The Urhobo People

Urhobo people draw their collective history from four traditions: believe in the presence of original dwellers and owners of the territory that is, aborigines; believe in migration from edo territory; believe by some of Ife origin; and lastly, traditions of origin from Sudan and Egypt. Although all 22 kingdoms have distinct dialects and traditions that reflect slight variation in origin and migratory patterns, there is a universal Urhobo language.

Urhobo has always strived to maintain good relations with her neighbors. Urhobo neighbors to the North-East are Ndokwa, to the South-East are Isoko, to the North are Bini, the West are Itsekiri and the South are Ijaw. Most, if not all, of these neighbors share a common origin according to tradition.

The 22 clans of Urhobo with their cultural headquarters and official administrative affiliations are shown below.