Ekpeye is an ethnic group in
Ahoada East and parts of
Ahoada West Local Government Areas of
Rivers State
Rivers is a states of Nigeria, state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed on 27 May 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Nigeria, Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include Imo State, Im ...
, in the
Niger Delta region of
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
. The
Ahoada metropolis serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ekpeye ethnic nation. The Ekpeye language is closely related to Ikwerre and Ogba language, and the people are descendants of Akalaka. linguistically and culturally the Ekpeye people share close affinity and ancestral root with the Ikwerre and Ogba people of Rivers state.
The Ekpeye population is over 232,000.
Politics
Traditional leadership
The Ekpeye ethnic nation is ruled by a king called the
Eze Ekpeye Logbo also known as Ny'udu Ekpeye Logbo. The traditional stool that would unite the whole of Ekpeye people was created in 1977, with Eze Edmund Unoshi Ashirim of Ihuaba in Upata kingdom serving as the Eze Ekpeye Logbo I. After his demise, Eze
Robinson O. Robinson of the Ubie kingdom ascended the throne in 1979 as Eze Ekpeye Logbo II. As of November 2024, the serving Eze Ekpeye Logbo is Eze Kelvin Ngozi Anugwo, who got enthroned on May 4, 2022.
The ethnic nation is divided into clans known as . As of 2024, there are seven major Igbus including:
# Igbu Ehuda
# Igbu Upata
# Igbu Ubie
# Igbu Akoh
# Igbu Igbuduya
# Igbu orlukwo
# Igbu Ugbobi
Democratic leadership
Language
The Ekpeye people speak
Ekpeye, classified as an
Igboid language.
Festivals
The Ekpeye people celebrate several festivals such as the Eta,
Ogwu Ekpeye, Owu, and Ugbokolo.
Notes
Further reading
* Amini-Philips, Isaac C. (1994) ''King Nworisa of Ekpeyeland (1830–1899): his life and times'' Riverside Communications, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, ;
* Amini-Philips, Isaac C. (1998) ''Establishing a chronology for Ekpeye history'' Emhai Print. & Pub., Port Harcourt, Nigeria,
OCLC 53842667!--
I S B N 978-33527-9-1 is not a valid ISBN, the calculated check digit (2) doesn't match given. However this ISBN is printed in the book.-->;
* Ekine, Gift V. (2014)- A Concise History of Ekpeyeland and People, Osia Digital Press, Port Harcourt, Nigeria ()
* Ekine, Gift V. (2013)- A Dictionary of Ekpeyewords and Pronunciations, Osia Digital Press, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. ()
*Picton, John (February 1988) "Ekpeye masks and masking" ''African arts'' 21(2): pp. 46–53, 9
OCLC 40558650
* Clark, David J. (1971) ''Reading and Writing Ekpeye'' Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
OCLC 2464074
"Ekpeye: a language of Nigeria" ''Ethnologue''
* Ajugo, U. B (2005) "The True History of Ekpeyeland :3000 BC ~ 2005 AD". A BGR Project, Port Harcourt Nigeria.
References
{{Authority control
Indigenous peoples of Rivers State