Ijebu Igbo ( Yoruba: Ìjẹ̀bú-Igbó) is a town in Ogun State, Nigeria. It is the headquarters of Ijebu North Local Government Authority of Ogun State, Nigeria. It is approximately a 15-minute drive north of Ijebu Ode.

History

The term Ijebu-Igbo (Ijebu + forest) is a reference to the forested nature of this area of Ijebu. The Ijebu-Igbo area is made up of five distinct towns: Okesopin, Ojowo, Atikori, Oke-Agbo, and Japara. It is said that the founder was a great hunter who hunted the northern parts of Odo-Oluiwa; the present Ijebu Ode, where he was a

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

. Following the sudden demise of his father and the subsequent controversial accession to the throne of his younger brother, the Ofiranoye while Onayelu was away hunting, he decided to migrate from Ijebu Ode to settle permanently on the large expanse of land where he had been hunting and known today as Ijebu Igbo. Ijebu Igbo forest reserve which is called the Omo forest reserve is among the 12 biggest forest reserves in Nigeria among which are: * Ijebu Igbo Forest Reserve * Queen Elizabeth forest reserve * J1 forest reserve * J2 forest reserve * J3 forest reserve * J4 forest reserve * Apoje forest reserve and many more.

People

The town's primary economic activities are

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). ...

, cocoa, and exploitation of mineral resources and it is home to many

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, 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 ...

s and also a developed quarry. Like all other Ijebus, the people of Ijebu Igbo speak the Ijebu dialect, which is a dialect of the

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. ...

Classification

Ijebu Igbo is divided into five clans; Oke-Sopin, Oke-Agbo, Ojowo, Atikori, and Japara. An Oba (king) is enthroned to govern each of these clans. These Obas are classified as "second-class" and they all submit to the headship of the Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo. The Orimolusi is a first-class Oba and he is the supreme head of Ijebu-Igbo.

Traditional Rulers in Ijebu-Igbo and its Environment

* The Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo * The Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye * The Limeri of Awa * The Alaporu of Ilaporu * The Oloru of Oru-Ijebu * The Sopenlukale of Oke Sopin * The Bejeroku of Oke-Agbo * The Olokine of Ojowo * The Keegbo of Atikori * The Abija Parako of Japara * The Lowa of Asigidi.

Government

Orimolusi is the traditional ruler of Ijebu Igbo land and presides over four local government areas and 10 Local Community Development Area (LCDA) in Ogun state Nigeria, which is the largest kingdom in Ogun state in term of land mass with more than 300 villages.

Local Government Areas

* Ijebu North local government * iIebu North East local government * Ijebu East local government * Ogun Waterside local government

Local Community Development Areas

The local governments and LCDA are all under the authority of the Orimolusi of Ijebu Igbo( Oloja Igbo). The last Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo was late Oba Samuel Adetayo Onasanya (Ikupakude IV), who died in 1994. * Ijebu East Ogbere * Ijebu East Central Ojowo * Ijebu North Ijebu Igbo * Ijebu North Central Oru * Ijebu Igbo West Ojowo * Ago Iwoye Ibipe * Ijebu North East Atan * Yemoji Ilese

Geography

Ijebu Igbo is the second largest town in Ogun State and the largest among Ijebus in terms of land mass, there are arable land for farming. Also there are hundreds of villages and hamlets under Ijebu Igbo. The town is bordered by

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the List of Nigerian cities by population, third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano (city), Kano, with a total populatio ...

, Ikire, and Ondo.

High Schools and Colleges

Ijebu Igbo boasts of many secondary schools, amongst which are two of the foremost secondary schools in Nigeria, Molusi College & Abusi Edumare Academy, founded on January 28, 1949 and January 1971 respectively. Ijebu Igbo is also home to some higher institutions such as Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic (AAPOLY), established in 2004 and owned by Ogun State government, and Nigeria Prison Service Academy, a first of its kind institution in

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

Notable People from Ijebu Igbo

* Mike Adenuga (born 1953), businessman * Abraham Adesanya (1922–2008), politician and lawyer * Olabiyi Durojaiye (1933–2021), politician * Buruji Kashamu (1958–2020), politician

References

{{Yoruba topics Populated places in Ogun State Towns in Yorubaland