Okrika

Okrika Kirike se Wakirike se
LGA and town
Okrika
Aerial view of part of Okrika mainland (foreground) and island (background)
Nickname:  Kirike
Okrika
Coordinates: 4°44′23″N 7°4′58″E / 4.73972°N 7.08278°E / 4.73972; 7.08278
Country	Nigeria
State	Rivers State
Government
• Type	Traditional Monarchy
• Amanayanabo	Vacant
• Local Government Chairman	Achese Igwe - Action peoples party (Nigeria)
• Deputy Local Government Chairman	Charity Igbulubo (PDP)
• Local Government Council	Ward 1: Gilbert Wakama (PDP) Ward 2: I Ibinabo Williams (PDP) Ward 3: Otonye Titus (PDP) Ward 4: Hebron Nyanabo (PDP) Ward 5: Paul Godwill Abam (PDP) Ward 6: Tomquin Sobere (PDP) Ward 7: Joshua Tomquin JP (PDP) Ward 8: Tamunokuro Fubara George (PDP) Ward 9: Prince Godwin Bipialaka (PDP) Ward 10: Reuben Iselema (PDP) Ward 11: Virginia Fimie (PDP) Ward 12: Royal Clifford Ateke (PDP)
Population
• Estimate  (2022)	379,000
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
Postal Code	500103

Okrika is a town in Rivers State, Nigeria, and serves as the headquarters of Okrika Local Government Area. It is situated on an island south of Port Harcourt, functioning as a suburb of the city.

The inhabitants of Okrika LGA are of Ijaw descent, making it one of the 10 local government areas in Rivers State with Ijaw heritage. It is located in the Rivers East Senatorial District and shares boundaries with Eleme LGA to the north and east, Ogu/Bolo LGA to the south, and Port Harcourt LGA to the west.^[1]

As of 2022, the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board estimated the population of Okrika LGA at over 379,000, distributed across 143 communities.^[2]

Okrika's primary economic activity is fishing, while Christianity is the dominant religion, with some residents practicing African Traditional Religion. The main ethnic group in the area is Wakrikese, a sub-group of the Ijaw tribe.

The town is located at an average elevation of 452 meters and lies to the north of the Bonny River on Okrika Island, approximately 56 kilometers (35 miles) from the Bight of Bonny. It is accessible to vessels with a maximum draft of 9 meters (29 feet).^[3]

Initially established as a fishing settlement by Ijaw migrants from various central Ijaw clans and from the Wilberforce Island region, Okrika became the capital of the Okrika Kingdom in the early 17th century. During this period, the community, like others in the region, was involved in the slave trade. After the abolition of the slave trade in the 1830s, Okrika became a port for exporting palm oil, though it was less prominent than Bonny (46 kilometers to the south) and Opobo (81 kilometers to the east-southeast).^[4][3]

By 1912, Okrika had lost its significance as a trading hub, overshadowed by Port Harcourt. It regained commercial relevance in 1965 with the completion of the Port Harcourt refinery and the construction of pipelines to a jetty on Okrika Mainland. The area also hosts the Alakiri gas plant, which supplies gas to the refinery and other facilities.^[5][6]

Currently, refined petroleum products are one of Okrika's main exports. The town also engages in local trade of fish, oil palm products, processed salt, cassava, taro, plantains, and yams. However, the fishing industry has been impacted by environmental pollution linked to crude oil activities.