| Osogbo | |
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| — LGA and city — | |
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Osogbo
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Nigeria |
| State | Osun State |
| AreaLGA area | |
| • Total | 47 km2 (18.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2006 Census (LGA)) | |
| • Total | 156,694 |
| Time zone | WAT (UTC+1) |
| 3-digit postal code prefix | 230 |
| ISO 3166 code | NG.OS.OS |
Osogbo (also Oṣogbo , rarely Oshogbo) is a city in Nigeria, the capital of Osun State and a Local Government Area.
The Local Government Area has an area of 47 km² and a population of 156,694 at the 2006 census; the postal code of the area is 230.[1]
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Osogbo lies on the railway line from Lagos to Kano. It is known for the Oshogbo School of Art and the Oja Oba Market building, said to be the former Oba's palace, within yards of the Osogbo Grand Mosque.
Osogbo is the trade center for a farming region. Yams, cassava, grain, and tobacco are grown. Cotton is grown and used to weave cloth. It is also home to several hotels and a football stadium with a capacity of 10,000 and a second division professional league team.
Most of the population are members of the Yoruba ethnic group. In 1988, about 27% of the population were engaged in farming as their primary occupation, 8% were traders and about 30% clerks and teachers.
Osogbo, sometimes called "Ilu Aro" (home of dyeing), is a major dyeing center. The traditional industry is one of the major industries of Osogbo. A number of industries also began to rise after independence, notably small scale establishments involved in textile, foam making, and pencils. Osogbo was made a major industrial development center by the government of Nigeria during the 1970s. Osogbo is also the childhood home ofdramatist Duro Ladipo and the Muslim scholar Sheikh Adelabu.
Osogbo is the venue of the annual Osun-Osogbo festival along the River Osun. The festival is centered around the sacred grove of the river goddess Ọsun,[2] which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,[3]
According to tradition, In Ipole Omu, seven (7) rulers reigned before Olarooye in the following succession:
During the reign of Oba Olarooye at Ipole, life became very unbearable because of incessant dry seasons. The then Ipole people became much dejected, worried and uncomfortable of their losses on their farms, domestics animals and human beings. The Oba Olarooye was worried and disheartened with the situations at Ipole Omu. He wanted emergency solutions to inevitable and uncountable losses. This was the time he ordered the chief hunter at Ipole in person of Timehin and his co-hunters to go on expedition and look for green pastures. Timehin and the other hunters courageously took up the challenge and moved out in search of better place for settlement. The expedition discovered River Osun.
Yoruba tradition claims many people fleeing the Fulani Advancement settled at Osogbo following the fall of old Oyo. As a result Osogbo increased in population largely due to migration from other Yoruba towns. [4]
For want of more open place than grove and a more central location, Larooye and his people abandoned their settlement, including the already flourishing market and moved to Ode-Osogbo. At Ode-Osogbo, Larooye built his new palace at the present day Idi-Osun while Timehin built the ogun shrine now known as Idi-Ogun. Since then, Osogbo has maintained its function as an economic center.
The Ataoja of Osogbo is the traditional tribal king, addressed by the title of Oba. The following is a list of Ataojas of Osogbo, with the dates of their rule:
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