Okpe is a kingdom in

Delta State Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), 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 27 August 1 ...

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, ...

. Today, it is also the name of a local government area. It is one of the many kingdoms that make up Urhobo nation. Its capital is

Orerokpe Orerokpe is the headquarters of Okpe LGA in Delta state, Nigeria and the seat of the Orodje of Okpe Okpe is a kingdom in Delta State, Nigeria. Today, it is also the name of a local government area. It is one of the many kingdoms that make up ...

. This LGA has a total population of 128,398 as at the 2006 census.The kingdom plays host to the

Osubi Airport Osubi Airstrip is an aviation facility located in Osubi, within Okpe Local Government, serving the city of Effurun, Warri and its environs in Delta State, Nigeria. It is about northeast of the city. Osubi is a town in Okpe Local Governmen ...

, which is actually located at

Osubi Osubi is a town in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta state, southern Nigeria. The population is approximately over 8000 people. Osubi Airport is located in Osubi. There is a rapid infrastructural development around the airport region due to t ...

and the Delta State Trade Fair Complex. The Orodje celebrated ten years on ancestral throne. Major General Felix Mujakperuo is the king of Okpe Kingdom. The kingship is usually rotated between the four ruling houses.

History

The Okpe kingdom was established as early as the 17th century. It has a traditional ruler with the title Orodje of Okpe. The Okpe people are known to have migrated to found the present day

Sapele ''Entandrophragma cylindricum'' is a tree of the genus ''Entandrophragma'' of the family ''Meliaceae''. It is commonly known as sapele or sapelli ( ) or sapele mahogany, as well as aboudikro, assi, and muyovu. Origin of the name The name ''sape ...

and the Orodje of Okpe still exercises authority over the land of

. The first king produced by this system was H.R.M. Esezi I, Orodje of Okpe, whose sovereignty was around the period of 1770-1779. H.R.M. Esezi II became the second Orodje of Okpe. As a pioneer advocate of democracy in the land of okpe, he also was pivotal to Nigeria. He was among the delegated kings that attended the 1957 Lyttelton Conference held in London in order to seek the Nigerian independence from the indirect government of the colonial master. He ruled the kingdom around the period of 1945-1966. H.R.M Orhoro I, the third Orodje of Okpe, ruled the kingdom from around the period of 1972-2004. He was educated at a catholic school and also served in the Nigeria police force. He later earned a Business Administration Diploma in the United Kingdom. His early life experience served him well as a springboard for establishing and becoming a director of a company, the New Africa Industries Limited. H.R.M Orhue I is the fourth and current king of Okpe. He has served as a major general in the

Nigerian Army The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the largest component of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The President of Nigeria is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Army, and its professional head is the Chie ...

. He was officially crowned on 29 July 2006.

Climate

The climate in Okpe is classified as tropical monsoon (Am). The city's average annual temperature is -0.82% lower than Nigeria's averages at 28.64°C (83.55°F). Okpe generally has 296.16 wet days (81.14% of the time) and receives about 241.52 millimetres (9.51 inches) of precipitation annually.

Notable people

*Gen.

Patrick Aziza Patrick Aziza (23 December 1947 – 16 August 2014) was the first military Governor of Kebbi State, Nigeria after it was split off from Sokoto State on 27 August 1991 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Birth and early career ...

* David Dafinone *

Joseph Karakitie Azigbo Joseph Karakitie Azigbo (1918–1986) was a Nigerian business magnate and notable figure within the Okpe Kingdom of Nigeria. In the early 1950s, Azigbo achieved substantial success as an industrial entrepreneur-a position that made him attain a ...

Harris Eghagha Harris Otadafevwerha Deodemise Eghagha (8 March 1934 – 19 March 2009) was a Nigerian general who was appointed military governor of Ogun State from July 1978 to October 1979 during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo, handing over p ...

References

* Joseph O. Asagba: The Untold Story of A Nigerian Royal Family (The Urhobo Ruling Clan of Okpe Kingdom), iUniverce, Inc, 2005 {{Authority control Delta State Nigerian traditional states