Osogbo, Osun State
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Osogbo (also known as ''Oṣogbo'', and seldomly as ''Oshogbo'') is a city in
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
. It became the capital city of
Osun State Osun (; ), is a state in southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states for 84 km and for 78 km respectively, to the north by Kwara State for 73 km, to the south by Ogun State for 84 km and to the wes ...
in 1991. Osogbo city seats the Headquarters of both Osogbo Local Government Area (situated at Oke-Baale Area of the city) and Olorunda Local Government Area (situated at Igbonna Area of the city). It is some 88 kilometers by road northeast of
Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the List of Nigerian cities by population, third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano (city), Kano, with a total populatio ...
. It is also by road south of
Ilorin Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State located in the Western region of Nigeria. The city is a major hub for transportation and commerce in the region. . Retrieved 18 February 2007 Although Ilorin is classified under the North-Central g ...
(capital and largest city of
Kwara State Kwara () 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 international border with Benin. Its ca ...
) and northwest of
Akure Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria. It is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Ondo State. The city had a population of 403,000 as of the 2006 population census. Its current population is estimated at 774,000.Ilesa Ilesa () is a historic city located in Osun State, southwest Nigeria; it is also the name of the capital of a historic state-kingdom(also known as Ijesha) centred around that town as the capital . The state is ruled by a monarch bearing the ti ...
, Ede, Egbedore,
Ogbomosho Ogbomosho (also known as Ogbomoso and Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́) is a city in Oyo State, south-western Nigeria. It was founded in the mid 17th century. The population was approximately 655,517 in 2024. It is the second largest city in Oyo State and a ...
and
Iragbiji Iragbiji (also Ira-gba-iji) is a town and capital of the Boripe Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria, near Ikirun. The town is inhabited by the Yoruba people. The population of the town is about 164,172. History and oral tradition The ...
and it is easily accessible from any part of the state because of its central nature. It is about 48 km from Ife, 32 km from Ilesa, 46 km from Iwo, 48 km from Ikire and 46 km from Ila-Orangun; the city had a population of about 200,000 people and an approximate land area of 126 km. The
postal code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or numerical digit, digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, inclu ...
of the area is 230.


Infrastructure and demographics

Osogbo lies on the railway line from
Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...
to
Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria *Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State ** Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries ** Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom betwee ...
. It is known for the Osogbo School of Art and the Oja Oba Market building, said to be the former Oba's
palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...
, within yards of the Osogbo Grand Mosque. Osogbo is the trade center for a
farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
region. Farm produce such as 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, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
,
grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...
, and
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
are grown.
Cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, 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 ...
is grown and used to weave cloth. It is also home to several
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
s and a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
stadium with a capacity of 10,000 and a second division professional league team. Most of the population are members of the Yoruba ethnic group. In 1988, about 27% of the population were engaged in farming as their primary occupation, 8% were traders and about 30% clerks and teachers.


Culture

Osogbo, sometimes called "Ilu Aro" (Home of Tie and Dye), is a major dyeing center. The traditional industry is one of the major industries of Osogbo and the different types of Adire in Osogbo includes Raffia Resist-''Adire Oniko'', Stitch Resist-''Adire Alabere'', Starch Resist-''Adire Eleko'', Wax Batik-''Adire Alabele''. A number of industries also began to rise after independence, notably small scale establishments involved in
textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...
, foam making, and
pencil A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage and keeps it from marking the user's hand. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail of ...
s. Osogbo was made a major industrial development center by the government of Nigeria during the 1970s. Osogbo is also the childhood home of the actor and dramatist
Duro Ladipo Durodola Durosomo Duroorike Timothy Adisa Ladipo (18 December 1926 – 11 March 1978), more commonly known as Duro Ladipo, was one of the best known and critically acclaimed Yoruba people, Yoruba dramatists who emerged from postcolonial Africa. ...
and the Muslim scholar
Sheikh Adelabu Abdul-Fattah Abu-Abdullah Taiye Ejire Adelabu () or simply Sheikh Adelabu (), also known as Al-Afriqi () or Shaykh Al-Afriqi () is a Nigerian-British Muslim scholar, writer, academic, publisher and cleric from Osogbo, capital city of Osun State, ...
. Osogbo is the venue of the annual Osun-Osogbo festival along the
River Osun The Oṣun River (sometimes spelt Oshun), Yoruba language, Yoruba: Odò Ọ̀ṣun, is a river of Yorubaland that rises in Ekiti State and flows westwards into Osun State before turning southwestwards at its confluence with the Erinle River near ...
. The festival is centered on the sacred grove of the river goddess Ọsun, which is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. The city is also home to several progressive groups and associations, such as the Osogbo Descendants Progressive Union (ODPU; formerly Osogbo Progressive Union - OPU), the Mbari Mbayo Club for African writers, artists and musicians, the Osogbo Professionals' Initiative (OPI), the Osogbo Affairs, the Osogbo Development Action Group (ODAG), the Osogbo National Students' Union (ONSU), the Oroki Social Club (OSC), the Ataoja Palace Project Initiative (APPI), the United Associates Osogbo and the Igbonna Progressive Club.


Flooding

The citizens of Osogbo, Erin-Osun, and Ilobu, in particular, had no idea what lay in store for them when the heavens opened up for a rainstorm on Tuesday, 3 August 2021. In contrast to earlier floods in the state, which were preceded by a warning from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, the nearly 8-hour downpour struck like a robber in the night and left tales of grief, tears, and blood by morning. The state capital, Osogbo, was hardest hit, while the damage also spread to numerous other communities. Ibu-Amo, Oke-Arungbo, Oke-Ayepe, Powerline, Gbonmi, Oke-Baale, Obalende, Obate, Oke-Oniti Alekuwodo, and Oke Awesin in Erin-Osun are some of the most impacted localities as Osun River, Awesin stream, and Opopo stream overflow their bounds.


Climate

Osogbo has a tropical climate with rainfall and an average annual temperature of 25.5 degrees Celsius (77.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and 1361 Millimetres (53.6 inches) of precipitation. Another data indicating Osogbo temperature at 30.28 °C (86.5 °F) and it is 0.82% higher than Nigeria's averages, typically receives about 136.44 millimeters (5.37 inches) of precipitation and has 253.78 rainy days (69.53% of the time) annually.


Pollution

Osogbo the capital City of Osun State has been in celebration mood as a result of the cultural festival held annually in the state with cultural enthusiasts across the globe. The
contamination Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that renders something unsuitable, unfit or harmful for the physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc. Types of contamination Within the scien ...
of the Osun river raises concerns of stakeholders about this year's event which made experts to consider this unfit for humans use. The health implication of consuming water from the river which is said to be having heavy metal and
cyanide In chemistry, cyanide () is an inorganic chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Ionic cyanides contain the cyanide anion . This a ...
thereby causing great safety concerns in Osogb


History

According to tradition, In Ipole Omu, seven rulers reigned before Olarooye in the following succession: Adefokanbale, Aikanya, Ogbogba, Saso, Luberin, Laege (also known as Adetuturinrin; father to both Lajomo and Larooye), Lajomo and Olarooye. During the reign of Oba Olarooye at Ipole Omu, life became very unbearable because of incessant dry seasons. The then Ipole people became much dejected, worried and uncomfortable over the losses involving their farms, domestic animals and human beings. The Oba Olarooye was worried and disheartened by the situation at Ipole Omu. He wanted emergency solutions to inevitable and uncountable losses. This was the time he ordered the chief hunter at Ipole-in the person of Timehin-and his co-hunters to go on expedition and look for greener pastures. Timehin and the other hunters courageously took up the challenge and moved out in search of a better place for settlement. This expedition discovered River Osun. Yoruba tradition claims many people fleeing the Fulani, Fulani Invasion settled at Osogbo following the fall of old Oyo. As a result, Osogbo increased in population largely due to migration from other Yoruba towns. For want of a more open place than a grove and a more central location, Olarooye and his people abandoned their settlement, including the already flourishing market and moved to Ode-Osogbo. At Ode-Osogbo, Olarooye built his new palace at the present-day Idi-Osun while Timehin built the Ogun shrine now known as Idi-Ogun. Since then, Osogbo has maintained its function as an economic center.


List of Ataojas (traditional kings)

The ''Ataoja'' which means the one that ''"stretches out his hand and takes the fish"'' is the traditional ruler of the people of Osogbo. The following is the list of the Ataojas of Osogbo, with the dates of their rule: *Oba Larooye Gbadewolu (died 1760) *Oba Sogbodede (died 1780) *Aina Serebu (1780–1810) *Abogbe (1810–1812; as Regent, she reigned but did not assume the title Ataoja) *Obodegbewale (1812–1815; as Regent) *Oba Lahanmi Oyipi (1815–1840) *Oba Ojo Adio Okege (1840–1854) *Oba Oladejobi Oladele Matanmi I (1854–1864) *Oba Fabode.Durosinmi Ogunnike (1864–1891) *Oba Bamigbola Alao (1891–1893) *Oba Ajayi Olosunde Oyetona (1893–1903) *Oba Atanda Olukeye Olugbeja Matanmi II (1903–1917) *Oba Kofoworola Ajadi Latona I (1918–1920) *Oba Alabi Kolawole (1920–1933) *Oba Samuel Oyedokun Latona II (1933–1943) *Oba
Samuel Adeleye Adenle Samuel Adeleye Adenle I (1903–1976) was a Nigerian monarch. He was the 19th Ataoja (King) of Osogbo Osogbo (also known as ''Oṣogbo'', and seldomly as ''Oshogbo'') is a city in Nigeria. It became the capital city of Osun State in 1991. O ...
I (1944–1976) *Oba
Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III (1935 – 4 July 2010) was a Nigerian monarch. He was the 20th Ataoja (King) of Osogbo the ancient city of Osogbo the state capital of Osun. Early life Matanmi was the king King is a royal title given to a ma ...
III (1976–2010) *Oba
Jimoh Oyetunji Laaroye Jimoh Oyetunji Laaroye is a Nigerian monarch. He is the 21st Ataoja of Osogbo and the current king and paramount ruler of the ancient city of Osogbo the state capital of Osun Osun (; ), is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), ...
II (2010–present


References


External links


Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove World Heritage SiteA Brief History of the Ataoja of Osogbo
{{Authority control Osogbo, Local Government Areas in Osun State State capitals in Nigeria Cities in Yorubaland Cities in Nigeria