Igueben is a local government area of Edo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are located in the town of Igueben, which has an area of and a population of 69,639 according to the 2006 census. The

postal code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal a ...

is 310.

History

Igueben was founded around 1516 in the Southern region of Nigeria. At the time, the area was part of the

Kingdom of Benin The Kingdom of Benin, also known as the Edo Kingdom, or the Benin Empire ( Bini: ') was a kingdom within what is now southern Nigeria. It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, which was known as Dahomey from the 17th ce ...

. Between 1515 and 1516, the Kingdom of Benin was at war with the Attah of the Igala Kingdom. The town was, according Dr. Christopher Okojie, settled around a camp established during this war.

The area today

The village is governed by a traditional ruler, called an Onogie. The present Onogie is HRM Ehizogie Eluojerior I. Their language is a unique dialect of Edo and Esan. They also use

Pidgin English Pidgin English is a non-specific name used to refer to any of the many pidgin languages derived from English. Pidgins that are spoken as first languages become creoles. English-based pidgins that became stable contact languages, and which have ...

, which is a mixture of Portuguese, English and Esan. There is a state-run college in Igueben, and many people in the area speak English. Igueben consists of several towns. These include Eguare, Oyomo, Afuda, Idumeka, Idumonka, Uhe, Egbiki, Ekekhen Idigun, Idumogbo, Idumedo, Idumotutu, Idumogo, and Ologhe.

Facilities

Major facilities include the Igueben General Hospital, the Igueben Grammar School, the Igueben College, the Igueben Mixed Secondary School, the College of Education Igueben, the Union Bank of Nigeria PLC, the Uda Community Bank PLC, primary schools, two major markets, and a Local Government Council Secretariat. There is around 22

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ...

s of rainforest in the Igueben area.

Economy

The primary occupation in Igueben is farming. Local produce is cross-traded with the Northern parts of Nigeria. They sell food products peculiar to the savannah vegetation, such as tubular roots like yam,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

(

garri In West Africa, ''garri (also known as gari, galli'', or ''gali)'' is the flour of the fresh starchy cassava root. In the Hausa language, ''garri'' can also refer to the flour of guinea corn, maize, rice, yam, plantain and millet. Fo ...

), banana, and

plantain Plantain may refer to: Plants and fruits * Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking ** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa'' * ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...

. They buy produce peculiar to arid areas, such as

beans A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes thr ...

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...

, groundnuts, and potatoes. Foreign exports include palm produce, rubber, and

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

Tourist attractions

Cultural celebrations like the Ukpe Festival showcasing masquerades, traditional dances, family entertainment and visits, are well worth experiencing. The Onogie's New Year Festival - Ihuan, which is similar to the Ukpe Festival, also affords further opportunities to engage with local traditional practices. There is potential for tourist attractions such as historical landmarks like the Onogie's palace and rainforest expeditions. These opportunities are yet to be exploited.

Educational institutions

Igueben is home to different educational institutions, including the College of Education, Igueben, Wisdom Group of School, Igueben, and Eguare Primary School, Eguare.

References

* P. Girshick Ben-Amos The art of Benin (London, The British Museum Press, 1995) Oral sources: * Hon. Barrister Patrick Aigbogun * Chief Sunday Aigbogun - Ebenzer of Igueben * Chief (Bar.) Abubakar Yesufu – Ogieneni of Igueben Local Government Areas in Edo State {{EdoNG-geo-stub