USCLUrhobo Social ClubLagos · Est. 1973
Purpose & Legacy

Objectives & Urhobo House

What the Urhobo Social Club Lagos stands for, and the home we are building for it. Our objectives lead to one enduring commitment: the Urhobo House.

Pledge Your Support Read the Vision
Our Purpose

The Club's Objectives

USCL exists to serve, unite and uplift the Urhobo people in Lagos and beyond.

Heritage & Language

Promoting Urhobo heritage, identity and language for present and future generations.

Scholarships

Sponsoring scholarships for Urhobo students and supporting educational advancement.

Peace & Unity

Supporting peace and unity among Urhobo communities everywhere.

Charity

Charity and social intervention projects for those in need.

IDP Support

Supporting internally displaced persons and vulnerable members of society.

Networking

Connecting Urhobo professionals and elites for mutual progress.

The club also collaborates closely with the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) and the Urhobo Historical Society (UHS).

Flagship Intellectual Forum

The Mukoro Mowoe Memorial Lecture Series

Chief Mukoro Mowoe (1890–10 August 1948), born in Evwreni in present-day Ughelli North, is widely regarded as the foremost Urhobo leader of his generation. From the lowest ranks of colonial trade he rose to become an agent for John Holt & Co., establishing trading posts across Southern Nigeria, exporting palm produce and rubber to England, and using his wealth and standing to advance the Urhobo cause.

He served as the first President-General of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) from 1937 until his death, coordinating its branches across Nigeria and beyond. Elected to the Western House of Assembly in 1946 as Member for Warri Province, he represented not only the Urhobo but also the Isoko, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Ukwuani and Aboh peoples of the wider Province.

His most enduring legacies include the 1934 creation of an independent Urhobo Division, and the founding of Urhobo College, Effurun in 1948, which G.G. Darah described as “a citadel of learning for all language groups in the country.”

“Any one of you who should fail to play his or her part for the upliftment of our dear tribe, it were better that she or he had not been born.”Chief Mukoro Mowoe, to the Urhobo people

In recognition of this enduring legacy, the Urhobo Social Club Lagos instituted the Mukoro Mowoe Memorial Lecture Series: a forum for scholarship, dialogue and nation-building ideas focused on the Urhobo nation, carrying forward the intellectual and developmental tradition Chief Mowoe represents.

Sources: Obaro Ikime, The Member for Warri Province: The Life and Times of Chief Mukoro Mowoe of Warri, 1890–1948; G.G. Darah, “Urhobo and the Mowoe Legacy”; Peter P. Ekeh, “Mukoro Mowoe and Urhobo Destiny and History”; The Urhobo Historical Society / Urhobo Digital Library and Museum.

Black-and-white archival portrait of Chief Mukoro Mowoe (1890 to 1948) in his characteristic dark European suit
Chief Mukoro Mowoe (1890–1948). First President-General of the Urhobo Progress Union, Member for Warri Province in the Western House of Assembly, and co-founder of Urhobo College, Effurun. Archival portrait via the Urhobo Digital Library and Museum.
In Action

Recent Activities

The club remains active and influential within the Urhobo socio-cultural landscape.

  • Annual Thanksgiving Services
  • Executive inauguration ceremonies
  • Community interventions and philanthropy
  • Collaboration with the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU)
  • Fundraising for the proposed Urhobo House project
  • Educational and welfare support initiatives
2025 – 2026

The Five-Point Agenda

The administration of Chief (Sir) Lucky Arhere has publicly identified five major priorities. The first of these, the Urhobo House, gathers the rest into a single place.

Urhobo House

Building the Urhobo House in Lagos.

Scholarships

Scholarships for indigent students across Urhoboland.

Empowerment

Empowerment programmes for skills and self-reliance.

Culture

Promotion of Urhobo language and culture.

Peace

Peace and conflict resolution among Urhobo people.

Photorealistic concept rendering of the proposed Urhobo House at Abijo GRA, Lekki, Lagos: a multi-storey cream-coloured building with red and green accent bands, columned entrance, central forecourt fountain and tropical palm landscaping
Concept rendering of the proposed Urhobo House at Abijo GRA, Lekki, Lagos.
The Vision

A Home for Every Urhobo Son & Daughter

For decades, one of the club's most cherished ambitions has been the development of the Urhobo House in Lagos. It will be a dedicated cultural and administrative headquarters for Urhobo people resident in the city, and a place of welcome for visiting Urhobo sons and daughters from across the nation and the diaspora.

More than a building, the Urhobo House will be a centre for cultural celebration, a venue for our gatherings and ceremonies, a hub for community programmes, and a proud symbol of Urhobo presence and unity in Lagos.

Lagos is home to a large and dynamic Urhobo population of professionals, traders, artisans, civil servants, students and retirees, drawn from every kingdom and clan of the Urhobo nation. The Urhobo House will give them a single dedicated cultural home in the city: a familiar threshold to cross, a familiar tongue to speak, a familiar drum to dance to.

This is a legacy gift from this generation of Urhobos to the next. Long after present members have passed, the Urhobo House will stand as evidence that the Urhobo nation built a home for itself in Lagos, and welcomed every kingdom and clan inside.

Urhobo Social Club Lagos leaders gathered at a club event
Club leaders and elders. The community that will build the Urhobo House.
Nine distinguished Urhobo chiefs in traditional white regalia and red beads, standing together at a major Urhobo community gathering
Urhobo Chiefs at a community gathering. The Urhobo House will be a home for every kingdom and clan of the Urhobo nation.
What It Will Offer

A Centre of Culture & Community

Administrative Headquarters

A permanent base for the club's affairs and Urhobo community coordination in Lagos.

Cultural Centre

A home for celebrating Urhobo heritage, language, music and tradition.

Events & Gatherings

A dignified venue for meetings, ceremonies, lectures and community functions.

Education Hub

Space to support scholarship, mentoring and youth empowerment programmes.

Networking Home

A meeting point for Urhobo professionals, elders and visiting dignitaries.

Lasting Legacy

A monument to Urhobo unity and presence that will serve generations to come.

A Vision Carried Across Administrations

The Project Journey

The Urhobo House has remained a defining ambition of the club, championed by successive leaders over many years.

2017

Land Acquired at Abijo GRA

On assuming office, Prince Austin Enajomo-Isire pledged to build a clubhouse to be called Urhobo House, on land already acquired at Abijo GRA, Lekki.

2023

Anniversary Fundraising Drive

Okakuro Wilson Okpubigho placed the project at the centre of his agenda, proposing the club's 50th anniversary as a platform to raise funds for the permanent site.

2026

Reaffirmed as Top Priority

Chief Sir Lucky Arhere, FCA, reaffirmed the permanent secretariat as a major focus, with the club commencing fresh preparations for the long-held project.

  1. Land acquiredAbijo GRA · 2017
  2. Fundraising underwayBuilding fund open
  3. ConstructionAhead

Help Build the Urhobo House

Every contribution, large or small, brings the Urhobo House closer to reality. Join members and well-wishers in funding this historic legacy for the Urhobo people in Lagos.

Pledge a Contribution Become a Member

Make a Donation

Support the building fund with a one-off or recurring gift. Contact the Treasurer's office for current account details and pledge forms.

Sponsor a Component

Individuals, families and corporate partners can sponsor a defined part of the project and be recognised as nation-builders.

Spread the Word

Share the vision with fellow Urhobo sons and daughters at home and in the diaspora, and rally support for the project.

To pledge, donate or learn more about the Urhobo House project, please contact the club. Our team will be glad to share the latest project details and recognised giving options.