Background

Olomoro is located in the Isoko South Local Government Area (L.G.A.) of Delta State of Nigeria. It is one of the largest petroleum oil producing communities in Nigeria. Oil exploration started in Olomoro in 1957.

Olomoro has several oil field operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)

The people of Olomoro believed that they originated from the Benin kingdom in the year 1393 during the reign of a Benin Monarch named Oba Ehengbuda. This account holds that when they left the Benin kingdom, they first settled at Owa-Nta. After a while they migrated to the Otakpa-Uno. From Otakpa-Uno they further migrated and settle in the present day Olomoro.

This belief is in line that most of the Isoko people (of which Olomoro is a part) are of Benin origin were views held and expressed in the 1960s and 1970s. These views were “decidedly simplistic and were based on British Intelligence Reports of the 1930s”. The traditional rulership of Olomoro is headed by the Odiologbo and the present Odiologbo of Olomoro is HRH Aghaza Akpudi.

Description Of Olomoro Locality

Olomoro lies within the tropical rain forest area of the Niger-delta. The region experiences high rainfall and high humidity most of the year. The climate is equatorial and is marked by two distinct seasons. The Dry and Rainy seasons.

The Dry season lasts from about November to April and is significantly marked by the cool “harmarttan” dusty haze from the north-east winds. The Rainy season spans May to October with a brief dry spell in August.

Olomoro is situated on location of longitude 6° E and latitude 5o N. Her immediate neighbours include Aviara, Uzere, Emede, Igbide, Umeh, Erohwa, Enhwe and Irri. The community has a network of roads that link almost all the major towns in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State. Olomoro is one of the major oil rich communities in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta state,  she is also so suitably located that it serves both as a major commercial/business center of Isoko people as the vital corridor through which all the neighboring towns and villages evacuate their farm produce to all parts of Local Government.

Culture And Tradition Festivals

Ivri festival is the major festivals that celebrated by the people of Olomoro. During this festival there is a display of magical prowess by different people in the community. This is characterized by the use of cutlass in cutting each other without sustaining any injuries. Part of the activities of the Ivri festival is celebrated in the bush where people go into the bush to dance until the bushes are leveled to the ground. The Ivri is carried by four representatives from each of the four quarters in the community. It is believed that in the carrying of the Ivri it should not be allowed to fall to the ground. In an event when it happens, it is believed that something bad will happen to the people carrying the Ivri. In the grand finale, kolanuts are thrown on the ground and people are expected to pick up the pieces of kolanut with their tongue.

Occupation

Farming and fishing is the major occupation of the people of Olomoro. Most of the people especially women are also involved in some form of trading especially, the sales of their farm produce. Some of the items commonly sold are cassava, garri, fish, etc.

Language

As an Isoko rural community, the major language spoken by the people of Olomoro is the Isoko language. This is used in the market, churches, and homes, and in some cases in the elementary school especially in the simplification of some difficult concepts by breaking them down to the mother tongue for proper understanding.

Worships And Beliefs

God is referred to as Oghene in Isoko where Olomoro is situated. The people of Olomoro in a bit to reach God there are several methods that are used in communicating with God. But majority of the people in the community are predominantly Christians, although some of them practice the traditional religion inherited from their ancestors.

Food

Standard diet consist a bowl of Garri taken with egusi/ soup adorned with fresh fish or bush meat. The major food eaten by the people Olomoro is garri, yam, akpu and starch. Cassava is the source of most of the foods consumed by the Isoko people. Garri, starch meal (Ozi), Egu are cassava derivatives.

Housing Modern houses in Uzere are built with block and either corrugated zinc. But in the olden days they were built by the use of mud and thatch roofs.

Taboo

There is a river named Osasaro River in Olomoro where there are usually a lot of fishes and snails but people are expected to pick just one at a time. It is a taboo for anybody to pick more fish or snail at a time. If anyone violates this condition, it is believed that the person will experienced darkness on the way home and will not be able to find his or her way home.

Negative Factors Affecting Health In Olomoro

  1. Female genital mutilation: The practice of female genital mutilation which is widely criticized as a major an unhealthy practice is still widely practiced due to ignorance. This has lead to several health complications in women in the community as a result of this unhealthy practice.
  2. Gas flaring: The flow station is the Olomoro usually flare excess natural gas due to lack of proper storage facilities in the flow stations. This has led to the destruction of the ecosystem in the community and also affected the people negatively. The people of Olomoro which are known to be peasant farmers had suffer economics losses due to poor agricultural yield.
  3. Oil spillage: Due to poor management of the pipelines, there are usually cases of oil spillage in Olomoro community with its associated health and environmental problems. This usually pollutes water bodies, destruction of agricultural farm and killing of aquatic lives.
  4. Drug abuse: Drug abuse cause a lot of health challenges to the people of Olomoro community especially the youths. Substance abuse such as smoking of marijuana, self medication, etc. The smoking of marijuana has led to several youth restiveness and in general constituting of nuisance to the community at large. Also self medication has led to the death of several people in the community.

Resources Available In Olomoro Community

  1. Market: Olomoro market is a well organized market. This serve as an organized location where agricultural wares from the farm are sold by the people in the community. Other items, especially those which are not produced in the community are also sold by the different merchant traders in thecommunity whose occupation is trading.
  2. Health facilities:  There are several health facilities in Olomoro such as the primary health care centre, privately own hospitals and clinic, pharmacies, traditional birth attendants, etc.  All these work together in ensuring that good health status of the people of the community is maintained.
  3. Farmlands: There are different types of agricultural practices engaged in by the people of Olomoro which include, planting of crops, fish farming, poultry, etc. This greatly help in ensuring that food is available in the community and at an affordable price since they are majorly produced locally in the community.
  4. Educational centres:  There are several school in the community where children and youths are educated and trained in preparation to meet life challenges. There are numerous public and private schools in Olomoro. They include: Olomoro Grammar School, Idodo Umeh Academy and Olomoro Primary School.
  5. Good leadership: The leadership of the community headed by the Odiologbo with his cabinets ensures that peace is maintained in the community and people respect each other’s right. They also carry out enforcement of laws by punishing offenders according to the severity of their offenses.