Ibadan, located in South-Western Nigeria, is a very well known city , being the second largest and arguably one of the most robust indigenous cities in the country. With an enormous population of about 3,800,000, Ibadan came into existence after the collapse of the Yoruba Oyo Empire, when several Yoruba renegades began settling in the area towards the end of the 18th century.
We are not here to bore you with facts you may already know about the predominantly Yoruba speaking city, but instead to tell you a few peculiar things that you may not know about Ibadan. Hopefully these things will help you along your next adventure or aid in sight-seeing around the historically rich town.
1. Located at the hub of Ibadan’s commercial centre, Cocoa House is the first skyscraper in Nigeria.
2. Ibadan has several well stocked libraries for all of the bookworms and information lovers who still prefer a book in hand as opposed to reading from screens and monitors. One of the most famous is Kenneth Dike Library in the University of Ibadan.
3. Rich in agriculture, Ibadan has a zoological garden and several botanical gardens
4. The golf course at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is said to be the best golf courses in Nigeria.
5. Ibadan is home to the first television station in Africa.
6. The Bower Memorial Tower to the east on Oke-Aare (Hill) can be seen from practically any point in the city. It also provides an excellent view of the whole city from the top. Try taking a trip up there as well as capturing the scenery through pictures.
7.The adire (“tie-dye”) cloth dyed locally in large pots of indigo is popular in the city.
8.Of the city’s six parks, the most important is Agodi Garden.
9. Okebadan Festival is an age-long festival observed by the people of Ibadan to celebrate unity where they sing humorous songs that portray the history of Ibadan people like;
- Baba to nlo-Hey old man going
- Jawajawa epon -You are with dangling scrotum
- Kiki sooki-Full of chalk
I hope this was informative and helps you look at Ibadan as more than a quiet town without Lagos traffic and quiet roads!
About the author: Elizabeth Ayoola is a vibrant writer and spoken word artist who enjoys discussing an array of topics ranging from personal development, to social issues. She manages a spoken word website www.oro.com.ng, as well as a blog about her experiences living in Nigeria at www.themelodiesofajjc.com. You can find her on Twitter @beepoetic.