History of The Urhobo People of Niger Delta is the most comprehensive compilation and study of various aspects of the history of the Urhobo people of Nigeria's Niger Delta. It begins with an examination of the prehistory of the region, with particular focus on the Urhobo and their close ethnic neighbour, the Isoko. The book then embarks on a close assessment of the advent of British imperialism in the Western Niger Delta. History of The Urhobo People of Niger Delta also probes the arrival and impact of Western Christian missions in Urhoboland. Urhobo history is notable for the sharp challenges that the Urhobo people have faced at various points of their di?cult existence in the rainforest and deltaic geographical formation of Western Niger Delta. Their history of migrations and their segmentation into twenty-two cultural units were, in large part, e?orts aimed at overcoming these challenges. History of The Urhobo People of Niger Delta includes an evaluation of modern responses to challenges that confront the Urhobo people, following the onrush of a new era of European colonization and introduction of a new Christian religion into their culture. The formation of Urhobo Progress Union and of its educational arm of Urhobo College is presented as the Urhobo response to modern challenges facing their existence in Western Niger Delta and Nigeria. History of The Urhobo People of Niger Delta extends its purview to various other fragments of the Urhobo historical and cultural experience in modern times. These include the di?culties that have arisen from petroleum oil exploration in the Niger Delta in post-colonial Nigeria.

Olomu and Development of Urhoboland and Western Niger Delta offers fresh perspectives on the origin of the Urhobo people as well as the pre-historic development of their lands in Nigeria's Western Niger Delta. The book posits that the uninhabited rain forests of the central Western Niger Delta were conquered and developed by Edoid-speaking Urhobo migrants who took advantage of Iron Age implements that emerged from the transition from Late Stone Age to Early Iron Age some two thousand years ago in the West African region. The book postulates that the progenitors of the Urhobo people arrived in the Western Niger Delta through the waterways of Niger River and its tributaries and that they first settled on the western banks of Ase River and Patani creek. Their descendants moved northwards in cohorts of Kinsmen that conquered and settled portions of the rain forests, resulting in a cascading formation of twenty-two clans with distinct subcultures. Olomu stands out among these due to its central location in Western Niger Delta and has ample linkages with several sub-cultures of Urhoboland, neighbouring Isoko, and Western Ijaw. In Ancient times, Olomu was exceptionally prolific in serving as the origin of four major sub-cultures in northern Urhobo and northern Isoko. Moreover during the early decades of British colonial rule in the 20th century, Olomu played a significant role in the development of Urhoboland. For these reasons, Olomu has been used as a handle for examining the patterns of development of Urhoboland and Western Niger Delta they are presented in this monograph.

This unique book is the product of pioneering research carried out by scholars native to the Urhobo culture and language. Unlike many of the other major ethnic cultures in Nigeria, which were studied by Western anthropologist in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Urhobo language and culture remained neglected. Studies in Urhobo Culture represents a comparatively new area of research, approached from an indigenous perspective. The result is a wide-ranging survey of Urhobo culture in Nigeria, offering diverse perspectives on topics such as: naming traditions and practices of the Urhobo; religious beliefs, values and movements; traditions of marriage; artistic productions, food and dress subcultures; and the geography of Urhoboland and agricultural practices. In-depth consideration is given to Urhobo traditional poetry and the intellectual aspects of Urhobo culture and language, within the wider complex of the Edoid languages and cultures. The contributors further situate the language question within the global context of language endangerment, arguing the Urhobo case is an example of how English and Pidgin are imperilling small and medium-sized languages in Africa, and weakening the hold of indigenous cultures on the younger generation.

A study of African sub-cultures in Nigeria's western Niger Delta. The progenitors of the Urhobo people are believed to have migrated in pre-historic times from Aka, now known as Benin, to seek refuge in the dense rainforests of Nigeria's Niger Delta. In this isolation, the ancestors were able to conquer the rainforest notwithstanding the presence of wild and dangerous animals. Politically, no outside authorities had sought to control the affairs of the Urhobo people before the rise of the Ẹwẹka Dynasty of modern Benin in 1440, and the arrival of Portuguese sailors at the Atlantic coast of West Africa in 1482. Yet, as noteworthy as the struggle for survival is in Urhobo history, the accounts of the painstaking undertakings have been largely ignored in much of imperial historiography. Neither has there been any ample recognition of the achievements made during the era of the Urhobo Renaissance (the 1930s-1950s). The era was known for the efforts made by Urhobo people in seizing the opportunities offered by British colonial rule to lift themselves from obscurity, into the limelight as citizens and active participants in the affairs of a modern state. This book is intended to cure the historical record. It is an attempt at the social history of a people. The sub-cultural units of Udu and Ughiẹvwen are chosen as the collective prototype to help highlight the socio-political life of the people. Udu and Ughiẹvwen are widely regarded as cultural centres of Urhobo people largely because both units have been successful in preserving many elements of Urhobo history and culture that seem to be dying away in other sub-cultures of the Urhobo people. Onoawariẹ A. Ẹdevbiẹ has been the Secretary of Urhobo Historical Society (UHS) since the founding of the organization in New York City, in August of 1999. His affiliation with UHS has led him to develop interest not only in the study of Urhobo history and culture but also in the role of British colonial rule in Nigeria with emphasis on the impact on Urhobo indigenous ways of life.

This is the first book to be published by the Urhobo Historical Society, which was formed in 1999 to preserve and promote the history and culture of the Urhobo people of the Niger Delta region. The society is focusing on documentation, chronicling historical records and the writings of diverse historical experiences amongst the Urhobo, and disseminating information. A higher-minded aim of the society, which has gained recognition in intellectual and academic circles in Nigeria and the United States, is to counterbalance or challenge the imperial historiography that has characterised study of the region, and present a more truthful version of the history of the Niger Delta.