Ovia North-East is a Local Government Area in Edo State, Nigeria, with its headquarters at Okada. Okada is the LGA’s main urban centre and is home to Igbinedion University, the first private university licensed in Edo State. The 2006 census recorded a population of 155,344 in Ovia North-East, and a 2022 projection put that figure at about 229,500. Ovia North-East is one of 18 Local Government Areas in Edo State.
Key Facts
| State | Edo State |
| Headquarters | Okada |
| Population (2006 census) | 155,344 |
| Population (2022 projection) | 229,500 |
| Area | 2,301 km² |
| Electoral wards | 13 |
| LGAs in Edo State | 18 |
| Name origin | Ovia (Osse) river |
Ovia North-East takes its name from the Ovia river, which is also known as the Osse, and which runs through the LGA’s territory. The same river also gives its name to the neighbouring Ovia South-West, the LGA that borders Ovia North-East to the south and shares the “Ovia” name with it. No Nigerian census has been held since 2006, so the 2022 figure above is a projection rather than a fresh headcount, a limitation that applies to every LGA in Edo State and across the country.
Ovia North-East Towns And Villages
The list below covers 82 towns and villages in Ovia North-East. Each name has been checked against 2015 INEC ward and polling-unit records, GRID3’s settlement dataset, and the GeoNames gazetteer. It is kept as verified for this update, with no names added, dropped or respelled. Residents and researchers use it most often to confirm whether a specific village falls inside Ovia North-East, and to check its spelling against official records rather than a hand-me-down local variant:
- Abiala
- Abumwenre
- Agbanikaka
- Aghanokpe
- Agivbigie
- Egbaen
- Egbatan
- Egbeta
- Egboha
- Ehenomeghele
- Ekehuan
- Ekenwan Barracks
- Ekiadolor
- Eko Ekpetin
- Emah
- Evbolekpen
- Evboneka
- Evboro
- Gelegele
- Idumwenhigie
- Igbekhue
- Igbobi
- Igo
- Iguadolor
- Iguesogban
- Igueze
- Iguobo
- Iguodia
- Iguogie
- Iguomo
- Iguosagie
- Iguoshodin
- Iguoshodin-Nigbemaba
- Ikoro
- Ikpako
- Isiukhukhu
- Isiuwa
- Ite
- Iwu
- Iyanomo
- Iyowa
- Izakagbo
- Nifor
- Obarenren
- Obazuwa
- Odighi
- Odiguetue
- Oduna
- Ogbesse
- Oghede
- Ogheghe
- Ogua
- Okada
- Okhuen Camp
- Okhumwun
- Okokhuo
- Oluku
- Olumoye
- Ora
- Oroghon
- Osasimwinoba
- Ovah
- Ovbiogie
- Owan
- Ugbineh
- Ugbodo Camp
- Ugbogiobo
- Ugboke
- Ugbokuli
- Ugbokun Junction
- Ugbuwe
- Ughoton
- Uhen
- Uhiere
- Uhogua
- Ukpoke
- Unuame
- Unuamen
- Urhuokhokho
- Utekon
- Utesse
- Utoka
Geography
Ovia North-East lies in the southern part of Edo State. The LGA borders Ovia South-West, Egor, and Orhionmwon within Edo State. Ovia North-East is one of 18 Local Government Areas of Edo State (all Edo State LGAs). Administratively the LGA is split into two sections, Ovia North-East I and Ovia North-East II, spread across 13 electoral wards, each electing its own councillor to the local government council, the lowest tier of government in Nigeria’s federal structure. Communities recorded in ward and settlement data include Okada, Uhen, Utese, Okokhuo, Uhiere, Isiuwa, Ekiadolor, Oluku, Iguoshodin, Utoka, Oghede, Egbeta, Ora and Ogbese, with Agho-Ozomu recorded as a community inside Oghede ward. Several of these names also appear, spelled the same way, in the fuller settlement list further down this page.
Economy & Local Life
Saw milling is Ovia North-East’s most visible economic activity, with timber trade running through Okada and the LGA’s other communities. Okada’s identity as a university town also shapes local commerce: Igbinedion University, the first private university licensed in Edo State, brings students, lecturers and support staff who sustain local shops, hostels and transport around the campus. Some accounts also place University of Benin facilities in the wider Ovia North-East area, though sources differ on whether these sit inside the LGA or across the boundary in Benin City. Between the two institutions, Okada carries an unusually large share of Edo State’s higher-education activity for an LGA headquarters of its size. That concentration of staff and students sets Okada’s local economy apart from the timber trade that dominates in most of Ovia North-East’s other communities, where saw milling remains the activity most consistently recorded.
FAQ
Which state is Ovia North-East in?
Ovia North-East is a Local Government Area in Edo State, Nigeria, one of 18 LGAs in the state. Its headquarters, Okada, sits alongside Ovia South-West, Egor and Orhionmwon, the LGAs it borders within Edo State.
What is the population of Ovia North-East?
The 2006 census recorded 155,344 residents in Ovia North-East. A 2022 projection, made in the absence of any later national census, put the figure at about 229,500.
What is the headquarters of Ovia North-East?
Okada is the headquarters of Ovia North-East. It is home to Igbinedion University, the first private university licensed in Edo State, and is the LGA’s main urban centre.
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