Sapele
About
Sapele is a city and one of the Local Government Areas of Delta State, Nigeria. It is a port in the Niger Delta region along the Ethiope River, with its headquarters in Sapele town, and is known as the centre of the Nigerian timber industry, with sawmills, a plywood and veneer factory, and industries producing plastics, chemicals and shoes. The Local Government Area is home mainly to the Okpe people, with Urhobo and other ethnic groups also living there. The town has grown into an urban area that unofficially incorporates nearby townships and villages, and its economy also includes oil and gas exploration.
History
By the mid-19th century Sapele was a trading centre occasionally visited by Europeans. In 1891 the British government established a vice-consulate there, and by 1894 it was under British rule and served as a local administrative centre. The population grew to 33,638 by 1952 because of the town's cosmopolitan nature and employment opportunities. For much of the twentieth century the African Timber and Plywood factory, a division of the United Africa Company, was one of the largest timber manufacturing complexes in the world and the town's greatest employer. The town also hosts power generation plants in the Ogorode district.
Source: Wikipedia: Sapele, Nigeria
Key Facts
State
Delta State
Headquarters
Sapele town
Chairman
Hon. Bright Abeke
Established
1891
Area
580.3 km²
Population
238800