# Edda (local government area)

Edda is a local government area in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. It was formerly known as Afikpo South, until the renaming was confirmed by President Muhammadu Buhari on 17 March 2023.

## History

Most of the autonomous communities of Edda existed as small city states with each having its own monarch. These communities, made up of about 72 villages today, had functioned as a confederation until 1867, when the British colonialists incorporated Edda into the Southern Protectorate, which later became the Southern Nigeria Protectorate. The defunct city states still have monarchs that have no administrative functions, but serve as social and cultural representatives of different Edda communities.
Edda, was previously known as Akipfo South, a name which was assigned when it was separated from the Akipfo Local Government Area in 1991 by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Successive legislators from the area have fought to change the name of their place and people, to Edda in Nigeria's constitution to better reflect their heritage and proud identity.

## Geography

Edda is bordered by Unwana to the east; Akaeze to the west, Amasiri to the north, Afikpo to the north-east, Ohafia to the south, Nkporo to the south west, and Erei to the south-east. It has an area of 378 km$^2$ (146 sq mi) and a population of 157,072 at the 2006 census.
Edda is composed of autonomous communities and towns which include: Ebunwana Edda, Ekoli Edda, Owutu Edda, Amangwu Edda, Oso Edda, Etiti Edda, and Ogbu Edda. The administrative headquarters of the local government area is Nguzu Edda.
The names of towns and villages within Edda often have "Edda" at their endings as an addendum designating their membership of the Edda cultural commonwealth and community of shared values.

## Education

Education was once held in a quasi-religious place in Edda in its ancient history. Every district of each town and village in Edda still bears a relic of a past where social life was built around mead halls that were centers of education, religion and recreation. In the old custom, Edda boys were inducted into the mead hall from young age. They were taught swordsmanship, warfare, craftmanship and the norms of their clan. They would go on a peregrination in the woods for months where the learned survival, sometimes with an older relative who had already passed the training. Relics of mead hall are still found all over Edda.
The ancient martial culture of Edda people ensured that Edda remained unassailable by slavers. The people defended their lands and protected territories they considered a sphere of influence that stretched into modern day Cross River and Akwa Ibom, extending into the sea. Unfortunately, the traditional mode of education that focused on building skills to defend their lands didn't survive into modern times as Edda eventually was assimilated into what became Nigeria.
Today, schools in Edda are well kept because of a tradition in which Edda people hold learning with reverence. Under a centralized education system, children in Edda are not taught traditional craftsmanship, and as a result there is a lack of capacity for modern craftsmanship for production of goods, building of infrastructure, and development of technology.

## Government

The local government in Edda is headed by an elected chairman and councilors who are elected from wards by the citizens. The first executive chairman was Sonni Ogbuoji. The government of Ebonyi State and Nigeria both also recognize the hereditary monarchs of different ancient kingdoms, called Ezeogo, as traditional rulers and ceremonial cultural heads of their communities, albeit without any political powers.

## Climate

There are two distinctive seasons in this area: the rainy and dry seasons. The rainy seasons usually begin in early March and ends in October, giving way to the dry season. The dry season usually begins in October and ends in February. Temperatures range from 20 °C to 38 °C during dry season and 16 °C to 28 °C during the rainy season. Average annual rainfall varies from 1750 mm to 2250 mm. The vegetation is a parkland, with stunted trees and pockets of forest consisting of shrubs and trees. The economy is generally subsistence with agriculture as the mainstay.

## Notable people

* Sonni Ogbuoji, politician
* Sinach, gospel singer
* Francis Ama Oji,
* Julius Ama Oji, businessman
* Uchechukwu Onyemenam, jurist
* Ugo Nnachi, first female Head of Service in Ebonyi State
* Ikenna Emewu, journalist
* Grace Amah, actress