Iyáh-Gbẹdẹ is a town located off Km 20 of the
Kabba
Kabba is a city in Kogi State in mid west Nigeria. It lies near the Osse River, at the intersection of roads from Lokoja, Okene, Ogidi, Ado-Ekiti, and Egbe. The town is about 295 kilometers away from Abuja. It is 511 kilometers from Lagos.
A ...
-
Ilorin
Ilorin is the List of capitals of states of Nigeria, capital city of Kwara State in Western Nigeria.. Retrieved 18 February 2007 As of the 2006 census, it had a population of 777,667, making it the List of Nigerian cities by population, 7th ...
federal highway, and along the
Ayegunle-Abuji Road. It is in
Ijumu
Ìjùmú is a Local Government Area in Kogi State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Iyara. Other towns in the local government include Ayetoro Gbede, Iyah-Gbede, Ayegunle Gbede, Araromi Gbede, Ayere, Ayeh Gbede, Okoro Gbede, Odokoro Gb ...
local government area of
Kogi State
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to the s ...
, central
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. It is 300 kilometers away from
Abuja
Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plann ...
, the country's capital, 430 kilometers from
Lagos
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
, and 23 kilometers from
Kabba
Kabba is a city in Kogi State in mid west Nigeria. It lies near the Osse River, at the intersection of roads from Lokoja, Okene, Ogidi, Ado-Ekiti, and Egbe. The town is about 295 kilometers away from Abuja. It is 511 kilometers from Lagos.
A ...
town. It has the GPS coordinates 7.85674 / 5.94916 and Postcode 261103.
It is in Kogi West senatorial district and Kabba/Ijumu federal constituency, and is one of the Ten "Gbede" towns that consist of
Ayegunle,
Ayetoro, Agringbon-Oke, Araromi, Ayeh, Iluhafon, Iluagba, Iyáh, Odokoro, and Okoro. Inhabitants of Iyáh-Gbẹdẹ speak a local variant of
Okun and Gbede, which are dialects of the
Yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
language.
Iyáh is known for its beautiful scenic views and shares boundaries with
Ayegunle Gbede
Ayegunle Gbede is a town in Ijumu local government in Kogi State in the Middle belt of Nigeria. It has the Postcode 261103 and GPS coordinates 7.85674 / 5.94916. It is 480 kilometers from Abuja and 260 kilometers from Lagos.
Ayegunle Gbede is ...
and
Ayetoro Gbede
Ayetoro Gbede (Ayetoro-Gbede) is a town along the Ilorin – Kabba federal highway in Ijumu, a kingdom and local government area in Kogi state, Nigeria. Ayetoro Gbede is located in central Nigeria, approximately 420 kilometers northeast of Lagos ...
. The boundary between Iyáh and Ayetoro is delineated by Jemibewon International Academy, while the boundary with Ayegunle is at a stream called "Omi Oso".
Iyah setting clearly shows much effort in town planning has been deployed with no structures or building near the major road allowed except it complies with a setback up to 3 metres from the main Abuji road. The town is well-known for its high quality palm wine; people from the surrounding villages and towns in
Okunland visit Iyáh weekly, to enjoy her palm wine more like modern day winnery. The town is also famous for its "Egungun Epa" annual masquerade festival, which is one of the tourist attractions in
Kogi State
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to the s ...
.
Home and abroad, Iyah indigenes are known for hard work and industriousness. They are peaceable, agreeable and good neighbours.
Some of the prominent families in the town include the Ayinmodes, the Jemibewons, the Mowaiyes, the Ologes, the Ayenis, the Omoles, the Fagbemis, the Jeminiwas, the Afolabis, the Ehalaiyes, the Dijis, the Faonis, the Meyanbes, the Bolufawis, the Alemedes, the Anjorins, the Jaiyeolas, the Oloniyos, the Osawus, the Obaniwas, the Elebiyos, Ogunbaiyejes, the Orenibis, the Jemirins, the Emonisayes, the Agodis, the Aiyepekus, the Alemedes, the Kunles, the Ayemowas, the Olorundares, the Olorunyomis, the Yusufs, the Ayiguns etc. Some of the schools in Iyáh-Gbẹdẹ are Calvary Academy Nursery and Primary School, Baptist LGEA School, Rehoboth Faith Academy, De-International Success Academy Nursery and Primary School, UBE Junior Secondary School, Baptist Secondary Commercial School, and Jemibewon International Academy.
History
The name of the original village was derived from the term "Iyáh ni" which means "fast to reach", due to its strategic central location amongst the neighbouring towns and villages. The original Iyáh settlement is believed to have been founded by Owa from Ile-Ife. The people of Iyáh-Gbẹdẹ have been renowned as great warriors from ancient times, particularly during the Nupe wars of the 19th century.
The history of Iyáh-Gbẹdẹ began at the village's old site called "Iyáh lókè", situated approximately 4 kilometers up the hill from the present settlement. "Iyáh lókè" grew into a big village with three main suburbs called "Oke meta". These are Okeya, Okekiti and Ganran. The present settlement started with movement from "Iyáh lókè" circa 1965/66 and was completed in 1985 - a total period of about 20 years. The town's Postal Agency was officially opened on 25 February 1978.
On 9 January 2017, fifty-five year old Chief Ayeni Olusegun Williams, who hails from Iyáh-Gbẹdẹ, was elected as the 4th Olujumu of Ijumu Kingdom, sequel the demise of the previous Olujumu, late Oba Jerome Sumonu in 2014. The current Olu (king) of Iyáh-Gbẹdẹ, His Royal Highness Oba David Ibitayo Faleke, was crowned in July 2017. Iyah has been blessed with great and notable rulers and Oba Phillip Jeminiwa Eleah I a well respected Oba who reign peacefully for over 40 years is a particularly notable one. He was famed for his wisdom and problem solving insights amongst the Obas and leaders of thoughts throughout Ijumu and Okun community. Others include Oba Gideon Esemikose, Oba Olusegun and Oba Alemede.
As part of efforts to document the history of the town, a book titled "The Story of Iyah Gbẹdẹ" has been written by Chief Sam Adejuwon Ayinmode. The town is also mentioned in the book "The Okun People of Nigeria" authored by John Otitoju.
References
Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Directory/Geographical/Africa
{{coord missing, Nigeria
Populated places in Kogi State
Towns in Nigeria
Towns in Yorubaland