Esan

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Esan is one of the major ethnic groups from Edo State in Nigeria. The group populates areas such as Uromi, Irrua, Ubiaja, Ebele, Ehor, Ekpoma, and Idunwele-Ewu. One of the ancient royal families that come from the area include the family of Idoni, which can now be found in Ebele. One of the most prominent members of the family of Idoni today is Dr. Matthew Idoni (also known as Dr. Idoni Matthews). Dr. Matthews takes up his residence in Abuja and New York with his family. Dr. Matthews is the CEO of Decision Technologies International, a worldwide software company.

Other prominent Esans are, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Peter Enahoro, who wrote How to be a Nigerian, Tony Aneni, a top Nigerian politician, the late Ambrose Alli, Governor of Bendel State, Bishop Ekpu, first lady Stella Obasanjo, and musician Sonny Okosuns

Esans are fun-loving people who have various festivities and ritualistic forms. Their folktales and folklores serve as forms of learning and entertainment. They have prominent kings and traditional rulers who keep order and sanity in a complex society where beauty and manners are intertwined. Despite traditional beliefs, woship of ancestral spirits and other gods, many Esans are Christians, mostly of the Catholic faith and recently of other denominations. Esan has various dialects that all stem from Edo-Bini and there is still close affinity between the Esans and the Binis, which leads to the common saying 'esan gbe edo' meaning, Esan does not fight the Edos.