Ekpe society Archives ~ Page 2 of 3 ~ Ozi Ikòrò

24

Dec 2025

The Middleman Advantage: How the Efik Controlled the Cross River Estuary and Dominated Trade with European Vessels

Palaver of Chiefs on board HMS Decoy, at Duke Town, Old Calabar River - The Graphic 1880. Photo credit; Wikipedia. The Efik people of southeastern Nigeria developed a remarkable position of…

24

Dec 2025

Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Historical Studies

“The ‘Comey’ System: Understanding the customs duties paid by European ships to Efik chiefs.”

The comey system was a key feature of commerce in Old Calabar, the main trading center of the Efik people along the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria. From the seventeenth…

22

Dec 2025

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

The Era of Great Duke Ephraim: Examining the Reign of the Nineteenth-Century “Merchant Prince” Who Consolidated Efik Power

Great Duke Ephraim (often referred to as Duke Ephraim or Ephraim Duker) is remembered in Efik and Niger Delta history as one of the most powerful political and commercial figures…

22

Dec 2025

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

Treaty Kings: The Unique Diplomatic Status of Efik Rulers Who Signed Sovereign Agreements with European Powers

The Efik people of the Cross River region in present-day southeastern Nigeria developed one of West Africa’s most distinctive pre-colonial diplomatic traditions. Their paramount rulers, known as Obongs of Calabar,…

22

Dec 2025

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

The Obong of Calabar: A History of One of Africa’s Most Sophisticated and Enduring Monarchies

The Obong of Calabar stands as one of the most prestigious and enduring traditional monarchs in West Africa. Rooted in the ancient political and cultural systems of the Efik people,…

22

Dec 2025

Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

A Tale of Three Towns: The Founding and Rivalry of Creek Town, Duke Town, and Old Town (Obutung)

The Efik people of southeastern Nigeria are historically associated with a cluster of settlements along the Calabar River that became collectively known to Europeans as Old Calabar. Among these settlements,…

22

Dec 2025

Ethnohistory Folklores

The Ekpe Society: How a Secret Leopard Society Became the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive Branch of the Efik State

King Duke of Calabar, 1895. Photo credit; cambridge university press In pre-colonial West Africa, traditional political systems varied widely from centralized monarchies to segmentary societies. Among the Efik people of southeastern…

18

Dec 2025

Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory Folklores

From Ibom to Uruan: Mapping the Arduous Migration of the Efik People through the Cross River Hinterlands

Efik Kingdom. Photo credit; naijabiography.com The history of the Efik people of southeastern Nigeria reflects centuries of movement, adaptation, and intercultural contact in the Cross River region. Known today for their…

22

Nov 2025

Ethnohistory Folklores Historical Studies Uncategorized

Nsibidi: The Ancient Ideographic Script of the Eastern Igboid and Cross River Peoples

Photo credit: okwuid.com When people talk about African writing systems, they often jump straight to “hieroglyphics” or the Ethiopian “Ge’ez” script. But long before Western contact and long before many African…

11

Feb 2025

Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

Ukara Cloth: The Nsibidi-Adorned Fabric of the Ekpe Society

Ukara cloth is a distinctive indigo-dyed textile adorned with nsibidi symbols, traditionally associated with the Ekpe society, a secretive socio-political and judicial institution found among the Cross River, Northeastern and…