Koko, Delta

5°31′N 5°45′E / 5.517°N 5.750°E / 5.517; 5.750CountryNigeriaStateDelta StateLocal Government AreaWarri North LGAGovernment • Executive GovernorSheriff Oborevwori • LGA ChairmanSmart Asekutu • Vice ChairmanSolomon Mikie • SecretarySamuel Meyiwa Khalil • Traditional RulerOgiame Atuwatse IIIDemographics • EthnicitiesItsekiri • LanguagesItsekiri, Pidgin English • ReligionsChristianity, African Traditions, Islam

Koko is the major town in and the headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, South South Nigeria.^[2] Koko is one of the major towns in the Niger Delta region with a rich history and is known for its unique cultural heritage, natural resources, and vibrant economy.

History of Koko Town

Koko town has a rich history and is inhabited by the Itsekiris, one of the major ethnic groups in Delta State. The town was a major trading hub for goods such as palm oil, rubber and timber.

Koko town is home to Nana Olomu, the merchant chief of the Niger Delta. He is a very prominent Itsekiri personality and traded with the British as the Governor of the Benin River before they turned on him to fight the Ebrohimi expedition against him.^[3][4][5] On his return from exile, he settled with his family in Koko, where he built his new palace. This palace is now known as the Nanna Living History Museum, Koko. As a result of this, the town is a major tourist destination with a lot of tourists visiting the Nanna Living History Museum including Ogiame Atuwatse III, who visited the museum last year.^[6]

Koko is home to one of the four ports in Delta State. It was a previously very busy port before the neglect of the Delta ports by the Federal Government. In recent times, the Federal Government of Nigeria has promised to revive the ports and awarded contracts but these have not been reflected in economic activities in these ports.^[7][8]

In 1988, Koko town became popular for the wrong reasons as it drew the world's attention after it was discovered that it was one of several West African ports being used by waste brokers to dump toxic waste.^[9] To date, the Koko community have not recovered from the incident of the toxic waste dump.^[10]

Culture and traditions

Koko town is known for its rich cultural heritage, which is deeply rooted in the traditions of the Itsekiri people. The town has a number of festivals and cultural events that are celebrated throughout the year.

Tourism

One of the most popular festivals in Koko is Neville's Day celebrated by the Nanna family of Koko to mark the return of Nanna from exile. This event was Nanna's idea which has been maintained by his descendants for the last 100 years.^{[11][12][13][6]}

The ujo Kompini dance is an annual, end-of-year dance by the kompini group in Koko. This event features traditional Itsekiri singing and dancing, including masquerades attracting many tourists from all over the world. There is also the Oromi dance, which is a traditional worship practised by some Itsekiri people.

Economy

Traditional

Koko town is home to a number of traditional crafts such as pottery, weaving, and woodcarving. These crafts are passed down from generation to generation and are an important part of the town's cultural heritage.

Modern

Koko town has agro-processing farms, bakeries and block industries.^[14] There are firms in the oil and gas industry with Ebenco Group, Total Energy, Nigerian Port Authority, Awaritse Nigeria Limited, Optima Energy, Lusanga Oil and Gas, Sharon Oil and Gas, Green Mark Oil and Gas, and Taurus Oil and Gas being some of the biggest companies in Koko. These firms are into Petroleum Depot/Bulk storage facilities, Petroleum Products, etc. There are filling stations and more than five hotels in the town. There are financial service providers in both the formal and informal sectors.^[15][16][17]

Facilities

• Nigerian Port Authority
• Warri North Local Government Area Secretariat
• Koko General Hospital
• Federal Government Agricultural Agency (Agric farm)
• Koko mini sports stadium
• Ecobank
• Nanna Living History Museum

Governance

Koko town is the local government headquarters for Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. It is administered by a Local Government Chairman, a Vice Chairman, a Secretary and a list of councillors from the different wards. Elections are held every three years but this is not consistent due to the Governors using the Local Government Councils as payment for political favour by setting up an interim administration. Warri North Local Government Council is the primary provider of local government services for the town and neighbouring communities.

Warri North LGA Leadership

The following persons have held the positions of leadership at Warri North Local Government Council since the creation of the council.

Chairman	Vice Chairman	Secretary
Chief Otimeyin Adams
Chief Solomon Arenyeka
Chief Kofi Kartey
Benson Asin	Isaac Wilkie
Michael Diden	Dio Tanga
Godwin Ebosa	Dio Tanga
David Edun
Chief Francis Maku	Michael Abilo
Aduge Okorodudu	Michael Abilo
Smart Asekutu	Solomon Mikie	Samuel Meyiwa Khalil

Education

Koko town like most other towns in Delta state is home to different forms of education, both formal and informal education.

Schools

Primary schools in Koko are:

• Ojomba Primary School, Koko
• Akwarajor Primary School, Koko
• Gogomeje Primary School, Koko

Secondary schools in Koko are:

• Beach Secondary School, Koko
• Iwere College, Koko
• Irene Imilar Secondary School, Koko

Museum

• Nannna Living History Museum

References