Ibadan
Ibadan, Nigeria | |
|---|---|
 Map of Nigeria showing the location of Ibadan in Nigeria. | |
| Province | Oyo State |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Rasheed Ladoja PDP |
| Population (2005) | |
| • City | 300,000 |
| • Urban | 300,000 |
| estimated | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (CEST) |
| Website | http://www.oyostategov.com/ (Under Construction) |
Ibadan (Èbá-Ọdàn), reputed to be the largest indigenous city in Africa south of the Sahara, is the capital of Ọyọ State. It is located in south-western Nigeria, 78 miles inland from Lagos and is a prominent transit point between the coastal region and the areas to the north. Its population is estimated to be about 3,800,000[1] according to 2006 estimates. Ibadan had been the centre of administration of the old Western Region, Nigeria since the days of the British colonial rule, and parts of the city's ancient protective walls still stand till today. The principal inhabitants of the city are the Yorùbá.
History
Ibadan, surrounded by seven hills, is the largest indigenous city in Nigeria and the whole of Africa (larger than both Lagos and Cairo in geographical size). It came into existence, when Lagelu, the Jagun of Ife (a military commander of Ile Ife) and Yoruba generalisimo suddenly left Ife with a handful of his people to found Eba Odan, which means 'between the forest and plains.' According to HRH Sir Issac Babalola Akinyele, the late Olubadan (king) of Ibadan, in his authoritative book on the history of Ibadan, Iwe Itan Ibadan, printed in 1911, this city became famous and prosperous until it was attacked and ravaged by the neighbouring towns and cities due to an incident that happened during that year's Egungun (masquerade) festival when women and children disrobed and made fun of an egungun at an open market full of people. In Yorubaland, it was an abomination for women to look an egungun in the eye. When the news reached Sango the then Alafin of Oyo, he commanded that Eba Odan be destroyed for committing such an abominable atrocity! Lagelu was by now an old, frail man; he could not stop the destruction of his city, but he and some of his people survived the attack and afterwards founded another city called Eba'dan in a very close proximity to the ravaged Eba Odan. Soon after this new city was formed Lagelu passed on at a very old age. The new Olubadan made a friendly gesture to the then Olowu of Owu by allowing Olowu to marry his only daughter. Coming from a war campaign one day, the raging Odo Oba (River Oba) would not allow Olowu and his army to cross unless a human sacrifice was performed to appease the angry river. The chosen sacrifice was the Olubadan's only daughter. Thus, an internecine war broke out between Eba'dan and Owu. Yoruba kings and rulers such as Alake of Egba, Agura of Gbagura, Ooni of Ife, Awujale of Ijebu and others formed a formidale coalition with Eba'dan against the powerful Olowu of Owu. After the defeat of Owu, many, if not all, of the soldiers that fought in the coalition refused to go back to their towns and cities. Later, bands of Yorùbá renegades from Ile Ife, Oyo, the defeated Owu, Ijaye, Ifon, Osogbo and other Yoruba cities and towns began settling in the area in the early 18th century; attracted by its strategic location between the forests and the plains. Its pre-colonial history centered on militarism, imperialism and violence. Ibadan grew into an impressive and sprawling urban center so much that by the end of 1829, Ibadan dominated the Yorùbá region militarily, politically and economically. The military sanctuary expanded even further when refugees began arriving in large numbers from northern Oyo following raids by Fulani warriors. After losing the northern portion of their region to the marauding Fulanis, many Oyo indigenes retreated deeper into the Ibadan environs. The Fulani Caliphate attempted to expand further into the southern region of modern-day Nigeria, but was decisively defeated by the armies of Ibadan in 1840. The Ibadan area became a British Protectorate in 1893 and by then the population had swelled to 120,000. The British developed the new colony to facilitate their commercial activities in the area, and Ibadan shortly grew into the major trading center that it is today.
Education
The colonizers also developed the academic infrastructure of the city. The first university to be set up in Nigeria was the University of Ibadan (established as a college of the University of London when it was founded in 1948, and later converted into an autonomous university in 1962). It has the distinction of being one of the premier educational institutions in West Africa. The Ibadan Polytechnic is considered to be the best in Nigeria and there are also numerous primary schools and secondary schools located in the city. Other noteworthy institutions in the city include the University College Hospital; the first teaching hospital in Nigeria, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and the internationally acclaimed International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Ibadan and its environs before the dissolution of the Western Region, Nigeria was the home of the most sophisticated and liberal scientific and cultural community on the continent of Africa; as personified by the immortalized Ibadan School.
Parks & Gardens
Nestled inside (IITA) is the best golf course in Nigeria, and the grounds of the Ibadan Polo Club is not far away from the city center. The city also has a zoological garden located inside the University of Ibadan, and a botanical garden located at Agodi.
Transportation
Ibadan has an airport and is served by the Ibadan Railway Station on the main railway line from Lagos to Kano. As with so many things in post-oil-boom Nigeria, many rural (and urban) roads have not received adequate maintenance. Poorly-maintained roads are particularly problematic in the rainy season. What are called interstate highways in the U.S., are called carriageways in Nigeria. There are not many miles of divided highways in Ibadan. The primary routes go from Ibadan to Lagos and Ibadan to Benin City. Adding to the weather and terrain, roads typically have few or no speed limit signs or warning signs to alert the motorist of curves, hills, intersections or problems with the road itself such as large potholes or eroded road beds. Law enforcement is minimal except for sporadic roadblocks of armed policemen who check for registrations and other "irregularities". As with Ibadan city traffic, the klaxon is the most used tool on the car. One honk lets the car ahead of you know you want to pass; another honk is given after passing to let them know you appreciated their attention while you were passing. Klaxons are also honked to show irritation and to warn other drivers and/or pedestrians that may be in a direct line of contact. Driving without honking the horn is considered discourteous and dangerous. In-town transportation comes in a variety of forms. Modes of transportation include, taxis, taxi-vans commonly called "danfos," private cars that are hired out by the day with a driver, personal family cars, scooters, and by foot. All fares are negotiable depending upon the number in the party and the distance to be traveled. Fares are also dependent on whether the passengers are Nigerian or foreigners. The average taxi is a small car, which seats four people and the driver. A danfo is a van which seats seven people and the driver. This does not mean that more people will not be accommodated; often both taxis and danfos carry as many passengers as can squeeze into the vehicle. Danfos have an additional staff member. He is the "conductor" who arranges fare agreements and keeps track of delivery points. He is often to be seen holding onto the frame of the van while hanging out the door in order to locate potential fares.
Monuments & Landmarks
There is a museum in the building of the Institute of African Studies, which exhibits several remarkable pre-historic bronze carvings and statues. The city has several well stocked libraries, and is home to the first television station in Africa. There are a few hotels with Hotspot (Wi-Fi) access, a few decent restaurants and a couple of radio stations. Dugbe Market is the nerve center of Ibadan's transport and trading network. The haphazard layout of the city's roads and streets contribute largely to the disorderly traffic and make it very difficult to locate and reach destinations. The best method to move about the city is to use reference points and notable landmarks.
The Bower Memorial Tower to the east on Oke Aàre (Aare's Hill) ("Aare" in Yoruba means commander-in-chief or generalissimo), which can be seen from practically any point in the city; also provides an excellent view of the whole city from the top. Another prominent landmark is Cocoa House; the first skyscraper in Africa. It is one of the few skyscrapers in the city and is at the hub of Ibadan's commercial center. Other attractions include Mapo Hall; the colonial style city hall perched on top of a hill, "Oke Mapo," Mapo Hill ("oke" is hill in Yoruba), the Trans-Wonderland amusement park, the cultural centre Mokola and Liberty Stadium, Ibadan; the first stadium in Africa. The first citadel of higher learning, University of Ibadan (formerly the University College of Ibadan), and the first teaching hospital in Nigeria, University College Hospital, UCH, were both built in this ancient but, highly important city. Ibadan is also home to the legendary Shooting Stars FC; a professional Football Club.
Note: On August 10, 1963, the historical city of Ibadan hosted the Black Africa's first world title bout between the legendary Dick Tiger and Gene Fullmer 11 years before Zaire's (now Congo) world famous "Rumble in the Jungle" between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Nigeria's Dick Tiger won the match by pumelling the American without mercy.
Economy
With its strategic location on the railway line connecting Lagos to Kano, the city is a major center for trade in cassava, cocoa, cotton, timber, rubber, and palm oil. The main industries in the area are tire rethreading, cigarettes manufacturing and the processing of agricultural products; including flour-milling, leather-working and furniture-making. The largest companies with major infrastructure based in Ibadan are Kakanfo Inn , Coca-Cola , Nigerian Breweries , Galaxy Television, Globacom , NTA Ibadan (the first television station in Africa), and Zartech Limited. There is abundance of clay, kaolin and aquamarine in its environs, and there are several cattle ranches, a dairy farm as well as a commercial abattoir in Ibadan.
Ibadan Natives
Ibadan natives of note include Adegoke Adelabu, a prominent politician, Augustus Akinloye, a prominent politician, Revd. Alayande, a prominent politician and accomplished educator, Theophilus Adeleke Akinyele, a civil servant and former director of budget for the federation, Michael Sunday Adigun, a civil servant and former Nigerian minister for national planning, Omololu Olunloyo, a professor of mathematics and former governor of Oyo State, Raji Rasaki, a retired army general and former military governor of Lagos State, Richard Akinjide, a legal luminary and former attorney general & minister of justice, 'Dejo Raimi, a renowned thoracic surgeon and former secretary to the government of Oyo State, Kolapo Isola, a former governor of Oyo State, Tajudeen Bioku, a popular film writer/director, who is based in the U.S.A., Kase Lukman Lawal, a U.S.-based chemical engineer and oil tycoon, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, the Fuji music creator, the late Tunde Nightingale, a.k.a., "Western," a pioneering juju and highlife musician, Alhaji Dauda Epo-Akara, the deceased leader of a popular indigenous music group, Alhaji Abass Akande Obesere, a popular Fuji music maestro, Taiwo and Kehinde Isaac-Akintoye, identical twin brothers of the pop group Twin-X, the late Alhaji Alamu Atatalo, a popular sekere music pioneer, Alhaji Amuda Agboluaje, a popular sekere musician, Bobby Ologun, a K-1 fighter who is very popular in Japan, and Sade Adu, frontwoman and lead vocalist of the popular English group Sade.