Sapele, a town in the Delta state in southern Nigeria, was once a bustling port town. The famous city of Warri is 43 kilometres south, while the ancient metropolis of Benin City is 64 kilometres to the north. Sapele is located on the Benin River, right below the junction of the Ethiope and Jamieson rivers, some 98 miles (158 kilometres) from the Escravos Bar and the entrance to the Benin Bight. Sapele is also close to Abraka, Ughelli, Koko, and other cities and smaller villages. People from numerous Nigerian ethnic groups have lived in Sapele for centuries, including the dominant tribe, the Okpe, Itsekiris, Ijaws, and the Urhobos from surrounding towns and villages.
The town of Sapele is 440.3 km2. The Sapele people are famous for their unique kind of local vodka known as “Sapele water.” Sapele people love the local vodka because of its low price and wide availability.
The historic and mysterious river Ethiope originates from Umuaja in the Ukwuani local government area in the Delta State and runs through Sapele. The river widens as it flows through Sapele and winds its way through seven other local government units before reaching the Atlantic.
Celebration
Sapele has always been famous. In Nigeria’s pre-independence era, the Itsekiri people of Sapele had several groups of masquerade dancers showcasing the distinctive dances of the Itsekiri people during various celebration seasons of their masquerade dances, also known as Ipi dance. The masquerade does not have a spiritual connotation; it’s solely for entertainment. This continued for several years, entertaining the Sapele people and its visitors.
Some notable groups include Okrika, Abanyan, Young Boys, Ugie-Ene Ete, Omeyin, Yardilay, and many more. However, upon Nigeria’s independence in 1960, there was a need to consolidate the groups to have a general performance held on October 1st, 1960. After the consolidation, the first edition of Sapele Itsekiri Day was held to everyone’s delight. It was great fun and successful, as all the various groups came together for the first time to have a public cultural display on the same day.
The celebration continued until the Nigerian Civil War erupted (July 6th, 1967–January 15th, 1970). During the civil war, some of the festival’s key participants fled the town, while others aged and died, preventing the festival from continuing after the conflict. This meant there was a lengthy hiatus in the Sapele Independence Day celebration. However, in 2014, a decision was made to rejuvenate the festival. Most of the current organisers are youths and were not born when the Nigerian Civil War broke out. They saw the need to to rejuvenate the festival for cultural relevance and economic tourism and to give the Itsekiris in Sapele an opportunity to meet annually and celebrate. This is how the Sapele Itsekiri people restarted the celebration of Sapele Itsekiri Day, with the last edition being held on October 1st, 2022. The next scheduled event will be held on October 1st, 2023.
