Ikot Ekpene (Ikot Ekpene)
Ikot Ekpene, also known as The Raffia City, is a historic town in south-southern state of Akwa Ibom. It is the political and cultural capital of the Annang ethnic group in Nigeria (Nair, 1972). The town is located on the A342 highway that parallels the coast, between Calabar to the south east and Aba to the west, with the state capital, Uyo, on this road just to the east. Umuahia is the next major town to the north.
Kannan Nair, the noted historian described the town as a cultural and political capital of the Annangs and the Ibibios. The Ibibios live to the east and most of the Annangs live to the south of the town.
Ikot Ekpene is known as a regional centre of commerce, with notable exports of palm products, especially palm oil, kernels, raffia products including raffia fibers and its wine, and ground crops of yams, cassava, taro, and corn. The population is made up primarily of the Annang people with a small number of Igbo traders and Hausa Suya vendors. Significant exports also include basket weaving, sculpture, and, most notably, raffia cane furniture (hence the colloquial name of the town).
Ikot Ekpene is also known for its technological innovations due to the emergence of Raffia City Hub. Raffia city Hub is an inclusive technological community that supports collaboration, resource sharing, talent hunting and early stage entrepreneurs. Ikot Ekpene is also the headquarters of some notable seminaries and The Catholic Diocese in the south south region. The city houses the notable mini stadium at GRA road, Nteps Super markerts, Four point by Sheraton hotels etc.
Oral history indicated The Annangs first settled the area in the 16th century.
Kannan Nair, the noted historian described the town as a cultural and political capital of the Annangs and the Ibibios. The Ibibios live to the east and most of the Annangs live to the south of the town.
Ikot Ekpene is known as a regional centre of commerce, with notable exports of palm products, especially palm oil, kernels, raffia products including raffia fibers and its wine, and ground crops of yams, cassava, taro, and corn. The population is made up primarily of the Annang people with a small number of Igbo traders and Hausa Suya vendors. Significant exports also include basket weaving, sculpture, and, most notably, raffia cane furniture (hence the colloquial name of the town).
Ikot Ekpene is also known for its technological innovations due to the emergence of Raffia City Hub. Raffia city Hub is an inclusive technological community that supports collaboration, resource sharing, talent hunting and early stage entrepreneurs. Ikot Ekpene is also the headquarters of some notable seminaries and The Catholic Diocese in the south south region. The city houses the notable mini stadium at GRA road, Nteps Super markerts, Four point by Sheraton hotels etc.
Oral history indicated The Annangs first settled the area in the 16th century.
Map - Ikot Ekpene (Ikot Ekpene)
Map
Country - Nigeria
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| Flag of Nigeria | |
Nigeria has been home to several indigenous pre-colonial states and kingdoms since the second millennium BC, with the Nok civilization in the 15th century BC, marking the first internal unification in the country. The modern state originated with British colonialization in the 19th century, taking its present territorial shape with the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1914 by Lord Lugard. The British set up administrative and legal structures while practising indirect rule through traditional chiefdoms in the Nigeria region. Nigeria became a formally independent federation on 1 October 1960. It experienced a civil war from 1967 to 1970, followed by a succession of military dictatorships and democratically elected civilian governments until achieving a stable democracy in the 1999 presidential election. The 2015 general election was the first time an incumbent president failed to be re-elected.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGN | Nigerian naira | ₦ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |
| HA | Hausa language |
| IG | Igbo language |
| YO | Yoruba language |