Owo is a local government area in

Ondo state Ondo State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Oǹdó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast, Edo State to the east, Delta State to ...

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 ...

. Between 1400 and 1600 CE, it was the capital of a

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 ...

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

. The

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...

area has a population of 222,262 based on 2006 population

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

History

In their

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (1985) ...

, Owo traces its origins back to the ancient city of Ile-Ife, the cradle of

Yoruba culture Distinctive cultural norms prevail in Yorubaland and among the Yoruba people.Kola Abimbola, Yoruba Culture: ''A Philosophical Account'', Iroko Academic Publishers, 2005. Art Sculpture The Yoruba are said to be prolific sculptors, famous for ...

. Oral tradition also claims that the founders were the sons of the Yoruba deity

Odudua Oduduwa was a Yoruba divine king. According to tradition, he was the holder of the title of the ''Olofin'' of Ile-Ife, the Yoruba holy city. He ruled briefly in Ife, and also served as the progenitor of a number of independent royal dynasties ...

, who was the first ruler of Ile-Ife. The early art-historical and archaeological records reinforce these strong affiliations with Ife culture. Owo was able to maintain virtual independence from the neighboring kingdom of

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...

, but was on occasion required to give tribute. The transmission of courtly culture flowed in both directions between the

and the Owo kingdoms. The skill of Owo's ivory carvers was also appreciated at the court of

. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Benin's rulers increasingly utilized insignia made from

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...

, and imported Owo's art objects and recruited its

artisan An artisan (from french: artisan, it, artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art ...

s for their own royal workshops. There were other notable artworks that can be evidently supported. Owo came under

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

rule in 1893. After Nigeria declared

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

in 1960, it was part of the Western Region until 1967 when it became part of the Western State. Owo and its indigenes played significant roles in the politics of the first Republic in Nigeria. In 1976, it became part of the newly created

Ondo State Ondo State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Oǹdó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast, Edo State to the east, Delta State to ...

. In June 2022, at least 50 worshippers were killed in a

massacre A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...

at St. Francis

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The Palace of the

Olowo of Owo The Olowo of Owo is the paramount Yoruba king of Owo, a city in Ondo State, southwestern Nigeria which was the capital of Yoruba between 1400 and 1600 AD. Ojugbelu Arere, the first Olowo of Owo was the direct descendant of Oduduwa known as the ...

is a cultural landmark in Nigeria, and is amongst the largest palaces in Africa.

Culture

Owo has the largest palace ( Aghofen) in Africa which was declared a national

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...

by the federal government. Built by

Olowo Rerengejen Olowo Rerengejen was the traditional ruler of Owo Kingdom, Ondo state, southwestern Nigeria. He was the King that married Queen Oronsen, the goddess that brought about Igogo festival The Igogo festival is a Yoruba festival held in Owo, Nigeri ...

in the 14th century, the palace had as many as 100 courtyards (Ugha). Each courtyard had a specific function and was dedicated to a particular deity. The largest, said to have been twice the size of an American football field, was used for public assemblies and festivals. Some courtyards were paved with quartz pebbles or broken pottery. Pillars supporting the veranda roofs were carved with statues of the king mounted on a horse or shown with his senior wife. The most recent Olowo is Oba

Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III (born 6 July 1966) is the Olowo of Owo and Paramount Ruler of Owo Land. His father was Oba Adekola Ogunoye II, the Olowo of Owo, who reigned between 1968 and 1993. His mother was Olori Adenike Yeyesa Ogunoye. Oba ...

Economy

The present-day city is an agricultural center involved in the growing and trade of yams,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', 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 cultivated ...

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. The ...

okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

peppers Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...

, cocoa, and

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

. There are, however, other meaningful commercial activities in the town, including but not limited to:

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

and

sawmilling A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

Soya bean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...

processing plants and blockmaking industries. The town is dotted with branches of banks including First Bank Plc,

Wema Bank Wema Bank Plc, commonly known as Wema Bank, is a Nigerian commercial bank. It is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria; the regulator of the nation's banking sector. As of 2019, Wema bank operates the largest digital banking system in Nigeria, ...

Plc, Polaris Bank Plc, Enterprise Bank Ltd. (formerly Omega Bank Plc),

Access Bank Plc Access Bank plc, commonly known as Access Bank, is a Nigerian multinational commercial bank, owned by Access Bank Group. It is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the national banking regulator. Originally a corporate bank, they expand ...

etc. The city is now witnessing a dramatic change due to expansion of its road network, particularly dualization of the main road beginning from Emure junction up to Iyere exit. A new ultra-modern market is now open in Owo.

Geography

Owo is situated in southwestern Nigeria, at the southern edge of the

Yoruba Hills 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 at the intersection of roads from

Akure Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria. It is the capital and largest city of Ondo State. The city had a population of 403,000 as at the 2006 population census. History Pre 1914 Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic period, ha ...

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. ...

, Benin City, and Siluko. Owo is situated halfway between the towns of

Ile Ife Ile may refer to: * iLe, a Puerto Rican singer * Ile District (disambiguation), multiple places * Ilé-Ifẹ̀, an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria * Interlingue (ISO 639:ile), a planned language * Isoleucine, an amino acid * Anothe ...

and Benin City.

Archaeology

The Owo site was first excavated in 1969–1971 by Ekpo Eyo under the

auspices Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed behavior of birds. When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these signs, it is referred to as "taking the auspices". "Auspices" (Latin '' ...

of the Department of Antiquities of the Government of Nigeria. Due to Owo's location between the two famous art centers of Ife and Benin, the site reflects both artistic traditions. Important discoveries include

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...

sculptures Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

dating from the 15th century. The

Owo Museum Owo Museum is a museum in Owo, Nigeria. The museum was founded in 1968 to accommodate the antiquities which were formerly in the Olowo Palace. The museum contains significant archaeological artifacts and ethnographic materials discovered in the Ow ...

, founded in 1968, houses many of these artifacts.

Traditional rulers

*Sir

Olateru Olagbegi II Oba Sir Olateru Olagbegi II, (August 1910 – 1998) was the King (Olowo) of Owo, an ancient city which was once the capital of an Eastern Yoruba city state in Nigeria. He was appointed Olowo in 1941 and ruled for 25 years before he was d ...

(1941–1968 and 1993–1998). He was dethroned in 1968 and reinstated in 1993. *

Adekola Ogunoye II Olowo Adekola Ogunoye II was a traditional ruler of Owo (Olowo of Owo), Ondo State, Nigeria, who reigned between February 1968 to November 1992 before Sir Olateru Olagbegi II was reinstated in 1993. One of his sons, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye ...

(February 1968 – November 1992) *

Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi III Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi III, CFR, SAN (June 26, 1941 – April 17, 2019) was the traditional ruler of Owo (Olowo of Owo), Ondo State, Nigeria. He was the eldest son of the late Olowo of Owo, Sir Olateru Olagbegi (1910–1998). He succeeded ...

(1999 – April 2019) *

Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III (born 6 July 1966) is the Olowo of Owo and Paramount Ruler of Owo Land. His father was Oba Adekola Ogunoye II, the Olowo of Owo, who reigned between 1968 and 1993. His mother was Olori Adenike Yeyesa Ogunoye. O ...

(since 12 July 2019).

Gallery

File:OLOWO OF OWO.jpg, Olowo of Owo in ceremonial attires during the Igogo festival. File:Divination tapper (iroke ifa), Yoruba, Owo,Ondo state, Nigeria, probably 18th century, ivory - Brooklyn Museum - Brooklyn, NY - DSC08504.JPG, Owo ivory artefact Welcome to Owo signpost, Ondo state.jpg, Welcome to Owo signpost Urban Water Kiosk, Oke Mapo, Owo.jpg, Urban Water Kiosk, Oke Mapo, Owo Statue, Owo, Ondo State2.jpg, Roundabout Statue, Owo St. John Unity Secondary school, Owo, Ondo state3.jpg, St. John Unity Secondary school, Owo Sir Olateru Olagbegi Civic Centre, Owo, Ondo State.jpg, Sir Olateru Olagbegi Civic Centre, Owo

References

Bibliography

*Smith, Robert Sydney (1988), ''Kingdoms of the Yoruba'', (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 3rd ed.). *Weisser, Gabriele (2008), ''Das Königtum der Owo-Yoruba: Zwischen Mythologie und Geschichte'', (Hamburg, Kovac). (''The kingdom of the Owo-Yoruba: Between Mythology and History''). {{Authority control Cities in Nigeria Cities in Yorubaland Local Government Areas in Ondo State Articles containing video clips