The Oba of Benin, or Omo N'Oba, is the traditional ruler of the Edo people and head of the historic Eweka dynasty of the Benin Empire - a West African empire centered on Benin City, in modern-day Nigeria. The ancient Benin homeland (not to be confused with the modern-day and unrelated Republic of Benin, which was then known as Dahomey) has been and continues to be mostly populated by the Edo (also known as the Bini or Benin ethnic group).