TITLE: REPORT ON A GUIDED TOUR OF IBADAN REGION HELD ON 7th FEBRUARY 2014.
AUTHORS: ADEGBENRO OLUWATOWO, BADEMOSI FOLAJIMI, OGUNMOLA MAYOWA, AJIBOYE AYOMIDE, OLADEJO RIDWAN, MAXWELL FRANCISCAL, OWOLU ESTHER, AHANONU KINGSLEY, OBUOFORIBO MATHIAS, ADEYEMI PETER OLAOLUWA, OLADEJO IBRAHIM ADEKOLA, OGUNSOLA TAIWO, ADEDEJI ADEOLA, OGUNSOLA OLUYEMI, ONUKWUE SYLVANUS, ADEGBOLA OLATUNDE WILLIAMS, BANKOLE OYEDAMOLA, MAKINDE SEYI, AJIBADE IBRAHIM, OYEWOLE ADEOLA, ADEYEMI OLUWATOBILOBA, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN.
AIMS.
The aim of this report is:
- To give a concise history of Ibadan region
- To analyze the physical features of Ibadan in relation to flooding
- To dissect the socio economic features of Ibadan region
- To examine the socio cultural features of the region.
OUTLINE:
1.0 introduction
1.1 Brief history of Ibadan region
1.0 population
2.2 Physical features of Ibadan region in relation to flooding
2.3 Socio economic facilities in Ibadan region
vEducation
vEconomy
vAgriculture
vHealth and solid waste disposal
vWater
vtransportation
2.4 Socio-cultural activities in Ibadan region
vBowers tower
vStraberg lake
vOja oba
vMapo hall
vBodija market
vDominican community
1.0 Introduction
The tour of Ibadan region was held on 7th of February 2014, with the aim of visiting strategic places in Ibadan region e.g the mapo hall, landmarks, central business district e.t.c.
Ibadan region is one of the largest city in Africa in terms of land mass and the third largest in Nigeria in terms of population after Lagos and Kaduna. It has the areal coordinate of about 30 50’ East and Longitude 70 08’ and 70 29’ North. Ibadan region lies between the grassland and forest. This study will give a concise report of Ibadan region tour in relation to the outline given above.
1.01 HISTORY OF IBADAN
Ibadan came into existence in 1829.According to local historians, Lagelu, the Jagun (commander-in-chief) of Ife and Yoruba’s top military leaders, left Ile Ife with a handful of people from Ife, Oyo and Ijebu to found a new city, Eba Odan, which literally means “between the forest and plains.” According to HRH Sir Isaac Babalola Akinyele, the late Olubadan (king) of Ibadan (Olu Ibadan means Lord of Ibadan), in his authoritative book on the history of Ibadan, Iwe Itan Ibadan, printed in 1911, the first city was destroyed due to an incident at an Egungun (masquerade) festival when an Egungun was accidentally disrobed and derisively mocked by women and children in an open marketplace full of people. In Yorubaland, it was an abomination for women to look an Egungun in the eye because the Egunguns were considered to be the dead forefathers who returned to the earth each year to bless their progeny. When the news reached Sango, the then Alaafin of Oyo, he commanded that Eba Odan be destroyed for committing such abominable act.
Lagelu was by now an old, frail man; he could not stop the destruction of his city, but he and some of his people survived the attack and fled to a nearby hill for sanctuary. On the hill they survived by eating oro fruit and snails; later, they cultivated the land and made corn and millets into pap meals known as oori or eko, which they ate with roasted snails. They improvised a bit by using the snail shells to drink the liquefied eko. Ultimately, Lagelu and his people came down from the hill and founded another city called Eba’dan.
The new city instantly grew prosperous and became a commercial nerve centre. Shortly
afterwards, Lagelu died, leaving behind a politically savvy people and a very stable community. The newly enthroned Olubadan made a friendly gesture to the Olowu of Owu by allowing Olowu to marry his only daughter, Nkan. Coming from a war campaign one day, the raging Odo Oba (River Oba) would not allow Olowu and his army to cross until a human sacrifice was performed to appease the angry river. The chosen sacrifice was Nkan. The Olubadan was infuriated at hearing of Nkan’s death; he sent an emissary to inform the Alafin of Oyo. Yoruba kings and rulers such as Alake of Egba, Agura of Gbagura, Ooni of Ife, Awujale of Ijebu. Then the Olubadan sent his army to attack the powerful Olowu of Owu and defeated him. The Olowu committed suicide to escape being captured by the Ibadan army. The battle shattered the great Owu kingdom into pieces till today. Some of it remains in the mother town which is the present Orile-Owu in Osun State, while others are in Ogun State, known as Owu Abeokuta and etc.
A part of Ibadan was historically an Egba town. The Egba occupants were forced to leave the town and moved to present-day Abeokuta under the leadership of Sodeke as result of their disloyalty. Ibadan grew into an impressive and sprawling urban center so much that by the end of 1829, Ibadan dominated the Yorùbá region militarily, politically and economically. The military sanctuary expanded even further when refugees began arriving in large numbers from northern Oyo following raids by Fulani warriors. After losing the northern portion of their region to the marauding Fulanis, many Oyo indigenes retreated deeper into the Ibadan environs.
The Fulani Caliphate attempted to expand further into the southern region of modern-day Nigeria, but was decisively defeated by the armies of Ibadan in 1840.
In 1893 Ibadan area became a British Protectorate after a treaty signed by Fijabi, the Baale of Ibadan with the British acting Governor of Lagos-George C. Denton on 15 August. By then the population had swelled to 120,000. The British developed the new colony to facilitate their commercial activities in the area, and Ibadan shortly grew into the major trading centre that it is today.
To furthermore appreciate its location as to according to prof. akinola 1963, its area extends for about 55 km from Asejire in the east to Agemo in the west and for about 70 km from Iroko in the North to Mamu on the south.
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It’s the capital of the defunct Western Region, Western State, Old Oyo State and new Oyo State, one of
the thirty-six (36) States of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and lies 128 km North East of Lagos (Nigerian Commercial and Industrial City) and 345 km South West of Federal Territory (FCC) Abuja. It also situates 30 50’ East and Longitude 70 08’ and 70 29’ North. In addition, it consists of eleven local government areas after several transformations which are sub-divided into municipal areas and the Semi/Urban areas. The arrays of these local governments are Ibadan North, Ibadan North East, Ibadan North West, Ibadan South East, Ibadan South West, Egbeda, Oluyole, Ona Ara, Lagelu, Ido, and Akinyele.
Ibadan and its region display a stupefying mix of old and new and of tradition and modernity. This mix in its different facets is apparent both within and between the city and the region. This contrast, as reflected by the housing forms and settlement pattern within the city, is described by a Nigerian poet and playwright- J.P. Clark- as “rust and gold, flung and scattered among seven hills like broken China in the sun.”
Fg. 1
Sculpture of Lagelu, the founder of Ibadan.
2.1 POPULATION
Ibadan is the third largest metropolitan area, by population, in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan 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.
Until 1970, Ibadan was the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa. In 1952, it was estimated that the total area of the city was approximately 103.8 km2. However, only 36.2 km2 was built up. This meant that the remaining 67 km2 were devoted to non-urban uses, such as farmlands, river floodplains, forest reserves and water bodies. These “non-urban land uses” disappeared in the 1960s: an aerial photograph in 1973 revealed that the urban landscape had completely spread over about 100 km2. The land area increased from 136 km2 in 1981 to 210–240 km2 in 1988-89 (Areola, 1994: 101). By the year 2000, it is estimated that Ibadan covered 400 km2. The growth of the built-up area during the second half of the 20th century (from 40 km2 in the 1950s to 250 km2 in the 1990s) shows clearly that there has been an underestimate of the total growth of the city. In the 1980s, the Ibadan-Lagos expressway generated the greatest urban
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sprawl (east and north of the city), followed by the Eleiyele expressway (west of the city). Since then, Ibadan city has spread further into the neighbouring local government areas of Akinyele and Egbeda in particular.
2.2 PHYSICAL FEATURES OF IBADAN IN RELATION TO FLOODING
Ibadan, going by its physical setting consists of ridges that run in North West to South West direction. The largest of these ridges lies in the central part of the city, and peaks such as Mapo, Mokola and Aremo. These hills range in elevation from 160 and 275 meters above the sea level and thus make the general drainage layout to be predominantly dendrite. There is a flood plain called RESTORATION BRIDGE before secretariat Ikolba area, houses are closely built especially in Ibadan core area around Oja-Oba, Bere, Oopo-Yoosa, there is no adequate ventilation and in most cases, the roads are not motorable, which results in flooding. According to history, it was recorded that Ibadan had serious flooding occurrences amongst which are; the flood of Ogunpa river in 1960, 1963, 1978 and 1980. Also, in recent years (2011-2013), a number of factors have been noted to have caused this. One of the most prominent is the poor sewage disposal system which has contributed immensely to flooding in Ibadan. In an attempt to put an end to this, government at both state and federal level has made notable measures which include: reconstruction/restoration of drainages in Ogunpa and proper disposal of refuses.
Picture showing a flooded area in Ibadan.
Fg. 2
2.3 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACILITIES IN IBADAN REGION
EDUCATION
Education according to Aristotle is said to be developing a sound mind in a sound body. It could also be said to be a form of learning in which knowledge, skills and habit of a group of people are being transferred from one generation to another through teaching or research.
Ibadan as a region has experienced growth in the area of educational development. The first European to settle here in Ibadan, Reverend Hinderer and his wife started Ibadan’s first western school and the first university to be set up in Nigeria was the University of Ibadan, it was established a college of the University of London in 1948 and latter converted to an autonomous university in 1962, the polytechnic
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of Ibadan was also located in the city, so many educational institution can be found in Ibadan both secondary, primary and research school, both private bodies and governmental organizations. Ibadan has been a pace setter in the area of education in Nigeria.
Fg. 3
Picture showing main entrance of the University of Ibadan
ECONOMY
Ibadan region can be said to be full of economic activities. Industries in Ibadan are in different areas largely due to the location of the industrial estate like Oluyole, old Lagos road, Olubadan industrial estate near express toll gate, Nigerian Breweries and so many others, processing agricultural products, leather work and furniture; flour milling. Traditional craft industry is still prominent in some part of the region like blacksmith.
Ibadan has become a major commercial district providing goods and services not only for the populace but for the country at large with it strategic location at the dormant railway line connecting Lagos and Kano, it is a major centre for the sale of cocoa, cotton, timber, e.t.c. Dugbe serves as the central market district, and some other places like Gbagi, Aleshinloye, Gate, Ekotedo, e.t.c. Commercial activities also take place in Bodija, Oje, Oja-Oba, Agbowo, and all the surrounding areas.
Banks: This is one of the important facilities present in the region and plays very vital role in the commercial life of the region are mostly concentrated along Oyo State Secretariat such as First Bank, Skye Bank, Zenith Bank, Ecobank etc
Pictures showing some of the one the major commercial centres
Fg. 4
AGRICULTURE
In Ibadan, as in other parts of the country, agricultural activities has been on decline due to the fast growing pace of industrial activities and high degree of urbanization in the region. In the region, farming is done with the use of primitive farming implements such as ; hoe, cutlass, e.t.c, however it is important to know that there are large farmlands mainly government plantations and farms. The soil and climate of Ibadan region are suitable for the production of both arable and cash crop as Ibadan is one of the highest supplier of cocoa in the country. Among food crops cultivated in the region are yam, cassava, vegetable and fruits. The region arise house some agricultural institute which as contributed immensely on the growth of agriculture in the area e.g. International Institute Of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) that work on tropical crops such as banana, plantain, cowpea, e.t.c and some others like NIHORT, FRIN. Ibadan has enough land to feed it dwellers if well used. Agricultural activities usually take place in the less city areas like Ido, Lagelu, Ona-Ara and other areas.
HEALTH AND SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL IN IBADAN REGION
The health care in Ibadan region can be discussed in two major forms namely: the traditional and the modern health care services. The traditional health care can be found in the Ibadan less city which include areas like Bere, Oje, Modona, Orita- Aperin e.t.c. while the modern health care could be seen in areas like; Oni Reke, Jericho, Eleyele, Iyaganku e.t.c.
The health care providers in Ibadan include both the private and public sector, the public health facilities and centers are not well managed, and it affects the service offered by the government hospitals.
Examples are University College Hospital Ibadan [UCH], Oluyoro Catholic Memorial Hospital, e.t.c. However, the private hospitals have gradually knocked out public health centers through their improvement in health care delivery as observed during the tour which could be about ratio 1:10
The solid waste disposal system in Ibadan is in a deplorable state. Due to the fact that the ever increasing population and industries generate so much waste, the disposal system is so bad that refuse are dumped indiscriminately in streams and toxic materials into the air. According to Oyo State Emergency Maintenance Agency, the flood that occurred in August 29, 2012 was as a result of blocked river channels which were observed to be full of domestic and industrial waste thereby causing the river to overflow its bank. Oyo State Government has been trying to curb this menace by carrying out sanitation regularly.
WATER
Water supply system in Ibadan region became fully operational in 1942 following the construction of Eleyele reservoir on Ona River. The Eleyele reservoir served the region until 1972 when there was a need for another source to satisfy the growing population. This led to the completion of Asejjire water supply scheme. Two years later, the two supplies were not able to satisfy the need of the region due to the fact that the population outgrew the output capacity of the major sources, this was what led to the use of other sources like streams, lakes, springs, well. Rain water was majorly used in the rural areas while wells and bore hole were dug in the urban areas. The problem of water supply in the region is mainly due to frequent damage of water pipes, incessant power failure and fluctuation of water works and booster station. Also not all the water in Ibadan is drinkable or useable e.g. Straberg Lake.
TRANSPORTATION
Ibadan has an airport, and is served by Ibadan Railway Stations on the main railway line from Lagos to Kano. Poorly maintained roads are particularly problematic during rainy season. There are no many dual carriage way in Ibadan, adding to the wealth and terrain roads typically have no speed limit sign or warning sign to alert motorist of turnings, hills, intersection or problems with the road itself such as potholes or eroded beds . Mode of road transport includes; taxis, vans/danfo, private cars. Governor Ajimobi launched vehicles called BRT to ease transportation in the city. It road network follows an irregular pattern, most especially in the rural . Lack of planning control in this most populous section results in an extreme low density of motorable roads. The roads are in most cases not more than pedestrian walk ways. The newer areas of the of the city particularly at the periphery , the government reservation( at Agodi, Iyaganku, and Jericho) and Housing Estates at Kongi and Bodija are less congested . Fg. 2 gives us more insight on the major road networks in the region and their routes in the region
Fg. 5
Road route networks in Ibadan
2.4 SOCIO CULTURAL FEATURES OF IBADAN REGION
There are so many socio- cultural settings in Ibadan, like the Agodi garden which was established in 1977 for Festac77 cultural festival, the Oyo State Cultural Centre is situated on Mokola hills. It is an edifice famous for cultural and art collections. It is revered all over the country for the array of services it offers.
BOWERS TOWER: is a prominent landmark, reputed to be the highest point in Ibadan, unveiled in 1936 in honor of Captain Ross L. Bower.The historic monument, built as a memorial for the peaceful era, the socio-economic development as well as Captain Bower’s administrative acumen. The more-than-60-feet-tall tower was erected on Oke Are, the highest hill among the seven hills of Ibadan city. The 47 spiral staircases of the tower often referred to as “Layipo” has wormed its way into Ibadan mythology and legend. A common saying has it that “a visit to Ibadan without viewing the city from the tower is not complete”.
Fg. 6
The scene of Bowers Tower.
STRABERG LAKE:It is located at Alakia area at Egbeda Local Government. It is a site of tourist attraction that resulted due to the quarrying activities of construction companies. The rocks beneath it are aquifers which necessitate the permeability of water and this rock type is also known to contain high level of water. This lake is has it depth to contain about a nine storey building with a large mass of water without any outlet. Fig 1 and 2 gives a captivating insight
Fig 7. Fig 8.
An over view of Straberg Lake
OJA OBA
Of all the markets in Ibadan land, the oldest and most prominent is Oja’ kar (1839 and 1871). Bale Opeagbe allocated land for the Central Mosque at Oja Oba in 1850 after the first one was destroyed by Basorun Oluyole. Oja oba has been one of the oldest centre of the region and its characterised by old houses wtith red-brownish roof tops, poor drainage system, compact closely related houses with little ventilations. In addition, it market is characterised by linear form of selling. Fg. 5 captures the overview of Oja Oba. It is the unplanned region of the city that was inhabited by the founding fathers if Ibadan during the past years and some of the characteristicslisted above could be observed when critically observed.
Fg. 9
Overview of Oja Oba area which constitute the majorly unplanned area.
Fg. 8
MAPO HALL
Opened on October 5, 1929, Mapo hall was the first office administrative building in western Nigeria. It served as a town hall for Ibadan people and remains a prominent rallying point forIbadan indigenes at home and in Diaspora. The ancient hall was built on 5,969 acres of land and was designed by the then Provincial Engineer, Taffy Jones, with the idea of setting up a structure that will reflect the history and culture of Ibadan people. With a seating capacity of about 700, it currently serves as a major meeting point for politicians and cultural promoters alike. Being the major tourist attraction in Ibadan South-East Local Government Area, it is situated at the crest of Mapo hill, one of the famous seven hills of Ibadan.
Fg. 10
Picture showing a front view of Mapo Hall.
BODIJA MARKET
Bodija market is located in the Ibadan North Local Government area of Oyo State, Nigeria. It is about one kilometer from the University of Ibadan along the road to the State Government’s Secretariat which is also about one kilometer away. Located conspicuously at the heart of Ibadan which is the capital city of Oyo state, Bodija market is a site to behold; crowded and noisy. It is the delight of every wife and others who need to shop to save money. Here, foodstuff come cheapest in the city and in Nigeria as some argue, hence foodstuff buyers happily troop there to buy bulk foodstuff items ranging from rice, garri, beans, elubo, fish, meat e.t.c
Fg. 11
Picture showing typical traders displaying farm produce at Bodija market.
DOMINICAN COMMUNITY
It is an architectural masterpiece that integrates traditional African root with modern architecture. The architect, Demas Nwoko used burnt tiles with abstract mosaic of Africa motif. Its abbey has a wedge shaped almost expressionistic bell-tower to a point. It was listed among 1001 buildings you must see.
Fg. 12 An Overview of Dominican Community
Fg 13
Road route network of Ibadan region
CONCLUSION
The city of Ibadan and its region provide various area of interest to geographers. The contributions in this project illustrate the little diverse interest of scholars and geographers. One need not to be an environmental determinist to appreciate the various impacts the physical environment of the region has on the socio-economic milieu itself has several intricately related sub systems. It is these various physical and socio-economic sub systems that has been briefly analyzed in this project work. Ibadan is a lovely place to be because of its trouble-free environment, and also, it is convenient for different people of different societal class, it is also conducive for learning.
4.0 REFRENCES
Professor A.A Afolayan
Akinola, R.A(1963) “The Ibadan Region” Nigeria and Geographical Journey Vol.
Mabogunje, A.L(1969) Customs policies in Urban Africa.
Mellanby , K. (1974) The birth of Nigeria’s University, Ibadan Press.
Facilitator: Route Plus
www.ibadanregion.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibadan
Ibadan Region (by Geography Department, University of Ibadan, 1994)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The group five members acknowledge the fact that it wouldn’t have been possible without the interesting and educative tour that was organized for the student offering Ibadan region [geo 141].
We want to express our sincere thank to GOD and also to the lecturer in charge in person of professor A .A .Afolayan, for making the tour possible and most importantly educative. I appreciate the keen interest and effort of the Route plus consult and all their staffs, who made it easy for us to access on line information on the tour and also giving out a’’ work with map’’ and other materials .particularly we would also like to acknowledge the lectures that when with us for the tour, and also the geography student association excos who toke it upon themselves to make sure we are all fine. Also the ministry of culture and tourism for their immense support, we really appreciate all your kind gesture towards the accomplishment of the tour.
We would like to acknowledge the contributors to the pages of this report for the time and effort dedicated to put this report together. And also want to thank all the student taking this course for their dedication to the actualization of the objectives of these course
Lastly we wish to appreciate the people that compiled and edited this report we appreciate you for sacrificing your time and energy. We say thank you all.