The town is located on the A342 highway that parallels the coast, between Calabar to the southeast and Aba to the west, with the state capital, Uyo, on this road just to the east.

[7][8] The population is made up primarily of the Annang people with a small number of Igbo traders and Hausa Suya vendors.

Significant exports also include basket weaving, sculpture, and, most notably, raffia cane furniture (hence the colloquial name of the town).

[9] Raffia City Hub is an inclusive technological community that supports collaboration, resource sharing, talent hunting, and entrepreneurs.

The city houses the notable mini stadium at GRA road, Nteps Super Markets, Four Point by Sheraton Hotels etc.

In November 1903, British troops arrived in the area from Calabar and the following year established a garrison there in January 1904, putting Umoren Eyenobong (known as swordwearer by the Europeans) from Ukana in charge of the immediate Annang people.

The following companies had posts and stores in the town: John Holt's, Cooperative Wholesale Society, Paterson Zochonis (PZ), G. B. Ollivant and the Compagnie Francaise de L'Afrique Occidentale.

It was also the birthplace of the famous Ibibio Welfare Union when James Udo Eka teamed up with Udosen Obot at a Methodist school in Ikot Obong Edong (Noah, 1988).

Ikot Ekpene has a long history of transforming the raffia fibre into cloth used in shoes, hats, handbags, mats and with distinctive cultural carvings made out of wood.

Four institutions of higher learning have added richness to the town: the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, the School of Nursing, the St. Joseph Major Theological Seminary and Ritman University.