Warri

Warri was once a provincial capital to British rule. The Lagos and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria were formally united as Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria on 28 February 1906 and Walter Egerton was appointed as the Governor of new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, holding office until 1912. In this new region called Southern Nigeria, the old Lagos Colony became the Western Province, and the former Southern Nigerian Protectorate was split into a Central Province with capital at Warri and an Eastern Province with capital at Calabar.

Warri sits on the bank of River Warri which joined River Forcados and River Escravos through Jones Creek in the lower Niger Delta Region. The city has a modern seaport which serves as the cargo transit point between the Niger River and the Atlantic Ocean for import and export. The city's history dates back to the 15th century when it was visited by Portuguese missionaries. Subsequently, it served as the base for Portuguese and Dutch slave traders. Warri became a more important port city during the late 19th century, when it became a centre for the palm oil trade and other major items such as rubber, palm products, cocoa, groundnuts, hides, and skins.[2]

Warri was then established as a provincial headquarters by the British in the early 20th century.[3] There have been a tremendous growth in the population; it has grown from being a rural area to an urban area.

Warri is regarded as a modern metropolitan area with expanded infrastructural development in other local government areas such as Uvwie, Udu, and Okpe in recent years, with various road networks linking these places into one. Each of these areas has its own administrative structure.

The major people in Warri city are the Urhobo, Ijaw and Itsekiri. However, due to its urban status, there is a large influx of people from all over the country, most notably the Igbos.

The region experiences moderate rainfall and moderate humidity for the most part of the year. The climate is monsoonal and is marked by two distinct seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. The dry season lasts from about November to April and is significantly marked by the cool "harmattan" dusty haze from the north-east winds. The rainy season spans May to October with a brief dry spell in August, but it frequently rains even in the dry season. The area is characterized by a tropical monsoon climate with a mean annual temperature of 32.8 °C (91.0 °F) and an annual rainfall amount of 2,770 mm (109 in). There are high temperatures of 28 °C (82 °F) and 32 °C (90 °F). The surrounding region is predominantly rainforest, tending to swamplands in some areas. The vegetation is rich in timber trees, palm trees, as well as fruit trees.

There is the Warri Refinery and Petrochemicals located at Ekpan, with the majority of international and local oil companies operating in Nigeria having their operational offices close by. One of the nation's major seaports is sited within Ugbuwangue, Warri.

The Delta Steel Company is located at Aladja and Otorogu Gas Plants at Otu-jeremi, near Warri.

Due to conflict in the late 90s, especially in 1999, most oil companies fled the town and nearby regions.

There are various institutions of higher learning sited within the Warri Metropolis:

• Federal University of Petroleum Resource Effurun (FUPRE)
• Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) at Effurun
• College of Education at Edjeba, Warri
• The Delta State Nursing School, Ogunu, Warri
• Eagle Heights University, Omadino, Warri
• Nigeria Maritime University Okerenkoko, Warri

Primary schools in Warri are:

• Ogiame Primary School, Warri.
• Ikengbuwa Primary School, Warri.
• Cavagina Primary School, Warri.
• Twin Fountain Group of Schools
• HillTop
• International Unity School (IUS)
• NNPC Staff Primary School
• SNAPS
• Alderstown School for the Deaf
• Kids Compute Academy and many others.

Secondary schools are also in numbers in the city of Warri. Some of these include:

• Yonwuren Secondary School, Warri
• College of Education Demonstration Secondary School, Warri
• Twin Fountain Group of Schools
• Cambridge International School
• Delta Careers College
• Federal Government College
• Hussey College, Warri
• Nana College, Warri
• Dom Domingos College, Warri
• Delta Secondary School, Warri
• Dore Numa College, Warri
• Essi College, Warri
• Uwangue College, Warri
• Urhobo College, Effurun
• Classical International Schools
• Ugborikoko Secondary School
• Army Day Secondary School, Effurun
• College of Commerce Warri
• DSC Technical High School, Ovwian-Aladja
• Our Lady's High School, Effurun
• Mega Stars Christian School, Udu.

There are various tourist sites to visit while in Warri:[9]

• Nana Living History Museum
• Red Mangrove swamp
• Falcorp Mangrove Park / Mini Zoo, Ijala, Behind Warri Refinery.
• Warri Township Stadium
• Delta Shopping Mall (Shoprite)
• Gemstone ultramart
• Shell club, Ogunu

Notable Nigerian ministers from Warri include Ayo Oritsejafor and Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin.

• Demas Akpore (1928–1993), first elected Deputy Governor of Bendel State (1979–1983)
• Charity Ogbenyealu Adule, footballer.
• Oritsefemi, musician
• Omawumi, musician
• Erigga, musician
• Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Former CAN President.

• Abraka
• Asaba, Delta
• Agbassa
• Delta State
• Effurun
• Eku, Delta
• Ughelli
• Railway stations in Nigeria

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