Ughelli is a town in
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 ...
, Nigeria, and one of the 24 kingdoms that make up the
Urhobo Nation. It also serves as the headquarters of
Ughelli North
Ughelli North is a Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the city of Ughelli.
It has an area of 818 km2 and a population of 321,028 at the 2006 census. Projected to be 780,022, (2022).
The postal code
...
local government area of Delta State. The city is indigenous to the
Urhobo ethnic nationals, but there is a mixture of several other tribes from the country & abroad. It is an industrial and agricultural spot of Delta State.
Ughelli is in a central location in Delta State and a major town for the Urhobo Tribe, also one of the oldest kingdom in Delta State tracing back to the 14th and 15th century. The city of Ughelli is ruled by a hereditary ruler known as
Ovie
Ovie is a given name, nickname and surname. It translates to king in the Isoko language of Delta State in southern Nigeria.
Nickname
* Alexander Ovechkin (born 1985), Russian ice hockey player
* Ovie Alston (1905–1989), American jazz trumpete ...
. The king, Oharisi III, lives in the Ovie Palace situated at Otovwodo-Ughelli.
History
Ughelli oral tradition has it that the great
ancestor
An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder, or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from ...
and founding father of Ughelli ("Ughene"), is the second son of
Oghwoghwa (a Prince from
idu iodomigodo). As history has it,
Oghwoghwa in search of his own kingdom first settlement was at Tarakiri and later left for Oviri Ogor (current site of Ogor Techinal College). Ughene later left Oviri Ogor and founded Ovwodoawanre (Old Settlement), before the present settlement headquarters at Otovwodo (traditional headquarters).

Ughelli has several schools, a general hospital, and a local government secretariat. The city is a link between
Delta North and
Delta South. The city has crude oil and gas reserves hence the presence of
Shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
Ughelli town is the administrative headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Organization
Here is a refined version of the text for the Wikipedia page on Ughelli:
Ughelli is organized as a local government area (LGA),
with an elected Chairman and Councilors representing various wards. The local government administration is structured into departments responsible for functions such as finance, health, education, agriculture, and public works, each managed by departmental heads. In addition to governmental leadership, traditional institutions, including rulers and chiefs, play a role in governance. Committees may also be established to address specific local issues. Ughelli's governance structure operates under the Nigerian constitution and local government laws, following the country's multi-tiered system of federal, state, and local administration.
Location
Ughelli's latitude and longitude coordinates are: 5.500187, 5.993834. It is a town in Southern Nigeria and the oldest kingdom of the 24 kingdoms of the Urhobo people. Ughelli is located in close proximity to the floodplains of the West Niger Delta river,
and is surrounded by neighbouring communities and villages. Among these are
Agbara-Otor,
Agbaro, Ufuoma,
Otokutu
Otokutu is a town in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. It is accessible through the steel complex accessway Delta State
Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), South-South geopolitical ...
, Ogor.
List of rulers of Ughelli Kingdom
Sports
Ughelli is gradually becoming a home of Sports after the foundation of
Ughelli Rovers Football Club
Ughelli Rovers Football Club ( Ughelli Rovers FC) is a football club based in Ughelli
Ughelli is a town in Delta State, Nigeria, and one of the 24 kingdoms that make up the Urhobo people, Urhobo Nation. It also serves as the headquarters of U ...
who compete in the
Nigeria Nationwide League
National Nationwide League Division One (formerly known as Nigerian Amateur League) is the third level of club football in Nigeria. Every year, up to eight teams are promoted to the Professional Division One.
Starting in 2012, the league changed ...
the 3rd tier of Nigerian domestic football and play their home games at the
Ughelli Township Stadium
Ughelli Township Stadium is a stadium in Otovwodo, Ughelli North Local Government Area Delta State. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Ughelli Rovers Football Club
Ughelli Rovers Football Club ( Ughelli Ro ...
Notable people
*
Efe Abogidi
*
Efe Ajagba
Efe Ajagba (born 22 April 1994) is a Nigerian professional boxer who holds the record for the fastest victory in boxing history after his opponent was disqualified for leaving the ring one second after the opening bell. As an amateur, he won a ...
*
Gamaliel Onosode
Gamaliel Oforitsenere Onosode (22 May 1933 – 29 September 2015) was a Nigerian technocrat, administrator and a former presidential candidate of the All Nigeria People's Party of Nigeria. Educated at the Government College, Ughelli and the Univ ...
*
Ben Okri
Sir Ben Golden Emuobowho Okri (born 15 March 1959) is a Nigerian-born British poet and novelist.[Ben Okri" ...]
*
Destalker (comedian)
Oghenekowhoyan Onaibe Desmond (born 12 May 1984) is a Nigerian comedian and businessman. He won the best comedian award organized by Naija FM in 2019 and also the Cheq TV comedian of the year in 2021.
Early life
Destalker was born and had his ...
*
Akpor Pius Ewherido
Akpor Pius Ewherido (4 May 1963 – 30 June 2013) was a Nigerian politician. He was elected Senator for Delta Central Senatorial District in the April 2011 national elections, running on the Democratic People's Party (DPP) platform.
Backgr ...
*
References
{{Authority control
Populated places in Delta State