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Types of Art

Some of the finest wooden statuary attributed to Oron peoples are beautifully carved ekpu (ancestor figures). Many of these were destroyed or removed from Nigeria during the Biafran war in the 1970s.


Oron are closely related to the neighboring Ibibio peoples. Both groups have lived in the Cross River area of modern day Nigeria for several hundreds of years, and while 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 peoples in the Cross River delta area 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 local traditions in order to impose indirect rule in the region.


The main economic staple in the region is the palm tree, the oil of which is extracted and exported. Among Oron, those of the highest rank in the Ekpo society (Amama) often control the majority of the community wealth. The Amama often appropriate hundreds of acres of palm trees for their own use and, with the profits they earn, ensure that their sons achieve comparable rank, effectively limiting access to economic gain for most members of the community. The Ekpo society requires that its initiates sponsor feasts for the town, which fosters the appearance of the redistribution of wealth by providing the poor with food and drink. In effect, this allows a disparity in wealth to be perpetuated in Oron society.

Political Systems




Facts about Oron


Explore a map of Oron peoples and their neighbors in southeastern Nigeria




Oron (Kwa)



Neighboring Peoples

Igbo, Ijo, Idoma, Igala, Bangwa