Shaki (also Saki) is a city-town situated in the northern part of

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 ...

in western

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 ...

Location

The terrain is hilly. The town lies near the source of the Ofiki River, the chief tributary of the

Ogun River The Ogun River is a waterway in Nigeria that discharges into the Lagos Lagoon. Course and usage The river rises in Sepeteri Oyo State near Shaki at coordinates and flows through Ogun State into Lagos State. The river is crossed by the Ikere G ...

, about 40 miles (60 km) from the

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 north ...

border. It is referred to as the food basket of Oyo State because of its agricultural activities. It is the headquarters of

Saki West Saki West is a Local Government Area in Oyo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Saki. Shaki, Nigeria is located at the extreme end of Oyo state. It has a ressetlement center of 2nd Mechanised division of Nigerian Army, The Oke-Ogu ...

local government authority.

Culture

Originally part of 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, ...

, Shaki became 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 ...

refugee settlement after the destruction in 1835 of

Old Oyo 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-speaking s ...

(Katunga), 70 miles (113 km) east-northeast, by

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...

conquerors. By the early 1860s the Yoruba Mission had established an Anglican church in the town. The traditional ruler is the Okere of Shaki town, Oba Khalid Olabisi Oyeniyi, the newly installed Ọ̀kẹ̀rẹ̀ of Shaki-Okeogun, Oyo State after the demised of Ọba Kilani Olarinre Olatoyese Ilufemiloye who died on Friday, 5 April 2013, 2 days to the first anniversary of his coronation. Since the death of Kilani Olatoyese Ilufemiloye Olarinre, the town has been without a Traditional Ruler as the process of selecting a new traditional ruler has been stalled by court litigation. However, the new king finally emerged on 18 December 2019 after due consultation by the King makers and the state government. Ogun (god of Iron) is from this town. Traditionally, the work of inhabitants in the olden days were blacksmith, goldsmith, farming, hunting and clay pot mouldering.

Traditional Symbols

The crown: This is only for the king, it shows authority over all citizens of the kingdom. The kings staff: This is used to stamp a declaration at a meeting. The red beads: It was traditionally used by only the royal family, it was made with washed up red clay and tree stems. Now, it is just a traditional symbol worn by everybody. The throne: This is the kings seat, it is seated in the kings chamber. Anybody that seats on the throne except the king, dies of skin illness. The crown ring: this is given to the last prince. In the past it was given to the bastard prince to lay claim to the throne if all other heirs to the throne are dead. This ring as only been used twice. The throne/heir ring: It is given to the first prince to lay claim to the throne. The first prince given the ring to his immediate brother has automatically passed on all claims to his birthright.

Commerce

Shaki is an exporter of cotton, swamp rice, teak, and tobacco. The flue curing of tobacco has been important in the area since 1940.

Indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...

is grown in the area for local dyeing, and the town is a centre of cotton weaving. Yams,

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 ...

, corn (maize),

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

, beans, shea nuts, and

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 ...

are grown for subsistence. Cattle raising is increasing in importance, and there is a government livestock station. Shaki has a government Hospital, many Private Hospitals and branch of UCH is under construction. A 1,600-foot (490-metre)

inselberg An inselberg or monadnock () is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. In Southern Africa a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, a ...

rises above the surrounding savanna. The town is prominent in the production of aluminum pots (Ikoko) for cooking. Users of pots and sellers from far and near visit the town to purchase the product. Shaki Sango Market has also brought the town into limelight as buyers and sellers attend the market every Thursdays.

Public institutions

Shaki is the location of a Baptist Hospital and a Muslim hospital. The Muslim Hospital was commissioned by M.K.O Abiola in 1987. It is home to the following educational institutions: * The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki

OPS In ancient Roman religion, Ops or ''Opis'' (Latin: "Plenty") was a fertility deity and earth goddess of Sabine origin. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Rhea. Iconography In Ops' statues and coins, she is figured sitting down, as Chthon ...

www.tops.edu.ng formerly The Polytechnic, Ibadan aki Campus * The Kings Poly, Nigeria, Saki

The Kings Poly ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

(Private Institution) www.thekingspoly.com *School of Basic Midwifery, Muslim Hospital, *School of Nursing and Midwifery, Baptist Medical Centre, *Baptist Medical Centre School of Medical Laboratory. *Baptist High School, *Ansaru-ud-deen High School, *Okere Grammar School *Parapo Community High School, *Asabari Grammar School, Shaki, *Ayekale Community High School, Shaki *International Muslim College, *Baptist Medical Centre Secondary School, *Ansaru-ud-deen Comprehensive College, *Benefit Comprehensive College, Sango, Shaki, *Al-khalipha Ashimi international college, Shaki, *Sharon Rose College, *Kings and Queens College, *Primerose Model College, *Aisha Model School, *Turath College, Shaki, *Revival of Islamic Heritage School, off Ogbooro Road, Shaki, *Muslim Secondary School, *Islamic High School, Koomi Road, Shaki, *Gbooro Muslim College, Shaki *Community Secondary School, Army Barracks, *Christ Grammar School, Shaki, *Community High School, Otun, Shaki, *Distinct Model school, Shaki, *Comfort upward Schools, Koomi, Shaki, *Baptist Medical Centre Nur/Pry School, *Heritage International School, Apinnite, Shaki, *Ideal Academy Group of Schools, Opo-Malu Area, Shaki, *Command Day Secondary School, Shaki *NUD Primary School, Sango, *African Baptist Primary School, *L.A. Primary School, Isale Taba, *L.A. Primary School, Isale Onikeke, *Kinnikinni Baptist Primary School, *L.A. Primary School, Igboologun, *Ajegunle Baptist Primary School, Shaki, *CMS Primary School, Otun, Shaki, *Oge Baptist Primary School, Shaki, *L.A. Primary School, Agbonle *Army Children School, Asabari Barracks, Shaki, *L.A. Primary School Sani-Sala, *Command Science Secondary School, Shaki *L.A Primary School, Wasangare e.t.c

References