M
Mein I
Ovie of Mein
Mein Kingdom
- Title
- Ovie of Mein
- Succession
- 1st Ovie of Mein
- Reigned
- c. 1710 – c. 1750
- Lived
- ? – c. 1750
- Children
- Gbenekeme
About
Mein I is remembered as the first Ovie (traditional ruler) of the Mein Kingdom, a pre-colonial Ijaw state located in present-day Delta State, Nigeria. His reign marks the founding of the kingdom and the establishment of the Ovie of Mein title, which persists as the paramount chieftaincy of the Mein clan within the larger Ijaw ethnic group. Oral traditions among the Mein people recount his leadership in the initial settlement and organization of the community, though written records are absent and specific dates or events cannot be independently verified.
Notable facts
- The Mein are a tribe of the Ijaw people in Delta State, Nigeria
- They live along the Forcados River, mainly in Burutu and Bomadi LGAs
- Important Mein settlements include Ogobiri and Kiagbodo
- Oral tradition holds that the eponymous ancestor 'Mein' migrated from Benin City to Aboh, then to Ogobiri
- The Mein progenitor is also cited in Ijaw genealogies as an ancestor linked to Kalabari lineages
- Recognized as the first Ovie of Mein and the progenitor of the Mein clan.
Where Mein fits
- MMein I1st Ovie of Mein