Okitipupa
| Okitipupa Idepe | |
|---|---|
| LGA | |
| Country |
 Nigeria |
| State | Ondo State |
| Government | |
| • Type | Local Government Council and Okitipupa is the Local Government headquarter |
| Time zone | WAT (UTC+1) |
Okitipupa is a Local Government Area in Ondo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Okitipupa, with a university that commenced academy in year 2010/2011 section: Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OSUSTECH).
It has always been known as Ode-Idepe. The name Okitipupa originated from the elevation of the town and the colour of the soil of the town which is red in colour referred to in Yoruba language and its dialects as 'pupa'.Okiti-pupa is derived from Yoruba language Okiti(Hilly) and Pupa(Red) which was used by people travelling from other communities to trade in the Okitipupa central market. Today, inhabitants interchangeably use the names of Okitipupa and Idepe freely.
It is native to the Ikales, who are a sub-set of the larger Yoruba tribe. It has always been the central town for inhabitants of the Ondo South senatorial district of Ondo state comprising okitipupa, Irele, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Odigbo and Ile-oluji/Oke-Igbo local governments due to the presence of several amenities. It was a district in the colonial days before Nigeria's independence in 1960.It has a university, a Specialist hospital, several private hospitals, a Magistrate court, a High court, a Police division, an Army Base, Commercial banks, a Telephone exchange, numerous primary and secondary schools.
The Ikale natives are predominantly farmers. The major cash crop being cultivated in the area are Oil-Palm, Rubber and Cassava. They also cultivate Yam, Beans, Okro, Pepper, Melon and Vegetables. Staple food includes but is not limited to Baked cassava popularly known as Pupuru, Yam, Rice, Yam Flour and Cassava Flakes(Garri) among others.
It has a market that has been a major shopping centre for traders from all of Yoruba land and beyond since the pre-colonial era due to the palm-oil sold there. A modern market was built by the administration of Chief Herbert Kuewumi in 1979 when he was chairman of the Old Okitipupa Local government before the administration of Dr Olusegun Mimiko as Governor of Ondo state rebuilt the market in 2009. A larger percentage of the roads in the town were constructed by the administration of Dr. Olusegun Kokumo Agagu when he was Governor of Ondo state.
Major industries located in the town include the Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc and Oluwa Glass Factory(Both of listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange).Palm-Oil and Rubber plantations litter the landscape.
It has an area of 803 km² and a population of 233,565 at the 2006 census.
The postal code of the area is 350.[1]
References
- ↑ "Post Offices- with map of LGA". NIPOST. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
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