What we know so far
By tradition the town's name comes from Uriapele, a local deity whose shrine still stands in the town centre. The sapele tree, a prized African mahogany, is named after the town.
Today Sapele is home to Okpe, Urhobo and Itsekiri communities, and each tells the town's history in its own way.
Sapele's history is told differently by its Okpe, Urhobo and Itsekiri communities. Where accounts differ, we say so.
We're still researching this story
We only publish history we've checked properly, so this page is short for now. Know this history well? Tell us what we should include, and where we can check it.
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Sapele town centre
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Last checked 10 September 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us on WhatsApp.
