Ekpeye is an ethnic group predominantly found in Ahoada East and parts of Ahoada West Local Government Areas of Rivers State, in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The Ahoada metropolis serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ekpeye ethnic nation. The Ekpeye people who are descendants of Akalaka are known to have migrated from Benin[1] which is their ancestral home.
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.[2] 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 Igbu. As of 2024, there are seven major Igbus including:
The Ekpeye people celebrate several festivals such as the Eta, Ogwu Ekpeye, Owu, and Ugbokolo.[3]
Notes
Further reading
Amini-Philips, Isaac C. (1994) King Nworisa of Ekpeyeland (1830–1899): his life and times Riverside Communications, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, ISBN978-31226-6-5;
Amini-Philips, Isaac C. (1998) Establishing a chronology for Ekpeye history Emhai Print. & Pub., Port Harcourt, Nigeria, OCLC 53842667;
Ekine, Gift V. (2014)- A Concise History of Ekpeyeland and People, Osia Digital Press, Port Harcourt, Nigeria (ISBN978-978-52044-4-5)
Ekine, Gift V. (2013)- A Dictionary of Ekpeyewords and Pronunciations, Osia Digital Press, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. (ISBN978-978-52044-2-1)
Picton, John (February 1988) "Ekpeye masks and masking" African arts 21(2): pp. 46–53, 94 OCLC 40558650;
Clark, David J. (1971) Reading and Writing Ekpeye Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, OCLC 2464074;
