Ilorin, Nigeria

Ilorin
Metropolis
Ilorin Metropolis
Ahmadu Bello Way in Ilorin
Ilorin Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 8°30′N 4°33′E / 8.500°N 4.550°E / 8.500; 4.550
Country	Nigeria
State	Kwara
LGA(s)	Ilorin East Ilorin South Ilorin West
Area
• Total	765 km2 (295 sq mi)
Population (2006 census)
• Total	777,667
• Estimate (2011)	908,490
• Rank	6th
• Density	1,188/km2 (3,080/sq mi)
Time zone	WAT (UTC+1)
Climate	Aw

Ilorin is the state capital of Kwara in Western Nigeria. As of the 2006 census, it had a population of 777,667, making it the 6th largest city in Nigeria by population.

Ilorin was founded by the Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, in 1450. It became a provincial military headquarters of the ancient Oyo Empire, and later became a Northern Nigeria protectorate when Shehu Alimi, an itinerary Islamic preacher and teacher, took control of the city through the spread of Islam. The capital was occupied by the Royal Niger Company in 1897 and its lands were incorporated into the British colony of Northern Nigeria in 1900, although the emirate continued to perform ceremonial functions. Although the city retains a strong Islamic influence, Christianity is now widely practised in the cosmopolitan part of the city due to the significant immigration of people from other parts of Kwara State and the rest of Nigeria.

Ilorin has a 20,000-capacity stadium and two professional football teams, Kwara United F. C. in the second-divisionNigeria National League and ABS F.C. in the first-division Nigerian Professional Football League.

The city has the only standard baseball court in west Africa. It has also hosted several national handball competitions.

Television and radio stations in Ilorin include NTA Ilorin, Radio Kwara, both FM and AM band, Unilorin FM, Cruise FM, Royal FM, Sobi FM, Ray power FM and an office of the News Agency of Nigeria Ilorin.

The political economy of Kwara State can be traced to 1967 when it was created. Since then the state has undergone various developmental efforts, mostly initiated by the federal government given the nature of the Nigerian state, a centralized federal system where development policies and programmes originate from the center.