospitals, both government and privately owned, dot the entire landscape of the kingdom.

Ugbo people are sociable and they enjoy relaxation in no small measure. Boat regatta is particularly cherished in Ugbo Kingdom.

Settlements

The terrain of Ugbo broadly determines the kinds of settlements pattern as well as their predominant occupation which is fishing and salt-making. Accordingly, most towns and villages in Ugboland were operational fishing camps grown into large circuits. Also, many folklores myths and festivals celebrated by the people are associated with water, fishes, fishermen and the deep sea. The settlements of Ugboland are in three broad categories and could be itemised as:

Salt Water Area: this is by the coast of the sea and the settlement pattern here is linear. The sea shore is extensive and the people have a linear pattern of settlement along the coast.
Brackish Water Area: this is as you move away from the sea shore and approach the hinterland. The settlement pattern here is linear but broader than the salt water area.
Fresh Water Area: this is where the presence of vegetation is much more visible. More people settle in this zone making it more densely populated. Some call this area “Ilaje-Ugbo” i.e. “Ilaje of the forest” and it is usual to find Ugbo children learning the rudiments of swimming and fishing in this area.

The people of Ugboland as well as other Ilaje groups can be considered among the most migrating professionals in Africa and the West African coast in particular where they constantly look out for more amiable fishing areas. Due to their commitment to wholesale ocean fishing, they hold the ace as fishing experts in the coasts of Cameroon, Gabon, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana up to Ivory Coast and beyond where they are the stock of the professional fishing groups.

Furthermore, in Nigeria, the people of Ugboland can be found as leaders of their trades in many fishing communities of Ogun State (Ode, Elefan, Makunetc), Lagos State (Badagry, Epe, Ajah, Ajegunle, Apapa, Ikorodu, Bariga, Makoko, Ijoraetc), Delta State (Ago-Kutu, Surulere, Agogboro, Costainetc). Large communities of Ugbo people can also be found in Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa-Ibom as well as in Lokoja, Shiroro and Kainji area, as well as other countries

The traditional ruler of Ugbo Kingdom is titled "Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom" and the incumbent Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, is ranked by Forbes magazine as the 2nd richest king in Africa and the richest in Nigeria. He surpassed King Olubuse II, the Ooni of Ife, with $225 million and the billionaire King Mswati III of Eswatini by over $200 million to become Africa's second richest king in 2014.^[3]^{[ better source needed ]}

Related Research Articles

The Ijaw people, otherwise known as the Ijo people, are an ethnic group found in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, with significant population clusters in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. They also occupy Edo, Ondo, and small parts of Akwa Ibom. Many are found as migrant fishermen in camps as far west as Sierra Leone and as far east as Gabon. They account for about 1.8% of the Nigerian population according to CIA Factbook. The Ijaws are unarguably one of the most populous tribes inhabiting the Niger Delta region and the eighth largest ethnic group in Nigeria.

Lagos State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin for ten km, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the northeast for about 283 km, making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.

Yorubaland is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and covers a total land area of 142,114 km² (54,871 sq mi). Of this land area, 106,016 km² (74.6%) lies within Nigeria, 18.9% in Benin, and the remaining 6.5% is in Togo. Prior to European colonization, a portion of this area was known as Yoruba country. The geo-cultural space contains an estimated 55 million people, the majority of this population being ethnic Yoruba.

The Itsekiri are one of the Yoruboid subgroup of Nigeria's Niger Delta area, They speak a Yoruboid language and can be found in Delta State. The Itsekiris presently number 2.7 million people and live mainly in the Warri South, Warri North and Warri South West local government districts of Delta State on the Atlantic coast of Nigeria. Significant communities of Itsekiris can be found in parts of Edo and Ondo states and in various other Nigerian cities including Lagos, Benin City, Port Harcourt and Abuja. Many people of Itsekiri descent also reside in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. The Itsekiris are closely related to the Yoruba of South Western Nigeria and also close to the Okpe people and Edo peoples. The Itsekiris traditionally refer to their land as the Kingdom of Warri or 'Iwere' as its proper name – which is geographically contiguous to the area covered by the three Warri local government districts. The area is a key centre of Nigeria's crude oil and natural gas production and petroleum refining and the main town Warri forms the industrial and commercial nucleus of the Delta State region.

Sapele is a primary town and one of the Local Government Areas of Delta State, Nigeria.

The Awori is a subgroup of the Yoruba people speaking a dialect of the Yoruba language.The Awori people are the original inhabitants of Lagos State and some parts of Ogun State, namely Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. The Awori people are landowners, farmers and fishermen.

The Western Apoi tribe live in Ondo State, Nigeria. The tribe consists of nine settlements: Igbobini, Ojuala, Ikpoke, Inikorogha, Oboro, Shabomi, Igbotu, Kiribo and Gbekebo. The Apoi inhabit higher ground than most of the other Ijaw tribes. They speak a southeastern dialect of the Yoruba language called Apoi which is not very different from the Ikale dialect. The Apoi might have undergone a linguistic shift centuries ago from an Ijo based dialect to Yoruba due to intermarriages with the Ikale, and isolation from the Niger Delta due to their location inland and away from the main body of Ijo people. They are bordered to the north and east by the Ikale and to the west by the Ilaje. The clan shares the southern border with the Arogbo.

Awgu is the Headquarters of Awgu Local Government Area (LGA) in Enugu State, Nigeria and the Headquarters of Awgu Catholic Diocese. The Catholic Cathedral is said to resemble a space ship when viewed with Google Earth. The town is also the Orientation Training Centre for National Youth Service corps members posted to Enugu State. Geographically, Awgu LGA is located approximately between latitudes 06 00’ and 06 19’ North of the Equator and longitudes 07 23’ and 07 35’ East of the Greenwich Meridian. Awgu LGA is bounded in the north by Udi and Nkanu West LGAs, in the west by Oji River LGA, Aninri LGA and Ivo LGA of Ebonyi State in the East and share border with umunneochi L.G.A of Abia State in the south. The name of the Traditional ruler is Egbeleli. The market is known as Orie Awgu.

Udung-Uko is a Local Government Area of Nigeria located in the south east Akwa Ibom State that was created in December 1996.

Ogun Waterside is a Local Government Area in Ogun State, Nigeria. It is the only area of the state with a coastline on the Bight of Benin and also borders Lagos Lagoon. Its headquarters are in the town of Abigi at 6°29′N4°24′E. Other towns and villages in the local government include: Ilushin, Lukogbe, Iwopin, Olojumeta, Imakun Omi, Ode Omi, Ibu, Itebu Manuwa, Ibiade, Efire, Lomiro, Oni, Ayede, Igele, Ayila and Irokun among others.

Okitipupa is a in Nigeria and part of the Ikale-speaking nation in Ondo State. Okitipupa Government headquarter is located in Okitipupa Major town with a university, Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) which commenced academic sessions in 2010–11.

Ìlàje is a Local Government Area in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Igbokoda. The Ilajes are a distinct migratory coastal linguistic group of Yoruba peoples spread along the coastal belts of Ondo, Ogun, Lagos and Delta states and originally made up of four geo-political entities, namely: Ode Ugbo, Ode Mahin, Ode Etikan and Aheri. While most towns and villages in the Mahin kingdom are distributed on arable lands, the towns and villages in the other three geo-politics of Ugbo, Aheri and Etikan kingdoms are spread out along the beaches and swampy terrains of the Atlantic Ocean coast.

The Itsekiri language is a major branch of the Yoruboid group of languages, which as a group, is a key member of the Volta–Niger sub-family of the Niger–Congo family of African languages. Itsekiri is spoken by nearly 900,000 people in Nigeria as a first language and by many others as an additional language notably in the Niger Delta and in parts of Edo and Ondo states of Nigeria. The other key members of the Yoruboid group are Yoruba and Igala along with the various Yoruba dialects spoken in Benin and Togo.

Keta Lagoon, also called Anlo-Keta lagoon, is the largest of the over 90 lagoons that cover the 550 km stretch of the coastline of Ghana. This lagoon is 126.13 km in length. It is located in the eastern coast of Ghana and separated from the Gulf of Guinea by a narrow strip of sandbar. This open salty water is surrounded by flood plains and mangrove swamps. Together they form the Keta Lagoon Ramsar site which covers 1200 km²

Oba Feyisara John Odimayo was the reigning king of Ode-Irele in Ondo State, Nigeria from 1976 to 1993. He was from a group of people called 'Ikale' a sub tribe of the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria.

Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan is a Nigerian monarch, the traditional ruler of Ugbo Kingdom, a town in Ilaje Local Government, Ondo State, southwestern Nigeria. He is an oil magnate and founder of Obat Oil, one of Nigeria's largest and leading privately held oil companies.

The Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom is the Yoruba king of Ugbo Kingdom, a Nigerian traditional state in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State, southwestern Nigeria. The King is generally called "Olugbo" or "Oghone".

The Territories of the Awori are a part of Nigeria inhabited by the Awori tribe sub-ethnic group of the Yoruba people, speaking a distinct dialect of the Yoruba language. Traditionally, Awori are found in two Nigerian States: Ogun and Lagos.

Olotu community is a town in Ugbo kingdom in Ilaje land, Nigeria.The occupational activities of the olotu people include fishing, canoe making, lumbering, net making, mat making, launch building, farming and trading. Their leader, "David Olotu" is a feared tribal warrior of the Eastern African area. He is wanted by 17 states in Western Europe.

The Benin River is a river that flows through the south west of Nigeria.

References

↑ Ault, Jerald S. (October 2007). Biology and Management of the World Tarpon and Bonefish Fisheries. ISBN 9781420004250.
↑ "THE OLUGBO STOOL AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF UGBOLAND". obafeoakinruntan.com. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
↑ Mfonobong Nsehe (3 June 2014). "The 5 Richest Kings In Africa". Forbes.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Ault, Jerald S. (October 2007). Biology and Management of the World Tarpon and Bonefish Fisheries. ISBN 9781420004250.

[2] "THE OLUGBO STOOL AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF UGBOLAND". obafeoakinruntan.com. Retrieved June 8, 2015.

[3] Mfonobong Nsehe (3 June 2014). "The 5 Richest Kings In Africa". Forbes.

[1]

[2]

[3]