THE UKWUANI NATION (Ukwuani bu ani eze) OF THE BENIN KINGDOM

Ụkwụànì people (also called Ndokwa). Ndokwa is coined from Ndosumili and Ukwuani, the two groups that make up the Ndokwa people.) are one of the tribes in the Southern part of Nigeria in the Western part of the Niger Delta . They are found majorly in the Northern part of Delta State and in some parts of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State , Nigeria . Ukwuani is the second largest ethnic nationality in Delta state after the Urhobo people. It is also the largest in Delta North region which is referred to as Anioma . Ndokwa Land consists of three Local Government Areas: (Ndokwa West, Ndokwa East, and Ukwuani). There over three dozens of towns and villages in Ndokwa. The three most popular ones are Kwale, Aboh and Obiaruku. Ukwuani land lies between latitudes 50 481 N and 50 601 N and longitudes 60 081 E and 60 321 E of Delta State.

It has common boundaries in the North with Ika South and Aniocha South Local Government Areas. Isoko South and Isoko North bound it in the south while it also has a common boundary with Ughelli North and Ethiope East Local Government Areas and Edo State as well as River Niger in the west and east, respectively. The important rivers in the region are Niger, Ethiope, Adofi, and Umu while the Ase creek is the major creek. This assertion of a separate identity for Ukwuani vis-à-vis Igbo, strikes at a very important note in matters of ethnicity generally and the subject in Nigeria in particular. The Ukwuanis are said to share a common ancestry with the Ogba, Ekpeye, and Ika people as majority trace their origin to the Benin kingdom. Ndokwa land is made of so many sub- groups including Umu-Akashiada, Ndoshimili-Ndoni, and Utagba people which is the largest of all. Ukwuani people speak Ukwuani language, a branch of the Volta-Niger language family with varying dialects within the Ndosumili-Aboh area. The one spoken by the majority of the people which is regarded the standard dialect is the Utagba dialect. It is easily understood by the speaker of the other dialects and it is the dialect that is used for Ukwuani language studies. Ukwuani language is also included in the list of 27 Nigerian languages approved by the Federal Government for the purpose of "mother tongue education". The Ukwuani culture is related to several culture in the Niger-delta but have more social and cultural affinities to the Igbo speaking people of Nigeria. Ndokwa play host to several multinational oil companies such as Agip, Platform, Midwestern, and Sterling global oil companies, etc.

Despite its contribution to the wealth of the Nation, the Ndokwa people like nearly other ethnic minorities of the Niger delta region frequently complain of marginalization which makes it an underdeveloped ethnic nationality. Despite this the Ndokwa people have been very peaceful. All the youth restiveness in the Niger Delta was approached peacefully by them. Origin The Ukwuani people also belongs to those groups whose history was largely undocumented but from the varying accounts of the elders, three waves of migration appeared to account for present population of the Ukwuani people. stated that the first wave are represented by the clans who claimed to have migrated from Benin Kingdom. Some of these clans include Umu-akashiada, Ebedei, and Akarai. The second waves of independent settlers are those whose ancestors migrated from Eastern Nigeria. The clans in this group settled along the bank of the River Niger and they include Umu- obarauchi, Ndoni, Onya, and Adawai. A third wave is in the form of a well organised expendition of Edo conquerors and some of this group include, Aboh, Amai, Umukwata . Ogbe-ani in Utagba-uno clan also claimed to migrate from acient Benin Kingdom. stated that apart from these three waves of immigration, there are also mixed eastern and western Igbo origin Edo immigrants. Colonial History of Ndokwa The colonial history of Ndokwa people began in 1905 with the formal establishment of colonial administrative office in Kwale. It was then known as Aboh Native Authority and later renamed Aboh Division in 1952 with headquarter in Kwale. In 1976, there was Local Government reforms and Aboh Division became Ndokwa Local Government with headquarters still in Kwale. The name Ndokwa was formed from two words; Ndoshimili and Ukwuani.

 They signify the two major districts of Aboh Division. Following the 1991 and 1997 Local Government creations embarked upon by the Military led Government, Ndokwa came under three Local Government Areas (LGAs) namely; Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwuani with headquarters in Aboh, Kwale and Obiaruku respectively. The three LGAs speak Ukwuani language and are known and recognized as distinct ethnic nationalities since pre-colonial times. In the last century, something incredible occurred in the annals of human history. The Juxtaposition of nations, cultures and peoples found an expression in the name: NIGERIA when Lord Lugard amalgamated its Northern and Southern Protectorates. Ndokwa people were a part of the nations in the Southern protectorate. Although it included the great Aboh Kingdom which, arguably, was the greatest naval force on the Niger Delta Coast for close to a century before the arrival of the Europeans, the people were subjected to British rule and would later be ruled as part of the Western region -one of the two regions carved out of the Southern protectorates. By 1963, Mid-west region was created to include Ndokwa Land and other Non-Yoruba speaking parts of western region. Ndokwa people remained as part of Mid-West region until Ndoni people were carved out from Aboh Division to join parts of the old Eastern region to form Rivers State in May of 1967 as part of a new 12 State Federal Structure. 

The rest of Ndokwa Land remained in the Mid-west which was now renamed Bendel State, fusing the first three letters from the Benin Province with the first three letters of Delta Province. Ndokwa remained as part of the Mid-west Bendel configuration for 28 years until the creation of Delta State in 1991. Today, Ndokwa people are proud Nigerian Citizens, proud of their heritage and patriotic to the core. Their sons have served the Nigerian Nation in all of its Armed Forces and their scholars occupy the Ivory Towers in not only the Nigerian Universities but in several institutions around the globe. Society and the arts Indigenous arts include basket weaving, metalwork and sculpture (known as Okpu-Uzo). The Ụkwụànì are also widely known for their music, having produced such Late artistes as Charles Iwegbue, Ali Chukwuma, King Ubulu, Prince Smart Williams Achugbue, Issac Rogana Ottah, Sir Daddy Kris, Agu Lato, Franco Lee Ezute, they still have on the list names which are ever present in the scene such as Julie Bright, John Okpor, Prince Tony Kiddy, Queen Azaka, Bob Fred, Eric Enuma, Computer Onah, Steady Arobbi, Deskenny, Prince 2 Boy, Ishioma Henry Ossai, Orji Moore, Chris Hanem, Eric Enuma, Capt Dennis Abamba, Murphy Gingo, Chuks Igba, Ogwezi Ubulu and many others. Their music is one of the main influences they have had over their neighbors, many of whom have adopted Ụkwụànì music as their own traditional music. 

They remain a socially tight-knit group. Community unions and clubs are the rule, even among those who have emigrated to North America, Europe, or Asia. These organizations routinely hold festivals and celebrations. Marriage and burial rites are also often the occasion for elaborate ceremonies. Most of the people are Christian. Large Catholic congregations are found in Amai,Obiaruku, Ashaka, Obinomba, Umutu,Abbi,Ogume,Kwale etc where Catholic missionaries established churches and elementary schools during the colonial era. Protestant churches are also common. Traditional worship still takes place in nearly every community. There is a small Muslim minority.

 SOURCE:WIKIPEDIA (A free encyclopedia).