Owo is a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

Ondo state Ondo () is a States of Nigeria, state in Points of the compass, southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State (Nigeria), Western State. Ondo borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast fo ...

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, ...

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

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 throughout history, including cities such as Rome, ...

. The

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

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

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

History

In their

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...

, 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. Religion (Ẹ̀sìn) The Yoruba people, Yoruba are said to be religious peop ...

. Oral tradition also claims that the founders were the sons of the Yoruba deity Odudua, 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, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

, 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 Tooth, 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 mamm ...

, and imported Owo's art objects and recruited its

artisan An artisan (from , ) 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, sculpture, clothing, food ite ...

s for their own royal workshops. Several other notable artworks also provide evident support. 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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

rule in 1893. After Nigeria declared

independence Independence is a condition of a 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 status of ...

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 A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

in Nigeria. In 1976, it became part of the newly created

Ondo State Ondo () is a States of Nigeria, state in Points of the compass, southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State (Nigeria), Western State. Ondo borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast fo ...

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

massacre A massacre is an event of killing people who are not engaged in hostilities or are defenseless. It is generally used to describe a targeted killing of civilians Glossary of French words and expressions in English#En masse, en masse by an armed ...

at St. Francis

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Culture

Owo has the largest palace ( Aghofen) in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

which was declared as 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, historical ...

by the federal government, and is also a cultural landmark in Nigeria Built by

Olowo Rerengejen Olowo Rerengenjen was the traditional ruler of Owo Kingdom, an ancient Yoruba city-state, modern day southwestern Nigeria. He was the King that married Oronsen Queen Oronsen is an orisha from Yoruba mythology. She was the spouse of Olowo ...

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 current Olowo is

Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III is the Olowo of Owo and Ruler of Owo Land in Ondo State, Nigeria. He became the Ajaka (Olowo), Olowo after his father, Oba Adekola Ogunoye II, who held the title from 1968, until his death in 1992. On December 14, ...

Economy

Owo is an agricultural center involved in the growing and trade of 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 ...

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

okra Okra (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae, mallow family native to East Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions aro ...

peppers Pepper(s) may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plants ** Black pepper ** Long pepper ** Kampot pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ...

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 ...

, and

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 ...

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

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

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 (dimens ...

and

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. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source of f ...

processing plants as well as blockmaking businesses. The town is dotted with branches of banks including First Bank Plc,

Wema Bank Wema Bank Plc 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, ALAT By Wema, which is fully ...

Plc, Polaris Bank Plc,

Enterprise Bank Enterprise Bank is a Florida financial institution headquartered in North Palm Beach, Florida. The bank has three branches in Palm Beach County. Corporate history The bank currently has over $219 million in total assets. Originally named Enter ...

Ltd. (formerly Omega Bank Plc), Access Bank Plc etc. The city is witnessing a dramatic change due to expansion of its road network, particularly dualization of the main road beginning from the Emure junction up to Iyere exit. A new modern market is now open in Owo.

Geography

Owo is situated in southwestern Nigeria, at the southern edge of the Yoruba Hills, and at the intersection of roads from

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.Kabba Kabba is a town 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 Benin City serves as the Capital city, capital and largest Metropolitan area, metropolitan centre of Edo State, situated in Nigeria, southern Nigeria. It ranks as the List of Nigerian cities by population, fourth-most populous city in Niger ...

, and Siluko. Owo is situated around the halfway point between the towns of

Ile Ife Ile or ILE may refer to: Ile * 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 aci ...

and

Archaeology

The Owo site was first excavated in 1969–1971 by

Ekpo Eyo Ekpo Okpo Eyo (8 July 1931 – 28 May 2011) was a Nigerian scholar mostly known for his work on archeology of Nigeria. He worked at the interface of archeology, anthropology, and art history, and he was actively involved in and many years presiding ...

under the

auspices Augury was a Greco- Roman religious practice of observing the behavior of birds, to receive omens. When the individual, known as the augur, read these signs, it was referred to as "taking the auspices". "Auspices" () means "looking at birds". '' ...

of the

Department of Antiquities A Department of Antiquities is a government department with responsibility for cultural heritage management, archaeological research and regulating antiquities trading in some countries. Many were established by British and French colonial admini ...

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, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

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, founded in 1968, houses many of these artifacts.

Climate in Owo

In Owo, the dry season is hot,

muggy Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depen ...

, and partly cloudy whereas the wet season is warm, oppressive, and overcast. The average annual temperature fluctuates between 65 °F (18.3 °C) and 89 °F (31.6 °C), rarely falling below 59 °F (15 °C) or rising above 94 °F (34.4 °C). For hot-weather activities, favoring clear days with temperatures between 75 °F (24 °C) and 90 °F (32.2 °C), the "best" time to visit Owo is from somewhere around early November to mid-February.

Traditional rulers

* Sir

Olateru Olagbegi II Oba (ruler), 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 people, Yoruba city state in Nigeria.Robin Poynor, 'Naturalism and Abstraction in Ow ...

(1941–1968 and 1993–1998). Dethroned in 1968 and reinstated in 1993. * Adekola Ogunoye II (February 1968 – November 1992) *

Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi III Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi III, Orders, decorations, and medals of Nigeria, CFR, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN (June 26, 1941 – April 16, 2019) was the Tradition, traditional ruler of Owo (Olowo of Owo), Ondo State, Nigeria. He was the eldest ...

(1999 – April 2019) * Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III (since 12 July 2019)

Higher institution in Owo

Achievers University Achievers University is in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria. The university is a private-sector initiative, established in 2007 and accredited by the National Universities Commission. It is located on land in the Idasen community of Owo, consisting of ...

* Rufus Giwa Polytechnic

Public secondary high school

* Imade College Owo. * Owo High School. * Methodist High School, Owo. * St. John Unity Secondary School, Owo.

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

Medical Center in Owo

Among the medical centers and hospitals present in Owo Ondo state are: *

Federal Medical Centre In Nigeria, primary healthcare is to be provided by Local government, Local Governments, Secondary health care, secondary health care by State government, State Governments and Tertiary health care, tertiary health care by the Federal government of ...

* Federal medical center Auditorium. * St Louis Catholic Hospital, Owo. * Joladet Hospital owo. * BHC uso. * Blue print Specialist clinic. * Federal medical center Anex Ijebu 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