Osun State (; yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Ọ̀ṣun), occasionally known as the State of Osun by the state government, is a
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
in
southwestern
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
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 ...
; bounded to the east by
Ekiti and
Ondo Ondo may refer to:
Japan
* Ondo, Hiroshima
* Ondo (music), a style of folk music
* ''Ondo'' class oiler, ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Nigeria
* Ondo City
* Ondo State
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Ondo
* Ondo Kingdom (c. 1510–1899)
People ...
states, to the north by
Kwara State
Kwara State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Kwárà), is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger state, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the internation ...
, to the south by
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. Ogun State borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo State and Osun State to the north, Ondo State to the east, and the Republic of Benin to the ...
and to the west by
Oyo State
Oyo State is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun ...
. Named for the
River Osun—a vital river which flows through the state—the state was formed from the southeast of Oyo State on 27 August 1991 and has its capital as the city of
Osogbo
Osogbo (also ''Oṣogbo'', rarely ''Oshogbo'') is a city in Nigeria. It became the capital city of Osun State in 1991. Osogbo city seats the Headquarters of both Osogbo Local Government Area (situated at Oke Baale Area of the city) and Olorund ...
.
Of the 36
states of Nigeria
Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and 1 federal capital territory. Each of the 36 states is a semi-autonomous political unit that shares powers with the federal government as enumerated under the Constitution of Nigeria, Constitution of the F ...
, Osun is the
ninth smallest in area and
nineteenth most populous with an estimated population of about 4.7 million as of 2016. Geographically, the state is divided between the
Nigerian lowland forests
The Nigerian lowland forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southwestern Nigeria and southeastern Benin. The ecoregion is densely populated, and home to several large cities including Lagos, Ibadan, and Benin City. There is still signifi ...
in most of the state and the drier
Guinean forest–savanna mosaic
The Guinean forest-savanna mosaic is an ecoregion of West Africa, a band of interlaced forest, savanna, and grassland running east to west and dividing the tropical moist forests near the coast from the West Sudanian savanna of the interior.
Set ...
in the north. The major geographical features are rivers including the state's namesake, the River Osun which bisects the state's interior before forming much of the state's southwestern border with
Oyo State
Oyo State is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun ...
and flowing south. Other important rivers are the
Erinle and
Oba rivers, both Osun tributaries which flow from the north before meeting the Osun along the southwestern border. Among the state's fauna are
mona monkey
The mona monkey (''Cercopithecus mona'') is an Old World monkey that lives in western Africa between Ghana and Cameroon. The mona monkey can also be found on the island of Grenada as it was transported to the island aboard slave ships headed to ...
,
common kestrel
The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, where no ...
,
purple heron, and
royal antelope, along with some of Nigeria's last remaining
Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee
The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes ellioti'') is a subspecies of the common chimpanzee which inhabits the rainforest along the border of Nigeria and Cameroon. Male Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees can weigh up to 70 kilos with a bo ...
and
African forest elephant
The African forest elephant (''Loxodonta cyclotis'') is one of the two living African elephant species. It is native to humid forests in West Africa and the Congo Basin. It is the smallest of the three living elephant species, reaching a should ...
which inhabit the heavily threatened forests along the southern borders with
Ondo Ondo may refer to:
Japan
* Ondo, Hiroshima
* Ondo (music), a style of folk music
* ''Ondo'' class oiler, ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Nigeria
* Ondo City
* Ondo State
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Ondo
* Ondo Kingdom (c. 1510–1899)
People ...
and
Ogun
Ogun or Ogoun (Yoruba: Ògún, Portuguese: Ogum, Gu; also spelled Oggun or Ogou; known as Ogún or Ogum in Latin America) is a spirit that appears in several African religions. He attempted to seize the throne after the demise of Obatala, who ...
states.
Osun State is primarily inhabited by the
Yoruba people
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 ...
, mainly of the Ibolo,
Ifẹ
Ifẹ̀ ( yo, Ifẹ̀, also ''Ilé-Ifẹ̀'') is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. The city is located in present-day Osun State. Ife is about 218 kilometers northeast of Lagos with a population of over 500,000 people, which is ...
,
Igbomina,
Ijesha
The Ijesha (written as Ìjẹ̀ṣà in Yoruba orthography) are a sub- ethnicity of the Yorubas of West Africa. Ilesha is the largest town and historic cultural capital of the Ijesha people, and is home to a kingdom of the same name, ruled by an ...
, and Oyo subgroups.
In the pre-colonial period, the area that is now Osun State was split up between various Western Yoruba states with some states being town-based as others were part of larger empires like the
Oyo Empire
The Oyo Empire was a powerful Yoruba empire of West Africa made up of parts of present-day eastern Benin and western Nigeria (including Southwest zone and the western half of Northcentral zone). It grew to become the largest Yoruba language, ...
. From 1877 to 1893, Western Yoruba states fought the
Kiriji War
The Kiriji War, also known as the Ekiti–Parapo War, was a 16-year-long civil war between the subethnic kingdoms of the Yoruba people, specifically divided between the Western Yoruba, which was mainly the Ibadan and Oyo-speaking Yorubas, and the ...
alongside other Eastern Yoruba groups against Eastern Yoruba groups; the war ended in a British-brokered stalemate before the area was colonized and incorporated into the British
Southern Nigeria Protectorate
Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River.
The ...
which later merged into
British Nigeria
Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. Britain a ...
in 1914. After independence in 1960, the area of now-Osun was a part of the post-independence
Western Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the
Western State. In 1976, the Western State was split and the state's west became
Oyo State
Oyo State is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun ...
. Fifteen years later,
Oyo State's east was broken off to form Osun State.
Economically,
Osun State
Osun State (; yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Ọ̀ṣun), occasionally known as the State of Osun by the state government, is a state in southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states, to the north by Kwara State, to the south by Og ...
is largely based around agriculture, mainly of
cocoa
Cocoa may refer to:
Chocolate
* Chocolate
* ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree
* Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao''
* Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...
,
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...
,
millet
Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...
,
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
, potato and
yam crops. Other key industries are services, especially in urban areas, along with
artisanal mining
An artisanal miner or small-scale miner (ASM) is a subsistence
A subsistence economy is an economy directed to basic subsistence (the provision of food, clothing, shelter) rather than to the market. Henceforth, "subsistence" is understood as su ...
and ivestock herding. Osun is home to several of Nigeria's most famous landmarks, including the campus of
Obafemi Awolowo University
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal government-owned university that is located in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife ...
, one of Nigeria's pre-eminent institutions of higher learning. The university is located in the ancient town of
Ile-Ifẹ, an important early center of political and religious development for Yoruba culture. Other important cities and towns include the ancient kingdom-capitals of
Ila Orangun
Ìlá Òràngún (or Ila) is an ancient city in Osun State, Nigeria, that was capital of an ancient city-state of the same name in the Igbomina area of Yorubaland in south-western Nigeria. Ìlá Òràngún is the more populous sister-city (and si ...
,
Iragbiji
Iragbiji (also Ira-gba-iji) is a town and capital of Boripe Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria, sharing borders with many towns especially Ikirun and is inhabited by the Yoruba people. The population of Iragbiji people is about 164,172.
...
,
Ikirun
Ikirun is a town in Osun State, Nigeria. It is the headquarters of the Ifelodun Local Government Area. It is an historical city that derived its name from the first ruler of the town called Akinorun.
Basetan was the first settler and founder ...
,
Oke-Ila
Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún (often abbreviated as Òkè-Ìlá) is an ancient city in southwestern Nigeria that was capital of the middle-age Igbomina- Yoruba city-state of the same name.
Òkè-Ìlá is a city in Ọṣun State, Nigeria. It is s ...
Orangun,
Ijebu-Jesa
Ijebu-jesa is the capital of Oriade Local Government area in Osun State of Nigeria.
It is a commuter city with connections to Ekiti State on one side, Ondo State on another and it has a border with the famous Ilesa the surrounding towns area Iw ...
,
Ipetumodu
Ipetumodu ()is a city in Osun State, in the southwestern part of Nigeria. It is the headquarters of the Ife North local government. The city is under the leadership of traditional ruler with the title of Apetumodu, which means "one who killed an ...
,
Ede,
Iwo,
Ejigbo
Ejigbo is a prominent city in Yoruba Land and the headquarters of Ejigbo Local Government Area, one of the oldest local government areas of Osun State in Nigeria. Ejigbo is strategically placed in the middle of the region, as north-east of Iwo ...
,
Ibokun
Ibokun (''also'' IIemure, Ilu Obokun, Ilu'bokun) is a town in Osun State, Nigeria. It is 416 meters above sea level. Ibokun is the headquarters of Obokun. The postal code of the area is 233.
History
Ibokun (at that time Ilemure) was named after ...
,
Ode-Omu,
Otan Ayegbaju
Otan Ayegbaju (Otan for short) is an historic town in Yorubaland founded about 500 years ago by descendants of Oduduwa, who migrated from Ifẹ. It is the headquarters of Boluwaduro Local Government Area. Nearby towns are Eripa, Iresi, Igbajo ...
, Ifetedo,
Esa-Oke
Esa-Oke is a Yoruba town located at the Obokun Local Government Area of the Ijesa North Federal Constituency of Ife/Ijesa Senatorial District of Osun State, South-West of Nigeria. It is a native Ijesa (Ijesha) community and shares boundaries wi ...
,
Ilesa
Ilesa () is an ancient town located in the Osun State, southwest Nigeria; it is also the name of a historic kingdom (also known as Ijesha) centred on that village. The state is ruled by a monarch bearing the title of the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ij ...
,
Okuku, Otan-Ile and
Igbajo
Igbajo is a town in the southwest of Nigeria, in the Boluwaduro Local Government Area in Osun State. Igbajo was founded in the 12th century.
It neighbors the cities of Iresi, Ìlá Òràngún, Okemesi, Ada, Ire, Otan-Aiyegbaju, Otan-Ile, Imesi- ...
. Osun State is additionally noted for having the second highest literacy rate in the country.
History
The modern State of Osun was created on 27 August 1991 from part of the old
Oyo State
Oyo State is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun ...
. The state's name is derived from the
River Osun, the venerated natural spring that is the manifestation of the Yoruba goddess of the same name.
The former Governor
Olagunsoye Oyinlola
Ọlagunsoye Oyinlọla (born 3 February 1951) is a retired Nigerian general, he became governor of Osun State in Nigeria in May 2003, and was reelected in 2007. He was a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).
On 26 November 2010 ...
launched and laid the foundation for the groundbreaking of
Osun State University
Osun State University (UNIOSUN) is a multi-campus university established by the Osun State Government under the administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. The university currently operates six campuses distributed across the six administra ...
with six campuses (
Osogbo
Osogbo (also ''Oṣogbo'', rarely ''Oshogbo'') is a city in Nigeria. It became the capital city of Osun State in 1991. Osogbo city seats the Headquarters of both Osogbo Local Government Area (situated at Oke Baale Area of the city) and Olorund ...
,
Okuku, Ikire, Ejigbo, Ifetedo, and Ipetu-Ijesha) strategically located across the state.
Important cultural events in the state include the Ori Oke and Egungun festival (masquerade festival) in
Iragbiji
Iragbiji (also Ira-gba-iji) is a town and capital of Boripe Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria, sharing borders with many towns especially Ikirun and is inhabited by the Yoruba people. The population of Iragbiji people is about 164,172.
...
,
Olojo in Ife and the Osun Osogbo festival.
Culture
![Templo Osun3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Templo_Osun3.jpg)
Every year, adherents and non-adherents of
Osun
Ọṣun, is an orisha, a spirit, a deity, or a goddess that reflects one of the manifestations of the Yorùbá Supreme Being in the Ifá oral tradition and Yoruba-based religions of West Africa. She is one of the most popular and venerated ...
, one of the
Orisa
Orishas (singular: orisha) are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. Th ...
(the traditional deities of the
Yoruba people
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 ...
), travel from all over the world to attend the annual
Osun-Osogbo
Osun-Osogbo is a sacred grove along the banks of the Osun river just outside the city of Osogbo, Osun State of Nigeria.
The Osun-Osogbo Grove is several centuries old and is among the last of the sacred forests that once adjoined the edges of mo ...
festival in August. Visitors include nationals of
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
,
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
,
Grenada
Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...
, and other nations in the Americas with a significant Yoruba cultural heritage. Annual traditional festivities and invocations of the Osun goddess are held along the banks of the river bearing her name into which – according to Yoruba Oratory traditions – she transformed.
Ọsun-Ọsogbo Grove, the shrine of the annual rites of the deity and an important artistic center, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2005.
Demographics
The major sub-ethnic groups in Ọsun State are Ife, Ijesha, Oyo, Ibolo and Igbomina of the
Yoruba people
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 ...
, although there are also people from other parts of Nigeria.
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 ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
are the official languages. People of Osun State practice Islam, Christianity and the traditional faith.
Climate
The climate of Osun is tropical savanna usually warm, with a wet and dry season. It has a yearly average temperature of 64°F and receives approximately 596 inches of rainfall. It is dry for 59 days throughout the year, with an average moisture in the air of 77% and a UV index of 7.
Tourism
The State of Osun is home to a lot of tourist attractions based on its rich history and the cultural base of the Yoruba.
![Osun River in osun state Nigeria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Osun_River_in_osun_state_Nigeria.jpg)
This place is considered as an heritage site. It is located along the Osun river and it is home to the goddess of fertility, Yemoja.
Erin-Ijesha Waterfalls is located in Erin-Ijesha. It is a tourist attraction located in Oriade local. The fall features seven floors.
Mineral Resources in Osun State
The following are the mineral resources in
Osun State
Osun State (; yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Ọ̀ṣun), occasionally known as the State of Osun by the state government, is a state in southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states, to the north by Kwara State, to the south by Og ...
*Gold
*Granite
*Columbite
*Talc
*Tantalite
*Tourmaline
Muslims and Christians in Osun
Osun State was created from the old Oyo State in August 1991, has a large population of both
Sheikh_Dr._Abu-Abdullah_Adelabu,_who_hails_from_the_state's_capital_city,_
Osogbo_
Osogbo__(also_''Oṣogbo'',_rarely_''Oshogbo'')_is_a_city_in_Nigeria._It_became_the_capital_city_of_Osun_State_in_1991._Osogbo_city_seats_the_Headquarters_of_both_Osogbo_Local_Government_Area_(situated_at_Oke_Baale_Area_of_the_city)_and_Olorund_...
_and_Pastor_(Dr.)_Johnson_Ade_Odewale_of_Christ_Apostolic_church,_Calvary_Assembly_from_Odeomu,_who_is_based_in_Boston,_USA._The_popular_Pastor_Enoch_Adeboye.html" ;"title="Sheikh Adelabu">Sheikh Dr. Abu-Abdullah Adelabu, who hails from the state's capital city,
and Pastor (Dr.) Johnson Ade Odewale of Christ Apostolic church, Calvary Assembly from Odeomu, who is based in Boston, USA. The popular Pastor Enoch Adeboye">E.A Adeboye hails from Ifewara in Osun state. Also Pastor David Oyedepo among others. The Osun State government claims to offer services to both Muslims and Christians in the state, especially through Pilgrims Welfare Boards.
The major traditional rulers in Osun State acclaim either the Faith of Islam or Christianity. While, for instance,
practiced Islam. The dominant religions in Osun State are Islam and Christianity although a certain amount of traditional religion is still practiced.
Iwo Study center
* Wolex Polytechnic Iwo
* Mercy College of Nursing Ìkirè Ile, Iwo
* Iwo City Polytechnic Feesu, Iwo
* Royal College of Public Health Technology Iwo
* Fountain University Osogbo
* Osun State college of Health Technology,
Osun State is divided into three federal senatorial districts, each of which is composed of two administrative zones. The state consists of thirty
and Area offices, the primary (third-tier) unit of government in Nigeria.
Osun State's 30 Local Government Area headquarters:
List of current Local Government Area Chairmen.
* Chief Dr.
(RTD) - former Chief of Army Staff and the First Chief of Defence Staff in Nigeria.
*
Territorial Chairman.
* Sen.