Oyo State

Oyo State is a Nigerian state, located in the southwestern region of the country with 33 local government areas, Oyo state was one of the three states carved out of the former Western State of Nigeria in 1976. Its capital is Ibadan, which was the capital of old region (The former Western State of Nigeria). Ibadan is the third most populous city in the country behind Lagos and Kano and formerly the second most populous in Africa behind Cairo. It was also the center of government during the British Colonial rule. Some of the city’s very old protective walls are still around. Oyo state happens to be an island state that is rich in so much culture and history that it is basically impossible to not find any cultural or historical artifacts and sites. The state is tied deeply to the mythical origins of the Yoruba people. Built where the great Oyo Empire, a very powerful empire that ruled the Yoruba lands and people for approximately five hundred (500) years. Oyo state is a state named after Oyo Empire (Present-day Southwestern Nigeria). It was the important and authoritative of all the early Yaruba principalities.), and nicknamed as “The Peace Setter State”. Oyo State is noted for being the site of the first university in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan. The indigenous in Oyo state mainly comprise the Oyos, the Oke-Oguns, the Ibadans and the Ibarapas, all belonging to the Yoruba family and indigenous city in Africa (99% of population) and small population of people who are bilingual. The state economy remains largely agrarian, with the western city of Shaki being described as the state’s breadbasket. Cassava, cocoa, and tobacco are among the most important crops to Oyo State’s economy. The state is also noted for its cottage industries, consisting of cotton spinning, weaving, dyeing, leatherworking (sheep and goat skins), wood carving and mat making. Oyo State is the 12th-largest crop producer and the 15th-largest livestock producer in Nigeria.