Eket
Eket, Nigeria
About
The Eket are really a subgroup of the Ibibio, and their history is best described in that context. The Ibibio have lived in the Cross River area of modern day Nigeria for several hundreds of years, and though written information about them only exists in colonial records from the late 1800s on, oral traditions have them in the region much earlier than this. The Ibibio were very resistant to colonial invasions, and it was not until after the end of World War I that the British were able to gain a strong foothold in the region. Even at this time, however, the British found it necessary to incorporate Ibibio Ekpo traditions in order to impose indirect rule in the region. Eket is a major city and second largest in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria after Uyo, the state capital. The city itself has a population of 263,342 residents while the Eket LGA, including Eket Township, Ibeno, Qua Ibo and other small towns combined is over 800,000 in population. An industrial city, in recent years the city has became a conurbation, sprawling outwards to include former separate villages. Eket also refers to an ethnic group living in this region and their language. An oil refinery is currently under construction in the outskirts of the city along the Oron road. The city has a stadium complex, an airstrip as well as other infrastructures of importance. It also has a number of hotels such as Villa Marina, Royalty Hotels,, Crystal Palace Hotel, Roseboom Hotels, and others. Eket due to its industrial nature is a relatively expensive city. The government has plans of upgrading the city by the provision of further major roads in the city and the construction of housing estates. In the 1990s, western environmentalists were concerned over the activities of oil exploitation in and around Eket, such as Shell and Mobil. The area is now newly "oil-rich" and Eket is the thriving hub of a new oil and gas business, with more than 250 companies providing support services such as catering, flights, and exports. However, this success has caused problems, especially a reluctance by local young men to engage in traditional work such as fishing. There are vocal local campaigns to increase the percentage of oil revenue that is given to the local community. Eket as a ethnic group comprise of Eket, Esit Eket, Ibeno and Onna L.G.As
