Idoani is a quiet small town in
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 ...
of
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, ...
where the Federal Government College, Idoani, is located.
It is the seat of the
Idoani Confederacy, a
Nigerian traditional state.
Idoani is under the Ose local government in Ondo state. The ruling house is composed of the Royal Families: Owusi, Sadibo, and Ologbosere royal families. The people of Idoani whose major occupation used to be farming, are peace-loving. The people speak
Bini languages, some of which are different from the major
Yoruba language
Yoruba (, ; Yor. ) is a Niger–Congo languages, Niger-Congo language that is spoken in West Africa, primarily in South West (Nigeria), Southwestern and Middle Belt, Central Nigeria, Benin, and parts of Togo. It is spoken by the Yoruba people. ...
of the south-western Nigeria. Quite a number of people still ride their bicycles to farm (a growing culture in the western world today). Idoani comprises six major quarters of Isure, Okedo street, Amusigbo, Iyayu, Isure and Ako. There is also Owani (Idosale, a few kilometres away). The different quarters are contiguous (with the exception of Owani which is a few kilometres away) and are not separated with any walls or boundaries, making intermarriage between them very common. The differences between the six quarters is noticeable in the languages. Iyayu language has been described as non-Yoruba, while others' have all Yoruba linguistic affinity. As a matter of historical fact, the Isure, Iyayus, Amusigbos, Owanis and the rest have different historical background. Another school of thought is that they are one family. Idoani is the point where the southern and western Nigeria meeting.
History
The origin of Idoani dates back to the 15th century during the traditional state of
Idoani Confederacy, when the Oba Ozolua of the
Benin Empire
The Kingdom of Benin, also known as Great Benin, is a traditional kingdom in southern Nigeria. It has no historical relation to the modern republic of Benin, which was known as Dahomey from the 17th century until 1975. The Kingdom of Benin's c ...
fathered the Alani of Idoani, subsequently making it a vassal state and Idoani as the seat of the state.
Western influence
The influence of
colonization
475px, Map of the year each country achieved List of sovereign states by date of formation, independence.
Colonization (British English: colonisation) is a process of establishing occupation of or control over foreign territories or peoples f ...
in Idoani culture is minimal. There are
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
, Christ Apostolic Church, Methodist and
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
churches in Idoani. The two notable high schools are: Federal Government College, Idoani and Irekari Grammar school. There are now some private primary and secondary schools. They still speak their local languages, there are no major fast food outlet in the town, like those found in the major cities in Nigeria. The people eat Bini traditional food such as "Iyan" (pounded yam) with
egusi or any of the vegetable soup and "Agidi"/igidi, made from maize flour (the two types are: Agidi a furere and Tepotiyo).
Idoani is a peaceful holiday destination in Nigeria, there is an important annual masquerade festival, around August, during which a lot of its indigenes come home from all over the world. Notable masquerades (
Jejeliki), known for great dancing, and Igweztan, known for tormenting the stubborn children with canes (whips). There are other masquerades like Egunle, Ela, and Eruerue, Aloro, Okeripe (Isure quarters).
Gallery
The Premier Club, Idoani, Ondo State.jpg, The Premier Club, Idoani, Ondo State
The Apostolic Church, Idogun District, Idogun3.jpg, The Apostolic Church, Idogun District, Idogun
See also
*
Federal Government College, Idoani
*
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Idoani
References
{{coord, 7, 17, N, 5, 52, E, region:NG_type:city, display=title
Populated places in Ondo State
Towns in Yorubaland