Forçados

Forcados is a town found in the Burutu local government area of Delta state which is domiciled in Nigeria’s oil rich Southsouth geopolitical zone. Forcados is home to several tribal affiliations such as the Ijaw, Itsekiri and the Urhobos with a small percentage of other tribes who have come to settle in the town. Towns and villages found in Forcados include Keremor, Iduwini, and Ogulagha. Tertiary institutions in Forcados include the Delta state School of Marine and Technology. A number of health facilities are found in Forcados town and these include the Cottage hospital Ogulagha and the Forcados Infectious Diseases General hospital. 

In Forcados, Christianity and traditional religion are the dominant faiths with a myriad of languages/  dialects spoken in the town. English and Pidgin English languages are also widely spoken in Forcados. Notable landmarks in Forcados town include the Genesis Hotel, Slave dungeon, Forcados gas terminal, Slave wharf, Sea wall, Burutu sea port, and the Wind mill. 

GEOGRAPHY

Forcados falls under the Tropical Savannah climate and its topography consists of plains and grasslands with other parts showing features of the mangrove swamp. Rains in Forcados are heavy and largely consistent with average precipitation pegged at about 2850 mm per annum.

 Forcados is home to a plethora of rivers and tributaries which include the very popular Forcados River which flows across the town. Forcados has an average temperature of 25 degrees centigrade with humidity estimated at 93 percent.

ECONOMY

Forcados is known for Agriculture and Fishing. There is also a substantial presence of Petrochemical industries.  Due to the rich history and tourism potentials of the town of Forcados, there is a favourable amount of hotels, inns and guest houses within the town. There are large deposits of crude oil and natural gas in and around Forcados and the activities of oil mining establishments in and around the town contribute massively to the economy of the area.

Trade also booms in Forcados with the town hosting a number of markets such as the Ogulagha town market,

HISTORY

The town of Forcados has a very rich historical heritage which dates back several centuries. Forcados town was an integral part of the trans- Atlantic slave trade and was the site of the construction of a slave dungeon erected by the Portuguese slave traders in 1475 for keeping slaves before they were transported to parts of Europe and America. Forcados also has a slave wharf which was constructed in 1472 by the Portuguese slave dealers.

The first prison to be ever built on the shores of Africa was constructed in Forcados  in the year 1887 by the British colonial Administrators.