Agenebode

Agenebode is a historical water-side town located by the banks of the Niger River in Edo State, South South part of Nigeria. It is the headquarters of Etsako-East local Government Area, the host of the local council and the traditional capital of Weppa Wanno Clan/Kingdom.

Location

Agenebode is bounded by Ivioghe, Egor, Emokweme villages, and the River Niger. Agenebode city is the ancestral home city of all Weppa and Uwanno people, both at home and in the diaspora. There’s a general market at the center of the city and people attend every five days to buy fresh groceries. People are friendly and content in Agenebode.

Agenebode is divided into different quarters, which are called Ighaewo, Egbado, Otoukwe, Igegbode (upland). The main areas of growth for the town are towards Emokweme, Egor and Ivioghe villages, Iviebua Igbagba and Agiele.

History

Agenebode was the regional headquarters of the Royal Niger Company, a mercantile company owned by the British Colonialists and currently the headquarters of Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State. The city of Agenebode is known today to be a non-Nupe town inhabited by and belonging to the Uwanno people who speak the Etsako language.

Agenebode was founded by Nupe people, inhabited and ruled by them over a century.

The Afenmai an ancient Nupe people. Edo state was dominated and inhabited by Nupe people.The works of scholars like Professor Alan Ryder and the journal records of the earliest Europeans like Captain Hugh Clapperton shows that today’s Edo state was part and parcel of Nupeland in former times.

Facilities

Interesting sites in Agenebode are the post office, built in 1930, the Colonial Court on Mission Road, the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Local Council office, The Army Barracks, General Hospital, Niger Valley Farms, the River Niger banks, the Notre Dam Hospital, and the Convent.

The main means of transportation in Agenebode is by motorcycles, buses and cars. Canoes, boats and ferries transport people across the River Niger to Idah in Kogi State.

Traditional occupations are farming, fishing and canoe-building. Local agriculture produces maize, nuts, groundnuts, sorghum, rice, vegetables, potatoes, Cassava, Yam, fruits etc.

The local cuisine are-Corn Soup (Omi-ukpoka), peanuts soup (omi-sagwe), melon soup (okotipio), fresh fish soup (omi-esegbomi) etc.; these soup can either be eaten with pounded yam, Eba, Fufu etc.; Agenebode people drink locally made gin (ukakai) and fresh palm wine.