The Ikwerre (also spelt Ikwere) are one of the many ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. They are generally considered a subgroup of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria,[1][2][3] although a small minority for political expediency now dispute this account, claiming their history was rewritten during the colonial period because of the dominance of the larger Igbo group. The Ikwerre are said to be related or share common ancestry with the Ogba and Ekpeye people (Akalaka brothers).[citation needed] They trace their origins to Benin and elsewhere. They constitute the majority of Rivers state, Nigeria, although there are other populations in neighboring states(Citation_needed). The Ikwerre speak the Ikwerre dialect, a dialect part of the many diverse Igbo dialects.[4] They are traditionally farmers, fishermen and hunters, but in recent times, the environmental degradation and urban sprawl associated with oil exploration and exploitation has caused a sharp decline in the amount of farmland, forests and rivers available for their traditional occupations.[citation needed]

The Ikwerre exist in well-delineated clans, with each clan having its own Paramount Ruler, therefore, the Ikwerre do not have an overall paramount ruler or King, a but designated kings/ruler/leader mostly approved by its constituents. Although all paramount rulers in ikwerre are united in what is known as Ogbakor Ikwerre which is an association of Ikwerre traditional rulers.[citation needed] A total of 92 oil wells, producing an estimated 100,000 barrels of crude daily, are located in Ikwerreland. The Ikwerre therefore play host to several multinational oil-producing and servicing companies, in addition to many other industries and establishments.[citation needed] Despite these, the Ikwerre, like nearly all other minorities of the Niger Delta, frequently complain of marginalisation by the oil operatives. The University of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, the three campuses of the Rivers State College of Education, as well as the Rivers State College of Arts and Science, are all sited in Ikwerre communities.[citation needed]

OriginEdit
The Ikwerre are considered by a great majority of scholars as a subgroup of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria,[1][2][3]

There are several theories over the origin, and the strongest and most widely accepted one is the theory linking the Ikwerre to an Igbo origin.[5] They would be descendents from an Igbo migration from Awka and Orlu areas towards South. Igbo scholars take Ikwerre as part of the Southern Igbo. Amadi, an Ikwerre scholar, says that the Igbo origin theory has some support even inside Ikwerre themselves, with Ikwerre would be descendants of a migration of Arochukwu Igbo, with Okpo Nwagidi being the leader of the Ikwerre tribe. Before the civil war, there had been dissident voices that claimed that Ikwerre could have come from lands outside of Igbo lands such as the Benin Kingdom.[5] Just as an example, when Port Harcourt was conquered by Nigeria during the Biafran War and the Igbo people from other parts of Igboland fled the territory, a UN report says that the Ikwerre decided to claim that the Ikwerre were non-Igbo for convenience.[6] The Ikwerre are recognized officially as a separate group in the 1979 Nigerian Constitution.[5]

Notable peopleEdit
Some notable people of Ikwerre origin:

Elechi Amadi, writer[citation needed]
Emmanuel Onunwor, former Mayor of East Cleveland, Ohio, USA[citation needed]
Chibuike Amaechi, current Governor of Rivers State
Obi Wali, Writer, Politician and Minority rights activist[citation needed]
Tonto Dikeh, Actress, Musician Rivers State
Celestine Omehia,former Governor of Rivers State
Monalisa Chinda, Actress Rivers State
Duncan Mighty, Musician
Bekwele Nyeche, IT Technologist
Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Politician
[[Hon. O.K Chinda] ], Politician

nonjebose:
. Yeah. Even the Ika language has some benin words in it.

IKA - Integrated Kingdom of Agbor

We know our culture better!

stynhaq:

Fu...ck your Ibo ideologies. My King's name is not Ikechukwu. Do a proper research.


FYI: it is Kiagborekuzi ; Meaning - What will Agbor Say Again?

Get some good history man

Oops. I think you need the history.

His father's name was Obika Ikechukwu. Very Igbotic names. Even Yorubas will quickly shout 'omo ibo' when they hear Ikeshuku.

Have a nice time dealing with the below!:

nkemdi89:

K'omaa .mmmm emu.

Ok then...

Gimme ur bb pin or whatsapp.. Send it as private msg pls.

Can we PLEASE s stick the main topic. I keep coming here to learn about other igbo dialects and I keep seeing is the same dorm of argument you ask done severally. Like jeez

stynhaq:

Fu...ck your Ibo ideologies. My King's name is not Ikechukwu. Do a proper research.


FYI: it is Kiagborekuzi ; Meaning - What will Agbor Say Again?
Efeizomor is of Benin extract. We also do our festivals which are not related to yours. Our monarchy is different. Way of life and language, dissimilar.

What's up with Igbo people?

Get some good history man

Wow, so the name of the Obi of Agbor is no longer Ikechukwu? And what's the difference between bigfrancis21's translation of that Kiagborekuzi with yours?

bigfrancis21:


Oops. I think you need the history.

His father's name was Obika Ikechukwu. Very Igbotic names. Even Yorubas will quickly shout 'omo ibo' when they hear Ikeshuku.

Have a nice time dealing with the below!:

Did you even read my post in the last page. The guy is not even from delta like he claims. So why allow him to derail a good thread and even engage his stupidity. Seriously Wth is wrong with some you SE igbo?

bigfrancis21:


A du m oyi keteke. Eshi du m oyi tetete. I jeko wee?

Anokwa m be anyi.
Onyeke anyi, ahugoleka m ne eshi du g' oyi oyi...

Ishilove:
Ukwuani is not exactly igboid. There are elements of Yoruba and Edo contained therein.

Yoruba and Edo in my own ukwuani? Examples pls

stynhaq:


And if I am Ika and Deltan, May you and Your Generation, Up to the Sixth be doomed. Both on Earth and on Judgment Day.

Dog which one be Ika and deltan?
The matter is on Ika! And I have pronounced the curse. If you're not Ika as you claim may your days be doomed.

delpee:
Who knows about the roots and language of the Olukumis of Delta? Or better still is there someone from their place on NL who can throw some light into their origjn.?

They are descendants of ancient yorubas who fled their ancestral origin during times of tribulation to settle in Igboland, West of the Niger. They are settlers in the midst of Igbos, and are mostly Igbo-speaking today, with mostly the elderly who speak olukumi. Stephen Ikechukwu Keshi, is said to be from that area.

stynhaq:



Remove Ika from your List. We are Deltans and Independent of your opinions. Infact as the Yorubas and others, we don't like you.

I do not care much about you either. This is not my list. If you have a problem with it address your aggreviances to scholars who made the classification.

stynhaq:


dodo gwa weh. era la pu ndi-ewobi

this is ika abi?

i will translate it as such:

please tell them, madness dey catch the people wey get "vex mind"

or in my own "igbo"

biko gwa ha, ara na apu ndi iwe-obi.

oya tell a bini man to translate

nkemdi89:

Proudly ukwuani too, which area?

obiaruku....and u? sist ...abeg send me your number 2

OkuDiOver1:
what of ORLU?

Ndi uzo ulo.

Orlu dialect is usually called by many as Igbo dialect of Ndi Uzo Ulo - literally meaning dialect of people from home.

This must be part of the reasons many Igbos see Orlu areas as the cradle of Igbo civilization.

lazsnaira:


Dog which one be Ika and deltan?
The matter is on Ika! And I have pronounced the curse. If you're not Ika as you claim may your days be doomed.

Cursed be you, your generation and all they do.

donshaddow:


The Itsekiris who are my neighbor do understand Yoruba and does that make them Yorubas?

Are you learned at all?

We share boundaries with the Isokos, Urhobos, Itshekiris, and the Aniocha people.

Do you know how many tribes you will jump before you get to asaba who share boundary with the Igbos.

Guess you are the fool here.

In the old Nigerian map, where was Bendel located? Guess you don't know that as well.

It was located under Western Nigeria.

Go read your history book (that's if you do have one).

I'm not Igbo, but my language is Igboid.

Go get the meaning of igbo and igboid.

Nice one bro!
But some Ukwuanis calls themselves Igbo..

donshaddow:


D'elee... Ibu onye ukwuani esi?

Yeah! Am one also

OneNaira6:


Did you even read my post in the last page. The guy is not even from delta like he claims. So why allow him to derail a good thread and even engage his stupidity. Seriously Wth is wrong with some you SE igbo?

Di ayi chino, ka iwe yi dajuo. E wesinalu m iwe nna...ufodu ndi mgbu ka e kwesili inye fa oche fa nodu.

emmysoftyou:
how is mbano the home of central igbo?

central igbo language was curled mainly from lmo and abia, and then abia was under IMO, go and research, use google, and mbano central igbo period.

lazsnaira:


Dog which one be Ika and deltan?
The matter is on Ika! And I have pronounced the curse. If you're not Ika as you claim may your days be doomed.

He thinks state is his identification. States are mere artificial constructs. When borders are adjusted and Ika included in Anambra state, I guess he'll say, 'i'm Ika and Anambrarian'.

donshaddow:


How old are you?

May thunder and ogun strike that you hand wey u dey take type this shit.

Igbo is a tribe and a language likewise Ukwuani.

Don't quote me again.

donphilopus, be very careful.

xmich:

Yoruba man talking trash,
mbama

i be mbama but u be uselessman

bigfrancis21:


Oops. I think you need the history.

His father's name was Obika Ikechukwu. Very Igbotic names. Even Yorubas will quickly shout 'omo ibo' when they hear Ikeshuku.

Have a nice time dealing with the below!:

Please stop responding to these people they're yorubas living their dog life

Macelliot:

Ikwerre, Ogba, Ndoni bears Igbo names...
I didn't call them Igbo tribe.
They are Igboid
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igboid_languages

quit using Wikipedia as a source bros. all those tribes u listed dont dare call them igbo igboid na better heavy slap u go collect

Malawian:

donphilopus, be very careful.

Wetin be donphilopus

Me no know...

Maybe you should explain oo

shaboti:
hian! Biko is there an igbo dialect u cannot speak? Nawa o. Anyway I admire your devotion to igbo-related stuff.

Nwa afo ka m bunu. Ojemba enwe ilo...I fukwa m n'uzo i chaalu m.

Psuedy:


Rivers State is a multilingual/cultural state and some places not all actually speak some Igbo,bear igbo names n av similar cultures..I said "some" not "all"..even Egbema community ws split into two.some parts r in Rivers , n odas in Imo state..doesnt mak dem deny dia language..

go der and call them igbo. . . u wont come back here

chucky234:
Allow those peeps to keep deceiving themselves, igbo means slave/outcast in Ukwuani.

chucks,let me clarify you a bit.
igbo means weed in yoruba language but means slave in ukwuani language and it s a different meaning and pronounciation in igbo central language.
broda chuks,it doesnt stop us frm progressing...
iGbo word Is pronounce differently frm igbo pple...
aint it ?
Just like colour to the british and color to the americans.

except if the animal feel like misbehaving then we will table his/her fuuckup..
anuofia..

Onyiridike:


Who is begging him to be Igbo?

You think the crude oil in their land makes them more human than others?

They can answer Emeka, speak Igbo and choose to be called Hausas. Who cares?

u missed the point and let d Onitsha attitude get a hit on u

ogorkojo:

Yeah! Am one also

Drop ur bb pin or whatsapp.. Private msg pls.

somegirl1:


Stick to areas you understand. Rivers is a state with several ethnic groups including Igbo groups - Ndoni, Etche and Igboid groups - Ikwerre.

igboid groups