Auchi

Auchi is a major city in northeastern Edo State, southern Nigeria, founded around the 15th century when Uchi, a warrior prince from the Benin Kingdom, migrated northward from Udo following a dispute with the Oba. He led his family and followers into the Guinea savannah belt of present-day Etsako land, choosing the site for its access to water, fertile soil, and lush greenery. His five sons established the original villages that coalesced into modern Auchi, each developing its own quarter with a council of elders led by the eldest man, known as the Odion.

In the 19th century Auchi experienced the Nupe invasion of 1860, which imposed foreign rule for thirty-seven years until British forces defeated the Nupe at Bida in 1897. By 1904 Auchi was formally absorbed into the British colonial structure as part of the Kukuruku Division. The reign of Momoh the First, who ascended the throne in 1919, marked a turning point: he welcomed Islam, built the first mosque, established the first school in 1922, and attracted British trading firms such as John Holt. In 1963 the British government founded the Midwest Technical College in Auchi, which evolved into today’s prestigious Auchi Polytechnic.

Today Auchi has an estimated population of about 180,000 people within an area of roughly 70 square kilometers. The Federal Polytechnic Auchi stands as one of Nigeria’s foremost technical institutions, drawing students from across the country. The city remains a vital commercial, educational, and religious center in northern Edo State, blending traditional governance under the Otaru with modern Islamic and Western influences.