Esan

Esan, also known as Ishan, is an ethnic group in Nigeria. They are part of the Edoid language family and are primarily located in the Esan region of Edo State in southern Nigeria. The Esan people constitute one of the major ethnolinguistic groups in Edo State, with communities spread across multiple towns and rural areas.

The Esan language, also called Ishan, belongs to the Edoid sub-branch of the Niger-Congo family. It has several dialects reflecting local communities and is used in daily communication, education, and media in Esan-speaking areas.

Traditional Esan social organization centers on village communities and chieftaincy lines. While religion historically encompassed indigenous beliefs and ancestor worship, today many Esan are Christians, with Protestant and Catholic groups, and a Muslim minority; modern religious practice coexists with indigenous customs in some areas. Esan culture includes music, dance, and craft, and a variety of ceremonies and festivals that mark harvests, rites of passage, and communal leadership.

Esan communities are largely agricultural, cultivating crops such as yam, cassava, maize, and palm products. In addition to farming, trading and growing urban centers have expanded economic activity. Education and urban migration have produced a growing educated workforce contributing to Edo State and national life.

The Esan people have lived in the region for centuries and historically organized into independent settlements and chiefdoms. They maintained trade and political relations with neighboring groups, including interactions with the Benin and other Edoid communities, and were incorporated into colonial and post-colonial state structures in Nigeria.

See also: Esan language; Edo people; Edo State.