HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF EDO STATEThe State was created in 1991 out of the former Bendel State. Edo State lies roughly between longitude 06o 04'E and 06o 43'E and latitude 05o44' N and 07o34' N. It is bounded in the south by Delta State, in the west by Ondo State, in the north by Kogi State and in the east by Kogi and Anambra States. It occupies a land area of about 17,802 square kilometers. From the 1991 census the state has a population of 2,159,848.
Original request for the creation of Edo State was presented to the National Assembly in Lagos on July 16, 1981 by a delegation headed by the Oba of Benin, Omo n'Oba Erediauwa. A Steering Committee had earlier been set up to work out proposals for the state's creation. The then Commissioner for Information, Social Development, Youth, Sports & Culture, Mr. Magnus Odion Ugbesia, was the Steering Committee's Secretary, which had its first sitting on December 10, 1980.Bendel State was one of the oldest political entities in Nigeria, having started out life as the Midwest Region (created by referendum, August 9, 1963, and excised from the then-Western Region); it then became known as Midwest State, and then as Bendel State (a contraction of the phrase BENin DELta). As time went on, the "federal character" provision for the sharing of federal revenue amongst the states in the Federation was hampering the growth and development of the state. Federal employment and school admissions policies were also guided by a quota system (to ensure even spread). As more states were created, from four (1963-1967) to 12 (1967-1976) to 19, and then to 21, Bendel State, by remaining intact, became disadvantaged in regards to access to federal revenue. Although the demand for the creation of the State did not come to fruition in the Second Republic, this demand led the Babangida regime to split the then Bendel State into two parts -- one which had an Edo-speaking majority (Edo State), and the other which had a more heterogeneous mix of ethnic groups (Delta State). With the creation of Edo State, the dream of the Edo-speaking peoples and other groups in the territory for a separate identity and entity was finally fulfilled.
Edo State is one of the more homogenous states in Nigeria. The cultural and linguistic affinities that exist among the various groups in the state points to this fact. A lot of the communities in the State trace their roots to the ancient kingdom of Benin. Customs, burial rites, diet and traditional modes of dress tend to be similar throughout the State. The political pattern and behaviour were based on a system under which both monarchial and republican ideas flourished in an integrated manner. The monarchial (or chieftaincy) system revolved largely on primogeniture, while the republican
element was reflected in the free selection by villages and communities of elders.
ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS
The administrative capital is Benin City, and the State is made up of 18 Local Government Areas. Other major towns in the State include Uromi, Ekpoma, Auchi, Sabongida-Ora, Ubiaja and Afuze.
Local Government | Headquarters | Local Government | Headquarters |
| Akoko-Edo | Igarra | Igueben | Igueben |
| Egor | Uselu | Ikpoba-Okha | Idogbo |
| Esan Central | Irrua | Oredo | Benin City |
| Esan North-East | Uromi | Orhionmwon | Abudu |
| Esan South-East | Ubiaja | Ovia North East | Okada |
| Esan West | Ekpoma | Ovia South West | Iguobazuwa |
| Etsako Central | Fugar | Owan East | Afuze |
| Etsako East | Agenebode | Owan West | Sabongida Ora |
| Etsako West | Auchi | Uhunmwonde | Ehor |
PHYSICAL SETTING (Topography)
Northern Plateau: The plateau ranges from 183 to 305 m (600 to 1000 ft) of basement rock with occasional granite peaks rising above 610 m (2000 ft). Its southern portion is mainly sandstone. The Afenmai hills rise to a height of 672 metres (2204 ft), making it the highest elevation in the State.
Orle Valley: The valley was formed by an east-west river which cut into the sandstone between the Northern Plateau and Esan Plateau. The Rivers Owan and Orle drain the Plateau to the west and east respectively.
Esan Plateau: The plateau is a continuation of the sandstone of the Northern Plateau and ranges from 213 to 305 metres (700 to 1000 ft). The north and south fall steeply to the Orle and Niger valleys while the south and west
are gradual gradients to the Benin lowlands.
Benin Lowlands: A sandy plain, marked with rivers, generally running towards the southwest. There are a few hills to the east and the lands are drained by the Rivers Osse, Orhionmwon and Ikpoba.
Swamp Forests: Areas of marsh vegetation lie to the south of the state and the land is bisected by creeks and rivers.
CLIMATE
Edo State has a tropical climate characterised by two distinct seasons: the wet and dry seasons. The wet season occurs between April and October with a break in August, and an average rainfall ranging from 150 cm (59") in the extreme north of the State to 250 cm (98") in the south. The dry season lasts from November to April with a cold harmattan spell between December and January. The temperature averages about 25 °C (77 °F) in the rainy season, and about 28 °C (82 °F) in the dry season. The climate is humid tropical in the south and sub-humid in the north.
VEGETATION
In the north, the area is mainly derived savannah. The oil palm grows in the wild. On higher levels the soil is gravelly, becoming sandy towards the Orle Valley. The Esan Plateau is made up of diverse vegetation, savannah in the north and forest in the south. Where deforestation has occurred, elephant grass and secondary growth take over. The soil is clayey or of porous red sand. Oil palm and rubber grow reasonably well. The Benin Lowlands used to be covered with a vast rain forest, but rubber plantations have displaced a lot of the original forests. Soil types range from low productive sand in the southeast to fertile clayey soil in the northwest. The riverine communities
in the south have mainly mangrove swamp vegetation.
ECONOMY -- AGRICULTURE
The main crops are rubber, oil palm, cocoa, yam, cassava, maize, rice and plantain. Sugar cane, cashew, oil palm (and its derivative products), groundnuts, soya beans, tomatoes, cotton and tobacco are also produced. Fruit like pineapples, coconuts, oranges, avocados, as well as green leafy vegetables, all grow abundantly in the State. There is also a significant animal husbandry industry, with cows, goats, pigs, rabbits and sheep being the main products. Edo State's riverine areas are prime areas for aquaculture projects. Such major research bodies as the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) are located in the State, and there is a strong agricultural extension programme.Principal industrial raw materials for agro-allied businesses are rubber, timber, maize and cassava. The main soil types in the State are reddish-yellow kind of ferralsols, dish clay, lathyritic clay, and fine hydromorphic soils.
ECONOMY -- INDUSTRIES
Edo State is blessed with such industrial mineral resources as quartzite, marble, clay, limestone, chalk, gypsum, gold, petroleum, kaolin and lignite. Benin City is the site for numerous industrial outfits: soft drinks factories, two large breweries (including one of the largest breweries for Guinness Stout outside of Dublin, Ireland), wood and timber processing industries, textile mills, carpet manufacturers, floor tile producers, animal feeds industries, printing and publishing firms, pharmaceutical firms, and so on. A State-owned cement company is located at Okpella (Etsako Local Government Area [LGA]), close to substantial limestone deposits. Freedom Development Company (an indigenous company of more than 30 years experience) is undertaking marble chip production at Akoko-Edo; and garri mills (a local staple produced from cassava) are a regular part of the landscape.Petroleum is produced in Ovia and Orhionmwon LGAs, and exploration for "the black gold" is being undertaken in Oredo LGA. Associated gas production and proximity to gas pipelines running from the Niger Delta region to other parts of the country create the potential to utilize gas for industrial power generation.
TRANSPORTATION
Benin City, as the State capital, is a major centre of traffic. Routes to Warri and Sapele (both in Delta State; they are major seaports and oil towns); to the eastern cities of Onitsha, Enugu, Calabar and Port Harcourt; and to the western cities of Ibadan, Abeokuta and the former political capital of Lagos, are especially well-travelled. A major federal trunk road runs east-to-west through Benin City, connecting Lagos and the western states, and incorporating the Benin-Shagamu Expressway. The A2 north-south route through Kaduna, Abuja, Lokoja, Auchi, Benin City and Warri, is also well-used. Buses and taxis of the State-owned Edo Transport Service (a.k.a. Edo Line) operate on many routes in the main connecting service for all parts of the State. Intra-town services are also provided by the Edo Municipal Transport Service, as well as by the many private transportation companies in Benin City. Using locally-assembled Peugeot J5 buses and "luxurious" (Mercedes-Benz) buses, they cluster around the Iyaro area of the city, and around Uselu-Ugbowo road (with the most popular route being Benin to Lagos, a three-hour journey).Benin City has an airport that is serviced by Nigerian Airways, ADC Airlines, EAS Airlines, Kabo Air, and Okada Air (which is privately owned and operated by an indigene of Edo State).
Contact Information
Edo State Government
Government House,
Dennis Osadebe Avenue, G.R.A.
Benin City, Edo State
NIGERIA.
Telephone
+234-52-250840
Fax
+234-52-258314
- Postal Address
Government House
P.M.B. 1080
Benin City, Edo State
NIGERIA Electronic mail
General Information: info@edostategov.co
Industrial and Commercial Opportunities in Edo State
Edo State is blessed with abundant solid mineral and agro-based resources which can be harnessed by interested investors. The list below shows a comprehensive list of mineral and agro-based resources in each LGA of Edo State. Considered the availability of these resources, a number of projects could be established to harness them. There are existing private and government-owned manufacturing and processing industries in Edo State, such as Bendel Cement Company, Edo Pharmaceuticals, Bendel Brewery, Nigerian Bottling Company, the Bendel Feed and Flour Mills, and the Okomu Oil Palm Company. Nevertheless, the tempo of industrial and commercial activities in the State is fairly low. In this regard, assistance would be required from foreign investors in the following areas:
petrochemicals
fertilizers
development of Gele-Gele port
cement production
ceramics
sugar, rubber, timber and fruit juice processing.
Feasibility studies on ceramic, rubber and fruit juice processing are available as a starting point for interested investors. Furthermore, the Industrial Estates in Auchi and Benin City would require a lot of capital to put them on stream. Investment managers would be required to facilitate the early completion of the development of the Estates as this would also create an enabling environment in terms of land and infrastructure. For more information, please contact
Edo State Government
Government House
Dennis Osadebe Avenue, GRA
Benin City, Edo State
NIGERIA
Telephone: +234-52-250840
Facsimile: +234-52-258314
info@edostategov.com
