By Vitalis Osanakpo
It was Marcus Garvey who aptly declared that “A people without knowledge of their past are like a tree without roots.” Many say the word “history” could mean “His story” — an account shaped by those who tell it. Yet, no one can tell the story of a people better than the people themselves, especially their elders and custodians of oral tradition.
In recent years, a wave of revisionist claims has emerged, particularly on social media, asserting that the peoples of Delta North Senatorial District — the Ikas, Ukwuani, Aniocha, and Oshimili — are of Igbo origin.
Such assertions are historically inaccurate and culturally dismissive. These ethnic nationalities, long recognized in the Federal Government Gazette as distinct Nigerian groups, possess deep and complex ancestries that defy simplistic classification.
The myth of the ‘Three major tribes’
Nigeria’s colonial legacy produced a distorted ethnic narrative that recognizes only three “major” tribes — Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo.
This oversimplification erases the voices of over 300 ethnic groups that make up Nigeria’s true identity. The people of Delta North stand as a living challenge to that colonial fallacy.
As the late Professor Obaro Ikime and historian Dr. Elizabeth Isichei documented, the Niger Basin region — stretching across today’s Delta, Edo, and Anambra States — was for centuries a dynamic corridor of migrations and cultural exchanges.
Communities in Delta North trace their roots variously to Benin, Igala, Yoruba, and aboriginal Olukumi origins, long before the imposition of colonial boundaries. To reduce this rich heritage to a single ethnic label is both historically lazy and culturally disrespectful.
Cultural and historical distinctiveness
While there are linguistic and cultural affinities between parts of Delta North and neighboring Igbo-speaking communities, these similarities do not equate to shared ethnic identity.
The traditional institutions of Delta North — from the monarchy systems in Asaba and Idumuje to the chieftaincy hierarchies of Ika and Ukwuani — differ markedly from the republican town-union structures typical of Igbo society.
Equally, the cosmology, ritual systems, and political organization of Delta North communities bear a stronger resemblance to the Benin and Igala civilizations. Even in aspects of dress, cuisine, and festivals, Delta North aligns more naturally with its South-South neighbors than with the South-East.
Politically, the region’s historical trajectory has also defined its place. From the old Western Region to the Mid-West Region (1963), Bendel State (1976), and Delta State (1991), Delta North’s orientation has always been westward and southward. These transitions were not accidental; they reflected enduring cultural, economic, and geopolitical ties.
Economic and regional realities
Delta North’s inclusion in the South-South region is not only historically correct but economically and environmentally logical. The area shares the same ecological realities as the Niger Delta — oil-bearing communities, riverine ecosystems, and the accompanying challenges of environmental degradation.
The people of Delta North have been part and parcel of the broader Niger Delta struggle for equity and resource control. The region’s economy, infrastructure, and development needs are inseparable from the South-South agenda.
From agriculture to commerce, from oil exploration to federal representation, Delta North’s development logic lies firmly within the Niger Delta framework.
To detach Delta North from the South-South would not only distort history but also undermine regional cooperation and progress. It would deny the people their natural alliances with the Urhobo, Itsekiri, Isoko, and Ijaw — groups with whom they share both geography and destiny.
Identify and the right of self-definition
Identity cannot be imposed from outside; it is defined by history, culture, and collective will. The people of Delta North have never self-identified as Igbos.
Their dialects, folklore, social systems, and oral histories have evolved independently over centuries.
The 1957 Willink Commission Report, which examined fears of minority domination ahead of Nigeria’s independence, recognized the uniqueness of the Mid-Western peoples (including today’s Delta North) as distinct from the dominant ethnic blocs.
This recognition laid the groundwork for the eventual creation of the Mid-West Region in 1963 — the only region in Nigeria created by popular referendum.
It is therefore historically dishonest and politically mischievous to impose a false identity on the people of Delta North. Online revisionism cannot rewrite the lived experiences and ancestral realities of communities that have always known who they are.
Conclusion: Guarding our historical roots
Marcus Garvey’s words still ring true: “A people who forget their roots risk losing their identity.” Delta North remains a proud embodiment of Nigeria’s ethnic plurality — a region of distinct heritage, shaped by its own history and connected naturally to the South-South.
Its rightful place is not up for negotiation. The people of Delta North have, through their history, culture, and socio-economic realities, found their home within the Niger Delta and the South-South geopolitical zone. To attempt to redefine that identity is to erase their history and silence their voice.
In defending their place in the South-South, the people of Delta North are not merely defending geography — they are defending truth, history, and identity itself.
Dr. Osanakpo, an educational researcher and public affairs commentator, from Delta State
