Great Edos

Edo is the name for the place, people and language of an ethnic group in Nigeria. Other Edo-speaking ethnic groups include the Esan, the Afemai, the Isoko, the Urhobo among others. Also referred to as Bini or Benin ethnic group though currently the people prefer to be simply called Edo, the Edo are the descendants of the people who founded the Benin Empire, which is located in South/Mid-Western Nigeria now called Edo State.

The name Benin is a Portuguese corruption ultimately from the Itsekhiri’s “Ubinu”, which came into use during the reign of Oba Ewuare the Great circa 1440. The Itsekhiri’s “Ubinu” was used to describe the royal administrative centre or city or capital proper of the kingdom, Edo. ‘Ubinu’ was later corrupted to ‘Bini’ by the mixed ethnicities living together at the centre; and further corrupted to “Benin” around 1485 when the Portuguese began trade relations with Oba Ewuare. See Oba of Benin.