The people of Esan, like other communities across the state, are primarily farmers. They grow such major staple crops as yams, cassava, maize and plantain. Others include, tomatoes, pepper. okro and melon. Fruit crops widely harvested in the area include kola-nuts, pears, bananas, pepper - fruits and oranges. Also grown ¡s pineapple. There is extensive cultivation of rice at Ekpoma and its environs. Popularly called “Ekpoma rice”, it is very tasty and harvesting period usually witnesses man traders from many places, particularly from Benin and east of the Nigeria coming to Ekpoma to trade on it. lruekpen, another industrious community on the outskirts of Ekpoma town is noted for cocoa production,

Palm nut harvesting is a major aspect of agriculture in the area. The men climb the tall oil palm trees that are part of the luxuriant vegetation of the area to harvest the palm nuts and the women work on the nuts to produce sweet red oil
Also in Esan, modern economic development and the growing complexity of modern administration have generated some professional occupations particularly in the areas of public service and teaching,

Commercial activities in Esanland take the form of the traditional and the modern. Traditionally, large market centers exist in all the clans, but particularly at Ekpoma, lruekpen, Uromi, Igueben. Ebelle and lrrua which attract numerous traders from far and near.
In recent years, however, modern commercial activities have been on the increase in the area. For instance, banking which used to be the exclusive preserve of big cities and urban areas is now making an impressive headway in Esanland. With manny rural banking offices at Ekpoma, lruekpen. Irrua, Uromi, Igueben and other big towns in Esanland fully functioning and more in the pipeline. banking in the area has taken a strong root. Given the ever-increasing tempo of commercial and governmental activities, the long queues usually experienced by bank customer in big cities are now a regular feature here.

Hotel business is also a booming commercial enterprise particularly at Ekpoma, lrrua Uromi Igueben other other big towns , For instance, the Okpebho interernational Hotel, Idi Motel, Eagle Motel all at Ekpoma and lyoha Farm Hotel and Mill Park Hotel at Irrua and Ewu respectively are all along the busy Benin-Auchi Road.

Also to be found, particular at Ekpoma,Uromi, Ubiaja Igueben are numerous sole business enterprises such as supply stores offering a variety of goods ranging from books and other stationeries, building materials, electrical/electronics to patent drug supplies. There is a super-market — Zanna Supermarket at Ekpomá. Offering wide-ranging household goods and provisions.
Industry

Esanland is in the agricultural and forest belt of the state and the earliest known industries are those based on timber exploitation. Small-scale saw and rice miles are common and these are derived industries locally sourced. A major agro-industrial complex at Ewu is the Edo Feed and Flour Mills commissioned in 1 987. The gigantic structures — a joint undertaking by the State government. & foreign technical partner and some private businessmen — represent a landmark and a boost to agriculture in the area. Already, the factory has put into place backward integration schemes designed to source its raw materials locally.
Many garri processing facilities have sprung up to process raw cassava to refined garri.