Esan people, or Esan, are an ethnic nation in Nigeria, primarily residing in Edo Central Senatorial District, a plateau region approximately 136 meters above sea level. The term Esan refers to both the people, their culture and their language.

Unlike some centralized kingdoms in Nigeria, the Esan people traditionally organized themselves into a loose confederation of 35 independent kingdoms, each governed by its own Onojie (king). This political system bears a striking resemblance to the Ancient Greek city-states (poleis), which, though sharing a common language and culture, operated as sovereign entities with their own rulers and governance structures.

The Esan are traditionally known to be agriculturalists, trado-medical practitioners, mercenary warriors and hunters. They cultivate palm trees, Irvingia gabonensis (erhonhiele), Cherry (Otien), bell pepper (akoh) coconut, betel nut, kola nut, black pear, avocado pear, yams, cocoyam, cassava, maize, fluted pumpkin, rice, beans, groundnut, bananas, oranges, plantains, sugar cane, tomato, potato, okra, pineapple, paw paw, and various vegetables.

The origins of the Esan people are complex, involving multiple waves of migration spanning centuries. Historically, three major waves of migration contributed to the formation of Esanland as it is known today:

1. Autochthonous Esan Migration (Prehistoric Era – c. 500 AD)

Some oral traditions and historical research suggest that the earliest settlers in Esanland migrated from the Nok Cultural Zone, located in north-central Nigeria, around the Niger-Benue confluence. This region extends to the southwestern edge of the Jos Plateau and was inhabited as early as 1000 B.C.

These early Esan settlers moved southward and began colonizing the savannah-forest ecotone in present-day Esanland by around 500 AD, establishing early settlements called Iyala (mini-kingdoms).

2. The Return Migration from Igodomigodo (c. tenth century AD)