Warri

Last updated

Warri
City
Images (7) (4).jpg
Warri Port
Nickname(s): 
Waffi, Waff, Waff Town
Nigeria location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Warri
Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 5°31′N5°45′E / 5.517°N 5.750°E / 5.517; 5.750
Country Nigeria
State Delta State
Local Government Area Warri South LGA
Government
 • Executive Governor Sheriff Oborevwori
Population
 (2016) [1]
 •  Urban
363,382
 • Urban density31,371.8/sq mi (12,112.73/km2)
 •  Metro
1,043,122
 • Metro density13,508.4/sq mi (5,215.61/km2)
Demographics
 •  Ethnicities Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw
 •  Languages Pidgin English, Itsekiri, Urhobo, and Ijaw
 •  Religions 95% Christianity, 3% African Traditions, 2% Islam
GDP (PPP, 2015 int. Dollar)
 • Year2023
 • Total$10.9 billion [2]
 • Per capita$11,100

The city of Warri is an oil hub within South-South Nigeria and houses an annex of the Delta State Government House. Warri City is one of the major hubs of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. Warri, Udu, Okpe and Uvwie are the commercial capital of Delta State with a population of over 311,970 people in 2006. [3] The city is the indigenous territory of Itsekiri, Urhobo and Ijaw people.

Contents

Warri shares boundaries with Uvwie to the east, Udu to the south east, Ogbe-ijoh to the south, and other communities in Warri South LGA to the west. [4] Due to its rapid population growth and linked roads, the city and its border towns e.g. Uvwie, Udu merged into a conurbation collectively referred as "Warri"

Warri sits on the bank of Warri River which joined Forcados River and Escravos River through Jones Creek in the lower Niger Delta Region. The city has a modern seaport which serves as the cargo transit point between the Niger River and the Atlantic Ocean for import and export.

Warri served as the capital of the colonial Warri Province during the early 1900s when this part of Delta State was under the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. [5] [6]

History

Etymology

The name 'WARRI' was first associated with the Itsekiri ancestral capital town of Ode Itsekiri which the locals also refer to as 'Iwerre'. A mispronunciation of Iwerre by several European explorers probably resulted in various names like AWERRI, OUWERI, WARRE, WARREE, etc. The British eventually anglancised it as WARRI [7]

British Advent pre Warri City

British colonialism effectively took off in the Western Niger Delta with the proclamation of the Oil Coast Protectorate by Great Britain in June 1885. British colonial administration was carried out through local chiefs like Nana Olomu of Ebrohimi in Benin River. This administration was effectively restricted to Benin River and its environs as the British were content with conducting trade with the people of the hinterlands through the Itsekiri as middlemen [8]

Creation of Warri City

The British decided to move the seat of the administration of the Niger Coast Protectorate from the capital Ode-Itsekiri (Warri or Iwerre) to the uplands to have effective control of the hinterlands. In order to achieve this, the British in 1906 took a lease of a new trading station opened in 1898 on virgin lands for Alexander Miller Brothers Limited of Liverpool at the mouth of the Okere Creeks. This new trading station was also named WARRI after the capital Ode-Itsekiri so the Itsekiris dubbed Ode-Itsekiri BIG WARRI in order to differentiate Ode-Itsekiri from the new trading station. [9]

Demographics

Its inhabitants are predominantly Christians of different denominations, and some practice a mixture of African traditional religions like most of Southern Nigeria. The city is known nationwide for its unique Pidgin, mostly among the less educated or uneducated. [10]

Climate

The area is characterised by a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) with a mean annual temperature of 26.7 °C (80.1 °F) and an annual rainfall amount of 2,770 mm (109 in). High temperatures are typically between 28 and 32 °C (82.4 and 89.6 °F). The climate is monsoonal and marked by two distinct seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. The dry season lasts from about November to April and is significantly marked by the cool "harmattan" dusty haze from the north-east trade winds. The rainy season spans May to October with a brief drier spell in August, but it frequently rains even in the dry season. The surrounding region is predominantly rainforest, tending to swamplands in some areas. The vegetation is rich in timber trees, palm trees, as well as fruit trees.

Climate data for Warri (1991–2020)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)37
(99)		38.5
(101.3)		37.5
(99.5)		37.6
(99.7)		36.2
(97.2)		35.1
(95.2)		34.4
(93.9)		33.7
(92.7)		34
(93)		36.4
(97.5)		36.5
(97.7)		36.8
(98.2)		38.5
(101.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)33.3
(91.9)		34.2
(93.6)		34.1
(93.4)		33.4
(92.1)		32.7
(90.9)		30.9
(87.6)		29.2
(84.6)		29.0
(84.2)		29.9
(85.8)		31.3
(88.3)		32.9
(91.2)		33.4
(92.1)		32.0
(89.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)28.2
(82.8)		29.4
(84.9)		29.5
(85.1)		29.0
(84.2)		28.4
(83.1)		27.3
(81.1)		26.3
(79.3)		26.2
(79.2)		26.6
(79.9)		27.5
(81.5)		28.5
(83.3)		28.4
(83.1)		27.9
(82.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)23.1
(73.6)		24.6
(76.3)		24.9
(76.8)		24.6
(76.3)		24.1
(75.4)		23.6
(74.5)		23.4
(74.1)		23.3
(73.9)		23.4
(74.1)		23.6
(74.5)		24.1
(75.4)		23.5
(74.3)		23.9
(75.0)
Record low °C (°F)15
(59)		16
(61)		19
(66)		19
(66)		19
(66)		18
(64)		20.6
(69.1)		20
(68)		19.4
(66.9)		19
(66)		19
(66)		17
(63)		15.0
(59.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)27.2
(1.07)		59.9
(2.36)		133.5
(5.26)		214.3
(8.44)		275.5
(10.85)		343.2
(13.51)		491.4
(19.35)		330.7
(13.02)		432.0
(17.01)		366.8
(14.44)		120.9
(4.76)		28.2
(1.11)		2,823.5
(111.16)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)2.23.78.912.015.518.421.418.221.119.28.92.7152.1
Average relative humidity (%)80.383.587.589.590.991.490.789.691.291.488.782.488.1
Source: NOAA [11]

Economy and infrastructure

There is the Warri Refinery and Petrochemicals located at Ekpan, Uwvie and Ubeji, Warri proportionately [12] with the majority of international and local oil companies operating in Nigeria having their operational offices close by. One of the nation's major seaports is sited within Ugbuwangue, Warri.

Due to conflict in the late 90s, especially in 1999, most oil companies fled the town and nearby regions[ citation needed ]. [13]

Security

Warri is garrisoned by the Amphibious Infantry battalion (Effurun Army Base) located in the Effurun area. [14]

The Nigerian Navy operates from its facilities in Warri.

The 61 Nigerian Air force Detachment also operates from its facilities in Jeddo, close to Warri.

Sports

Warri has an international stadium with a capacity of 30,000 which is the home of Warri Wolves football club, [15] [16] which has hosted two editions of the African Women Football Championship in 2002 and 2006 respectively and was in contention as one of the venues to be used for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria in 2009. The stadium was used to host the African Youth Athletics Championship (AYAC) in 2013.

Warri Wolves, a professional football team based in Warri plays in the Nigeria National League. [17] Their prominent former players include Best Ogedegbe, Wilson Oruma, Efe Ambrose, Victor Ikpeba and Ekigho Ehiosun.

Manufacturing and raw materials

The economic base of the city lies in the presence of a refinery and other oil and gas companies. Also, there is the steel company, Delta Steel Company, [18] which is located in Ovwian–Aladja area of Udu. [19] The Beta Glass Plant is located nearby, outside the town of Ughelli, where the land is rich in silica and silicates, raw materials required for the manufacture of glass, ceramics and cement. The Transcorp Power Distribution, one of Nigeria's power generating stations, is also located at Ughelli, which is just 15 minutes away by car.

Transport

Rail

In 1991, construction started on a standard gauge railway from the steel mills at Ajaokuta to the port of Warri, about 275 km away. By 2006, the standard gauge lines had reached 329 km in length, the final 27 km Warri section has been completed. In 2010, work recommenced to complete the final section to Warri. The rail line was officially inaugurated in September 2020 with the terminal at Udu.

Road

Major road networks within Warri Metropolis has been improved upon by the state government to improve the image of the city. Transportation within the city is mainly by bus and tricycle. The federal government has completed the Warri-Benin Road road expansion project and major parts of the East-West Road Project which will connect Warri-Uyo.

Air

There are several helipads in oil company yards, like Shell yard Ogunu and in Escavos and Focados. There is a general passenger airport at the Osubi area.

Sea

Movement of goods by sea is through the Nigerian Ports Authority (Delta Ports) at which is mainly for export and import of goods by major companies. Also located on the main Warri riverside are markets and jetties used by local traders, which act as a transit point for local transport and trade. There are local boats that are used for moving from one location to another.

Educational institutions

Primary schools

Primary schools in Warri are:

Secondary schools

Secondary schools are also in numbers in the city of Warri. These include:

Higher institutions

There are various tertiary institutions within and outside the city, the following are the institutions situated in the city of Warri

Tourism

There are various tourist sites to visit while in Warri: [24]

Notable people

Notable Nigerian ministers from Warri include Ayo Oritsejafor and Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin. [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta State</span> State in southern Nigeria

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, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ughelli</span> Place in Delta State, Nigeria

Ughelli is a town in Delta State, Nigeria, and one of the 24 kingdoms that make up the Urhobo Nation. It also serves as the headquarters of Ughelli North local government area of Delta State. The city is indigenous to the Urhobo ethnic nationals, but there is a mixture of several other tribes from the country & abroad. It is an industrial and agricultural spot of Delta State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Itsekiri people</span> Yoruboid subgroup of Delta State, Nigeria

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Warri</span> Roman Catholic diocese in Delta State, Nigeria

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Warri is a diocese located in the city of Warri in the ecclesiastical province of Benin City in Nigeria.

Udu is a Local Government Area in Delta State, Nigeria with its local government headquarters at Otor-Udu. It has a population estimate of approximately 100,000 people. It is one of the Urhobo kingdoms, has its own king, or ovie. The town is about 10 minutes drive from Osubi Airport

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uvwie</span> Urban Area in Delta State, Nigeria

Uvwie (/hu-we-ɛ/), is a principal Urban Local Government Area in Delta State. It lies along the Warri River and it is one of the twenty-four Urhobo Kingdoms. The entirety of the LGA is conurbated with the city of Warri, making it a greater part of Warri metropolitan area

The Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE) in Delta State, Nigeria was established and approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of 14 March 2007 and admitted its first set of undergraduates in 2008.

Effurun is a town and the headquarters of Uvwie Local Government Area in Delta State, Nigeria. It is an Urban center, densely populated with different infrastructural development. it borders it's twin city Warri, also serves as an entrance to Warri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koko, Delta</span> Town in Delta, Nigeria

Koko is the major town in and the headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, South South Nigeria. Koko is one of the major towns in the Niger Delta region with a rich history and is known for its unique cultural heritage, natural resources, and vibrant economy.

The Warri Crisis was a series of conflicts in Delta State, Nigeria between 1997 and 2003 between the Itsekiri, the Ijaw, and the Urhobo ethnic groups. Over 200,000 people were displaced by the Warri conflict between 1999 and 2006. Over 700,000 people were displaced during this period by violence in Delta State overall.

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.

The Urhobos are people located in southern Nigeria, near the northwestern Niger Delta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Warri</span> Traditional state in Delta State, Nigeria

The Kingdom of Warri, Warri Kingdom or Iwere Kingdom, was established in 1480, was part of the Nigerian traditional states its ancestral capital is based in Ode-Itsekiri, Warri South LGA, Delta State, Nigeria with a palace erected in 1950s in the heart of the city of Warri, Warri South LGA, Delta State, Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hussey College Warri</span> High school in Nigeria

Hussey College Warri is a secondary school located along Upper Erejuwa Road in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges in Delta State and Nigeria, having produced many notable figures in the Nigerian professional and political scenery. The school has literally raised several generations of Nigerians from all tribes and backgrounds and schooled them in the best tradition of scholarship, athleticism, citizenship and morality. The 60th anniversary celebration of the foundation of Hussey College, Warri was organised by the Old Students Association in 2007.

According to the language family tree classification by Ethnologue, Okpe, Urhobo and Uvwie, alongside Eruwa and Isoko, make up the five Southwestern Edoid languages of the Benue-Congo group. Quoting Johnstone (1993), Ethnologue puts the population of Urhobo people at 546,000, Okpe 25,400 (2000) and Uvwie 19,800 (2000). These three languages have geographically neighbouring languages: Izon and Itsekiri to the west and south, Ukwuani and Isoko to the east and Edo to the north. Thus, Isoko and Urhobo are similar languages that belong to the same linguistic family.

Omafume Friday Onoge was a Nigerian professor of sociology and social anthropology as well as an activist.

The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM) is a militant group operating in Nigeria's Niger Delta region. The group was founded on August 2, 2016 in Delta State and is composed mainly of ethnic Urhobos, and a fairly large number of members belonging to the Isoko ethnic group.

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

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.

Okere-Urhobo is the name of one of the two Urhobo kingdoms in Warri South Local Government, Delta State, Nigeria, the other being Agbassa.

Ubeji Community is an Itsekiri community located in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Ubeji community is near the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company in Ekpan, Uvwie and as such, suffers huge environmental pollution. It is home to a large number of Itsekiris, it is a Suburb of the City of Warri It shares boundaries with Ifie Community, Aja-Etan Community, Ijala-Ikenren Community, Ekpan Community, etc.

References

  1. ↑ "Nigeria: States & Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information".
  2. ↑ "TelluBase—Nigeria Fact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series)" (PDF). Tellusant. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ↑ "Uvwie · Nigeria". Uvwie · Nigeria. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Okoh, Oghenetoja (July 2016). "WHO CONTROLS WARRI? HOW ETHNICITY BECAME VOLATILE IN THE WESTERN NIGER DELTA (1928–52)*". The Journal of African History. 57 (2): 209–230. doi:10.1017/S0021853716000074. ISSN   0021-8537. S2CID   163543228.
  6. ↑ "Warri, Nigeria – International Cities of Peace". 7 April 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  7. ↑ Ryder, A. F. C. "MISSIONARY ACTIVITY IN THE KINGDOM OF WARRI TO THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY." Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria, vol. 2, no. 1, 1960, pp. 1–26. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41970817. Accessed 13 Jan. 2023.
  8. ↑ Lloyd, P. C. "The Itsekiri in the Nineteenth Century; An Outline Social History." The Journal of African History, vol. 4, no. 2, 1963, pp. 207–31. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/179535. Accessed 13 Jan. 2023.
  9. ↑ Jones, G. I. Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, vol. 43, no. 1, 1973, pp. 78–80. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1158548. Accessed 13 Jan. 2023.
  10. ↑ Ikeke, Nkem (12 March 2017). "8 cities in Nigeria where people cannot do without speaking Pidgin English". Legit.ng - Nigeria news. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  11. ↑ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Warri". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "Warri Refinery's host communities threaten chaos over sack of back-up staff". 8 December 2015.
  13. ↑ "The Economy of Conflict in the Oil Rich Niger Delta Region of Nigeria". African and Asian Studies.
  14. ↑ "Home page". Nigerian Army | Official Website. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  15. ↑ Warri Wolves F.C.
  16. ↑ Warri Township Stadium
  17. ↑ IV, Editorial (5 January 2022). "NNL: Warri Wolves return from break Monday". Blueprint Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  18. ↑ "How Nigerian government, Indians wreck multi-billion dollar Delta Steel Company, rip off host communities and tax payers". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  19. ↑ "20 years after collapse, steel company resumes operations". Vanguard (Nigeria). 5 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  20. ↑ FGC WARRI, https://www.fgcwarri.sch.ng/home
  21. ↑ "Contact Us – College of Education, Warri" . Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  22. ↑ "Delta State Schools of Nursing Admission Form 2020/2021". www.myschoolgist.com. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  23. ↑ "How Oritsejafor Will Bankroll N2.5 billion Eagle Height University | Encomium Magazine". 16 June 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  24. ↑ "hotel and tourism development potentials in delta state". goodie ibru. 2 June 2001. Retrieved 11 January 2008.
  25. ↑ "Opening hours: Falcorp Mangrove Park - Warri Zoo and Nature Park". opening-hours.com.ng. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  26. ↑ "Warri Township Stadium - Football Stadium". Football-Lineups. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  27. ↑ "Shell Ogunu Golf Club | All Square Golf". www.allsquaregolf.com. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  28. ↑ "...Fufeyin foresees manipulation of 2019 polls". Vanguard News. 6 January 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  29. ↑ Nigeria, Media (11 June 2018). "Biography Of Charity Ogbenyealu Adule". Media Nigeria. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  30. ↑ "Orogun Grammar School: Old Students Set to Honour Akpore". This Day. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2023– via PressReader.
  31. ↑ "Wedding Bells: Rapper Erigga Is Getting Married To His Long Time Girlfriend". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  32. ↑ The PFA footballers' who's who 2010-11. Barry J. Hugman. Edinburgh: Mainstream. 2010. ISBN   978-1-84596-601-0. OCLC   619938382.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  33. ↑ "Check out former CAN president's security detail [VIDEO]". Pulse Nigeria. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  34. ↑ "Ozoz Sokoh". SMO Contemporary Art.
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