Abraka, is a town in Delta state,

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. It is also home to two of the main 24 urhobo kingdoms. It is mostly known as a university town and has the main campus of the

Delta State University Delta State University (DSU) is a public university in Cleveland, Mississippi, a city in the Mississippi Delta. History The school was established in 1924 by the State of Mississippi, using the facilities of the former Bolivar County Agricultu ...

located there. Abraka town is a favourite destination for domestic and international tourists. The Abraka beach is famous for its natural flowing spring water, and has sports recreational facilities for outdoor activities like canoeing, fishing, swimming, barbecue and picnicking.

History

Abraka was founded by a Benin Prince, Avwraka according to Abraka oral history. Avwraka (Abraka) is one of the few Urhobo socio-political units whose predecessors did not live elsewhere among non-Urhobo ethnic group before settling in Urhoboland. Avwraka was a Prince in an Edo-speaking political group which emigrated and settled near other

Urhobo Urhobo may refer to: *Urhobo people, of Nigeria *Urhobo language Urhobo is a South-Western Edoid language spoken by the Urhobo people of southern Nigeria. It is from the Delta State, Delta and Bayelsa State, Bayelsa States. Phonology Urhobo has ...

people. The contemporary main version of the historical traditions of Avwraka (Abraka) states that before Avwraka died in Otorho-Avwraka, he had two sons called Aghwa and Ivie. These are the distant ancestors of Umiaghwa and Oruarivie of Avwraka today. The main settlements of Avwraka (Abraka) today are: * Ekrejeta * Ajanomi * Urhuoka * Urhuovie * Erho * Oria * Urhuagbesa * Umeghe * Oteri (founded by descendants of Oruarivie) * Otorho - Avwraka (Avwraka Inland). This is the traditional headquarters. The construction of a link road from

Agbor Agbor is the most populous town of approximately 367,000 among the Ika people, in Delta State, Nigeria. It is located in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, in South-south geo-political zone of Nigeria, West Africa. Agbor is the he ...

, through Abraka, to

Sapele ''Entandrophragma cylindricum'' is a tree of the genus ''Entandrophragma'' of the family ''Meliaceae''. It is commonly known as sapele or sapelli ( ) or sapele mahogany, as well as aboudikro, assi, and muyovu. Origin of the name The name ''sape ...

in 1901 increased the commercial activities and population in Abraka. On 6 May 1978, the whole of Abraka resolved to constitute themselves into a kingdom like most Urhobo kingdoms. They decided to have Chief David Oghenegueke Dafe as their ''Ovie'' (king) and Chief Joseph Ajarho Atagana from Umiaghwa as their ''Otota'' (spokesman). Recent historical development in Avwraka (Abraka) has birthed the need to divide Abraka Kingdom into Umiagwa-Abraka and Oruarive-Abraka Kingdoms. Hence the two separate Avwraka (Abraka) kingdoms now form a vital part of the

Ethiope-East The Local Government Area of Ethiope East is located in the center of Delta State, Nigeria . It is close to Asagba, Asamagidi, Orerokpe, Ovwori, Orhokpokpor, Eruemukohwarien, Ekrokpe, Ughelli, and Agbasa.The local government of Ethiope East is hom ...

Local Government Area of

Delta State Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State, on 27 August 1 ...

to which the polity has belonged since 1976. The principal inhabitants of the city are the

Urhobo people The Urhobos are a people located in southern Nigeria, near the northwestern Niger Delta. They are the major ethnic group in Delta State. The people of this ethnic group speak the Urhobo language. Their population is approximately 7 million. Th ...

Climate

Abraka has a

tropical wet and dry climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

, with a lengthy

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...

and relatively constant temperatures throughout the course of the year. Abraka's wet season runs from March through October, though August sees somewhat of a lull in precipitation. This lull nearly divides the wet season into two different wet seasons. The remaining months forms the city's

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...

. Like a good portion of

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

, Abraka experiences the

harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into th ...

between the months of November and February. right

Education

Abraka is home to the prestigious

Delta State University, Abraka The Delta State University, Abraka - popularly known as DELSU - is a State government-owned university in Nigeria with the main campus located at Abraka, Delta State and its sub-campus at Oleh. The Oleh campus was established with the 1995 Am ...

. The Delta State University, was established in the year 1992, with its main campus at Abraka and a campus at Anwai,

Asaba Asaba (''Igbo:'' ''Ahaba'') is the capital of Delta State, Nigeria. A rapidly growing urban area, it is located on the western bank of the Niger River and is the seat of the Oshimili South Local Government Area. Asaba had a population of 149,6 ...

. With the 1995 Amended Edict, a new campus was established at Oleh. The University runs a multi-campus system with three campuses within a distance of about 200 km apart. Currently, with a student population of about 36,000 (in the 2007/08 session), the University offers a range of programmes from the full-time certificate, diploma and degree programmes to part-time evening and weekend degree programmes. The University offers post-graduate studies up to a doctoral level. A staff/student counselling centre, an e-learning centre, student accommodation and sporting facilities amidst others are available support services. Main gate

Tourism

Abraka is a destination for domestic and international

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

. It attracts numerous tourists. Abraka's Rivotel is famous for its natural flowing spring water, and has recreational facilities for outdoor activities like canoeing, fishing, swimming, barbecue. Abraka Turf and Country Club nestles at the

town of Abraka.

Notable People

* Luke Erede Ejohwomu, Ovie of Abraka 1994-2010

References

www-03.ibm.com
Otite O(1973):A Study of The Urhobo of Mid-Western State Of Nigeria
www-03.ibm.com
MrJG.Okaka(1976)Field notes:Urhobo social History, Udu report. *http://www.nigeriapostcode.com/delta-ethiope-east-abraka-erho.html *Information and Resource on Delta State University, Abraka. Can be foun
Here

External links

The Abraka Town Local Website
{{authority control Populated places in Delta State Ethnic groups in Nigeria ru:Урхобо (народ) zh:烏爾霍博族