Ogwa is a town in Esan West Local Government Area in Edo State, Nigeria.[1][2] It is among the constituent communities of Esanland.[3] The people of Ogwa speak the Esan language. The language of the Esan people shares the same name as the name of the land itself. Esan and Ishan are interchangeably used to refer to the same place, language and people. Ishan is the anglicized variant for Esan.[4][5] The Ogwa people in Edo State identify themselves as Esan or Ishan people.[6] Ogwa has four clans: Eguare, Ukpogu, Izogen and Eha. These clans are headed by most elderly men in each of them.[7]
The name Ogwa is used to identify more than one place in Nigeria. To avoid confusion, it is better to identify it with their region. Hence, Ogwa, Esan.[7]
Demographics
[edit]Ogwa has a population of roughly 100,000 people.[8] It is surrounded by other Esan towns, namely Ujiogba, Amahor, Ugun, Ewossa, Ebelle, Okalo, Ugbegun and Igueben.
Ogwa is the second largest community after Ekpoma and ward 1 politically in the Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.[9]
Ogwa is an agrarian society.[10][11][12] However, events of the last part of the 20th century and the developments of 21st century so far have seen Ogwa drifting towards an academic town.[13] Ogwa Grammar School, Edo State and Samuel Adegboyega University,[14] Edo State are both located in Ogwa, Esan. The university was established in 2011 by The Apostolic Church, LAWNA Territory.[15] The university has helped in the overall development of the Ogwa community.
The University has the Centre for Research and Development of Esanland (CERDEL) which is conducting several research activities about Esan traditions and culture. The Centre is headed by B.O Inegbeboh, a Professor of Oral Literature. Recently, the university gave out scholarship to some indigene in the community to enable them to pursue their educational career.[16] It also has Eguare and Ukpogo primary schools and some private primary and secondary schools.
The people of Ogwa are mostly Christians. The majority of the people are Catholics. However, The Apostolic Church and other church denominations also have a large membership in Ogwa.[17]
The Onogie of Ogwa is His Royal Highness (HRH) Zaiki Victor A. Ehizogie II.[18] He governs with a Council of Chiefs which, unusually for the area, includes some women.[19]
Ogwa has a significant problem with young women who are exploited through sex trafficking, and state interventions have been unsuccessful in addressing this crime.[20] The problem is affected by the poverty of the area and the lack of opportunities for young people locally.[10][20]
Health
[edit]The Ogwa community enjoys a blend of traditional and orthodox medicine, with the presence of three Government owned health centres and Irrua Community hospitals, and is also closely linked with Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, where a lot of people visit to receive health care. Traditional bone setters, traditional birth attendants and herbal healers are also fairly distributed around the community setting. Services offered at these centres include: health education, immunization, family planning counselling, treatment of minor ailments and first aid, referrals, and ante-natal.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ "OGWA". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
- ^ "WATER SCHEME IN OGWA COMMUNITY". Edo State CSDA. Archived from the original on 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
- ^ "OGWA". Archived from the original on 2021-07-12. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
- ^ Orukpe, Abel (2016-11-03). "The Linguistic Characteristic Of Esan Language: Towards Its Empowerment and Development". Archived from the original on 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
- ^ Ejele, Philomena E. (October 29, 2016). "The Linguistic Characteristic of Esan language: Towards its Empowerment and Development". 12th Esan Economic Empowerment Workshop at Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa, Edo State, Nigeria. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ^ "ESAN PEOPLE". Archived from the original on 2022-02-14. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
- ^ a b elevationmap.net. "Eguare, Ogwa, Esan West, Nigeria on the Elevation Map. Topographic Map of Eguare, Ogwa, Esan West, Nigeria". elevationmap.net. Archived from the original on 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
- ^ "Population Model of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria". catalog.ihsn.org. Archived from the original on 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ^ "Edo (State, Nigeria) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Archived from the original on 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ^ a b Ola, Kehinde Oluwole. "HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SOCIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE HOUSEHOLDS" (PDF). Samuel Adegboyega University. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
- ^ Imuetinyan, Funmilayo (2020-07-15). "Obaseki's Agric Reforms Assist Farmers in Seven Clusters, Distribute 370,000 Fingerlings". Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. Archived from the original on 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ^ "Obaseki's agric reforms: Edo farmers get seedlings, fertilizers, for 320ha maize, rice cultivation ahead of planting season – edostatemmog". Archived from the original on 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ^ https://www.educartis.com.ng/centers/samuel-adegboyega-university. Archived 2021-05-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Samuel Adegboyega University website". Archived from the original on 16 May 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- ^ "Samuel Adegboyega University | Educartis". www.educartis.com.ng. Archived from the original on 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ^ "CHEERS AS SAMUEL ADEGBOYEGA UNIVERSITY GIVES SCHOLARSHIP TO 20 INDIGENT STUDENTS IN OGWA COMMUNITY TO REGISTER WAEC – SAU News". Archived from the original on 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ^ ogwacommunity. "Ogwa Town At A Glance – Past And Present | The People of Ogwa". Archived from the original on 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ^ "Edo needs a technocrat like Obaseki now— Ogwa Monarch". Vanguard News. 2016-08-24. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ "Market Development Program for the Niger Delta (MADE). IIEdo State Investment Portfolio(ESIP) Inception Study Report MAIN BODY – Vol. I" (PDF). The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
- ^ a b Iwuoha, Nkechi (2020). "Prevention of Sex Trafficking and Perspectives From Parents in Ogwa Community Edo State Nigeria Ogwa Community Edo State". Walden University. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.