On Saturday, October 5, 2024, the excellence of Urhobo and Delta culture was on full display at the Brooklyn Park Community Center in Minnesota as the Council of Chiefs Minnesota (CCM), an organization of traditional title holders from Delta State in Minnesota, celebrated its inauguration.
In his opening remarks, President of CCM Olorogun Godfrey Edaferierhi emphasized the essence of the organization and highlighted its achievements within its short existence. Notably, CCM established a sister-city relationship between Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and Udu Local Government of Delta State, Nigeria—the first such relationship between a major U.S. city and a local government in Nigeria.
Minnesota, with a population of 5.72 million in 2022 and a real gross domestic product (GDP) of $472.8 billion by the third quarter of 2023, ranks 20th in the U.S. economy. Nigeria’s population is projected to be about 220 million, with an estimated GDP of $220 billion by the end of 2023, underscoring the need for subnational relationships like the one initiated by CCM.
Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Hollies J. Winston, expressed that the sister-city relationship would extend beyond cultural exchange to encompass economic and technological collaboration for the mutual benefit of both societies. Brooklyn Park, the sixth-largest city in Minnesota, had a population of 86,000 and a median property value of $289,400 in 2022.
In recognition of the sister-city relationship, Mayor Winston honoured former Delta State Governor HE Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa with a leadership award for facilitating the partnership and promoting rural development. Former Udu Local Government Chairman and current Senior Adviser to the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, also received an award for his contributions. Olorogun Dr. Richard Iyede received the award on behalf of Chief Jite Brown, while Queen Blessing Isinyemeze of Ugbodu Kingdom accepted the award for Dr. Okowa.
The event featured a vibrant celebration with musical icon and “Omoge” crooner Mike Okri, who lit up the night with his popular tunes and co-emceeded the event. Renowned actor Richard Mofe Damijo served as the keynote speaker.
Before the main event, the Urhobo Council of Chiefs North America was inaugurated at the Marriott Hotel in Brooklyn Park, with chiefs Clement Okitikpi, Godfrey Edaferierhi, Okagbare Ralph Dema, Jonathan Wittney, Dr. Onome Dema, Ochuko Okitikpi, Lucky Memene, Samuel Ukwesa, Sam Ogaga, Oghogho Manuwa, and James Oghenekaro in attendance. Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) President General Olorogun (Barr) Ese Gam Owe addressed the meeting, stressing the importance of unity and promoting Urhobo culture globally. He was accompanied by the Secretary of the Urhobo Traditional Rulers’ Council, Emmanuel Avworo.
Urhobo traditional title holders from Nigeria, Europe, other U.S. states, and Canada attended the event. At an earlier event on Friday, October 4, 2024, Hennepin Community College hosted a masterclass titled “A Conversation with RMD,” where Richard Mofe Damijo showcased his expertise. He was later presented with the Global Ambassador of the Performing Arts award.