Isoko people are an

ethnolinguistic group An ethnolinguistic group (or ethno-linguistic group) is a group that is unified by both a common ethnicity and language. Most ethnic groups share a first language. However, "ethnolinguistic" is often used to emphasise that language is a major bas ...

who inhabit the

Isoko region Isoko is a region of Delta State and Bayelsa state in southern Nigeria and is inhabited by an ethnic group of the same name, the Isoko people. The region is divided into two Local Government Areas, Isoko North (headquartered at Ozoro) and Isoko So ...

of Delta State and

Bayelsa State Bayelsa is one of the states in the South-South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta region. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State, making it one of the newest states in the federation. Yenag ...

, Nigeria. They are people of southern Nigeria, near the northwestern Niger delta. Delta State and Bayelsa State are part of the 36 states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Isokos speak the

Isoko language Isoko is an Edoid language, one of the languages in Delta State spoken by the Isoko people in Isoko South, North and part of Ndokwa East Local Government Areas of Delta State, Southern part of Nigeria in Niger Delta region. It is also spoken ...

, a language of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family which is also very linguistically similar to the

Urhobo language Urhobo is a South-Western Edoid language spoken by the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria. From the region of Delta and Bayelsa State. They are also known as fishermen. Their neighbours are the Isoko to the South East, the Itsekiri to the West, ...

Epie-Atissa language Epie (or Epie-Atissa) is a language spoken in Nigeria by the Epie-Atissa people. Phonology The language has a partially reduced system, compared to proto-Edoid, of eight vowels; these form two harmonic sets, and . Epie has only one clearly ph ...

Engenni language Engenni (''Ẹgẹnẹ'') is an Edoid language of Nigeria. Grammar Engenni is a fairly isolating language, having little affixation. There is no plural form for words. It has definite articles, but no indefinite articles. There is a two-contra ...

. James W. Welch asserted that Isoko language is a dialect of

, and many people share that opinion. The Isoko culture is related to several cultures in the Niger-Delta - namely, Urhobo,

Ijaw Ijaw may refer to: *Ijaw people The Izon people or Izon Otu, otherwise known as the Ijaw people due to the historic mispronunciation of the name ''Izon'', are an ethnic group majorly found in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, with significant populatio ...

and

Anioma Anioma people are a subgroup of the Igbo ethnic group in Delta State, Nigeria. They are made up of communities which span across 9 Local government areas and speak different varieties of the Igbo language, including the Enuani language, Ukwuani l ...

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Urhobo are related in language and culture, leading to the invaders erroneously labelling the Urhobo and Isoko cultural groups as Sobo. This name was strongly rejected by both tribes. The Isoko ethnic group consist of nineteen clans namely:

Uzere Uzere formerly known as "Uzei" is located in the Isoko South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State of Nigeria. It has become one of the largest petroleum oil producing communities in Nigeria. Oil exploration started in Uzere in 1957. Uzere ...

Ozoro Ozoro is a city and the headquarter of Isoko North Local Government area of Delta State, Nigeria. It is one of the two administrative units in the Isoko region of elta State, southern Nigeria. Ozoro had been incorrectly spelt Usoro in some older m ...

, Erowha, Owhe, Iyede,

Okpe Okpe is a kingdom in Delta State, Nigeria. Today, it is also the name of a local government area. It is one of the many kingdoms that make up Urhobo tribe. Its capital is Orerokpe. The kingdom plays host to the Osubi Airport (also known as Wa ...

Emede Emede is a town in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, south of Nigeria. Politics and government The town is under the rulership of a monarch, J.O.Egbo, Ewhiri II, Ovie of Emede Kingdom. He is also the traditional custodian of the ...

Igbide Igbide is an Isoko clan located in the Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. The predominant occupation of the Igbide is fishing and farming especially of cassava and groundnuts. The fishing is done mainly in the Urie lake, ...

, Emevor, Ofagbe, Ellu, Oyede, Umeh, Irri, Aviara, Olomoro, Enwhe, Okpolo and Oleh.

Notable people

Eva Alordiah Elohor Eva Alordiah (born 13 August 1989), better known as Eva Alordiah or simply Eva, is a Nigerian rapper, entertainer, make-up artist, fashion designer and entrepreneur. She is considered one of the best female rappers in Nigeria. Since her ...

, rap musician *

Don Jazzy Michael Collins Ajereh (born 26 November 1982), known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian record producer. He is the founder and the CEO of Mavin Records. Don Jazzy was co-owner of the now-defunct Mo' Hits Records record label with D'b ...

, record producer *

Fred Amata Fred Amata is a Nigerian actor, producer and director. A graduate of Theatre Art Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real o ...

, actor *

Jeta Amata Jeta Amata is a Nigerian filmmaker, born on August 21, 1974, to popular Nigerian actor Zack Amata. He comes from a family of veteran filmmakers including Ifoghale Amata, Zack Amata and Fred Amata. Growing up in the film industry, following his ...

, filmmaker * Bovi, comedian * Patience Oghogho Maseli, first female Deputy Director of Upstream Division at the

Department of Petroleum Resources Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, formerly the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), is a department under the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (FMPR). It monitors the oil and gas industry to ensure compliance ...

* Evi Edna Ogholi, reggae musician *

Orezi Esegine Allen (born 28 March 1986), better known by his stage name Orezi, is a Nigerian musician from Delta State. He rose to prominence with his song " Rihanna" in 2013. In a chat with Showtime's ''The Cooking Pot'' the singer said that in t ...

, musician *

Daddy Showkey Daddy Showkey is a veteran Nigerian galala singer. His genre of music is called ghetto dance or simply ghetto. He was popular in Ajegunle in the late 1990s. He was born as John Odafe Asiemo but is known as Daddy Showkey all over the Ghetto. He ha ...

, garala singer *

Masai Ujiri Masai Ujiri (born 7 July 1970) is a British-born, Nigerian-Canadian professional basketball executive and former player and is the president of basketball operations of the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a m ...

, President and former GM of the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

Solid Star Joshua Iniyezo (born 8 November 1988), better known by his stage name SolidStar Isoko or simply SolidStar, is a Nigerian singer. He began his musical career as a drummer for a local church in his hometown of Delta State. SolidStar is popularly k ...

, musician *

Samuel Oboh Samuel Óghalé Oboh (born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian architect, manager, leader, former Vice President - Architecture at AECOM Canada Architects Ltd - a Fortune 500 Company and the 2015 President of the Royal Architectural Institute of Cana ...

, Canadian architect *Emily Eriarie Arhagba, first Vice Principal at the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Delta State. *Frank Shell Ogodo (Stage Name: Funky Franky), Musician

References

External links

Isoko information

- information about Isoko Society by Hon. Chief Clement O. Akugha {{Authority control Ethnic groups in Nigeria