Ibadan
| Ibadan | |
|---|---|
| Metropolis | |
| Nickname(s): Ile Oluyole Ilu Ogunmola | |
 Ibadan
|
|
| Coordinates: 7°23′47″N 3°55′0″E / 7.39639°N 3.91667°ECoordinates: 7°23′47″N 3°55′0″E / 7.39639°N 3.91667°E | |
| Country |
 Nigeria
|
| State | Oyo |
| War camp | 1829 |
| Ibadan District Council | 1961 |
| Ibadan Municipal Government | 1989 |
| Government | |
| • Olubadan | Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji |
| Area | |
| • Metropolis | 3,080 km2 (1,190 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 6,800 km2 (2,600 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 1st |
| Elevation | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Metropolis | 2,559,853 |
| • Estimate (2011) | 3,034,200 |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| • Density | 985.13/km2 (2,551.5/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 3,160,000 |
| • Urban density | 464.71/km2 (1,203.6/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 3,500,000 (estimated) |
| Time zone | WAT (UTC+1) |
| Climate | Tropical savanna climate (Aw) |
| Website | http://www.oyostate.gov.ng/ |
Ibadan (Yoruba: Ìbàdàn) is the state capital of Oyo State. With a population of over 3 million, it is the most populous city in the state, and the third most populous city in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano; it is the country's largest city by geographical area. At Nigerian independence, Ibadan was the largest and most populous city in the country, and the third in Africa after Cairo and Johannesburg.
Ibadan is located in south-western Nigeria, 128 km inland northeast of Lagos and 530 km southwest of Abuja, the federal capital, and is a prominent transit point between the coastal region and the areas in the hinterland of the country. Ibadan had been the centre of administration of the old Western Region since the days of the British colonial rule, and parts of the city's ancient protective walls still stand to this day. The principal inhabitants of the city are the Yorubas, as well as various communities from other parts of the country.
Ibadan came into existence in 1829, during a period of turmoil that characterized Yorubaland at the time. It was in this period that many old Yoruba cities such as old Oyo (Oyo ile), Ijaye and Owu disappeared, and newer ones such as Abeokuta, new Oyo (Oyo atiba) and Ibadan sprang up to replace them. According to local historians, Lagelu founded the city, and was initially intended to be a war camp for warriors coming from Oyo, Ife and Ijebu. As a forest site containing several ranges of hills, varying in elevation from 160 to 275 metres, the location of the camp offered strategic defence opportunities. Moreover, its location at the fringe of the forest (from which the city got its name) promoted its emergence as a marketing centre for traders and goods from both the forest and grassland areas. Ibadan thus had initially began as a military state and remained so until the last decade of the 19th century. The city-state also succeeded in building a large empire from the 1860s to the 1890s which extended over much of northern and eastern Yorubaland. It was appropriately nicknamed idi Ibon or “gun base”, because of its unique military character.
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Wikipedia