13 Interesting Facts About the People of Egbema Ethnic Group in Nigeria

There are possibly a lot of things that you do not know about the Egbema ethnic group. If you’ve ever wondered what the people of Egbema are like, then this post has been written for you. This article will be giving you 13 Interesting Facts About the People of the Egbema Ethnic Group in Nigeria.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Egbema Ethnic Group

Out of the various ethnic groups in Nigeria, there are different minorities as well as majorities. The Egbema people fall under the minority groups. It doesn’t make their culture less valuable. Also, in this article, you will learn some facts about the Egbema people that you never knew about.

13 Interesting Facts About the People of Egbema Ethnic Group in Nigeria

The people of the Egbema Ethnic Group have some interesting facts about them and these facts would be shared with you in this post.

1. Location

The Egbema tribe are not settled in one state. They have settled in the Delta state region as well as parts of the Edo state.

2. Settlements

In addition, the Egbema kingdom is divided into nine original settlements. The clans or settlements are called Egbema-Isenabiri. They are:

  • Ofiniama
  • Ajakurama
  • Opuama
  • Ogbudugbudu
  • Gbeoba
  • Abere
  • Abadigbene(Bolou-Jamagie)
  • Jamagie
  • Ogbinbiri

3. Political Structure is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of the Egbema Ethnic Group

The kingdom of the Egbema people is in two different states. This is due to the fact that the people are settled in two states. Meanwhile, the reason for this division is that different states were created in Nigeria.

4. Language

Additionally, the Egbema ethnic group are called the Egbema tribe or kingdom. Meanwhile, they speak the Ijaw language. As such, they can also be called Ijaws.

5. Cultural Identity

The identity of the Egbema tribe is strongly rooted in Ijaw. Even though their location is on the western Fringe of the Ijawland, they are also identified as Ijaws. Also, the Egbema kingdom can be traceable to several migrations from the heart of Ijaw land, centuries ago.

6. Rural Leadership is Among the Interesting Facts About the People of the Egbema Ethnic Group

The Egbema kingdom is ruled politically by heads. Meanwhile, the head of the Egbema tribe is Agadagba of the Egbema kingdom.

7. Education

Also, different institutions of learning are established in the various settlements of the Egbema tribe.

8. Household

In addition, the Egbema tribe believe that the male is the head of every household. Also, they hold both sexes of children in high esteem but value the male children to carry on inheritance.

9. Their Neighbouring Tribes is One of the Interesting Facts About the People of the Egbema Ethnic Group

The Egbema tribe are surrounded by various ethnic groups since they are settled in two different places. In Delta, they are surrounded by the Itshekiris, the Urhobo as well as Isoko tribe.

10. Occupation

The Egbema people have been researched to primarily be farmers and also hunters. Egbema people are skilled in canoe building. They are distillers of local gin and they are also skilled fishermen. Egbema people are also involved in the art of buying and selling.

11. Religion

The Egbema people have a common priest whom they refer to as ‘Bini Pere’. It means Lord of Waters. The common worship of ‘Egbesu’ is the unifying force of the Egbema kingdom. The Pere is in charge of the Egbesu shrine. Some of the Egbema people also practice religions that they believe in and are more confident in.

12. Their Territorial Geography is Among the Interesting Facts About the People of the Egbema Ethnic Group

The Egbema kingdom is split politically between Edo and Delta states. However, they still have boundaries. The Egbema kingdom is bounded to the west by the Arogbo Kingdom of Ondo state.

It is bounded to the north by the Olodiama of Edo state as well as Itshekiris of Delta state. It is bounded to the east by the Gbaramatu kingdom and the Itshekiri of Delta State. Also, to the South by the Ilaje of Ondo state as well as the Atlantic Ocean.

13. External Relationships

The Egbema people have been classified under the Ijaw group. Although they have cultural similarities, some of their histories were affected by their relationship with others. Due to their strategic location, they have had multiple relations with the Benin Empire to the North.

Worthy of note is their relation with white traders of slaves on the Benin River and it’s estuaries. The relationship of the Egbema tribe with the Edo and Itshekiri now reflects in the administrative areas of the Benin and Warri divisions.

Conclusion

This post has helped you to understand the Egbema people and their relationship with others. It has helped to know their cultural affinity as well as their settlements.

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