Akoko

ʻAkoko, with an initial glottal stop, is the Hawaiian term for the plant genus Euphorbia (spurges).

Akoko is a large Northeast Yoruba settlement in Yorubaland, the area spans from Ondo state to Edo state in southwest Nigeria. Akoko takes a large percentage of the local governments in Ondo state. Out of the present 18 Local Government Councils it takes four, Akoko North-East, Akoko North-West, Akoko South-East and Akoko South-West. Adekunle Ajasin University, a state owned university, is located in Akungba-Akoko. A state specialist hospital is at Ikare Akoko, while a general hospital is located in Oka-Akoko.

Geography

Akoko comprises about 40 small towns, predominantly situated in rocky areas of Ondo state. The rocky terrain nevertheless, may have helped the region to become a melting pot of sorts with different cultures coming from the north, eastern and southern Yoruba towns and beyond. Akoko became one of the few Yoruba clans with no distinctive local dialect of their own. Major Akoko settlements include Ikare, Oka, Oba, Ikun, Arigidi, Ogbagi, Okeagbe, Ikaram, Ibaram, Iyani, Akungba, Erusu, Ajowa, Akunu, Gedegede, Isua, Auga, Ikakumo, Supare, Epinmi, Ipe, Ifira, Ise, Iboropa, Irun, Afin, Igashi, Sosan, Ipesi, Etioro, Ayegunle and Oyin. In addition to this group, there are several other autonomous communities.

Akoko is popularly known as the home of education and has the second largest number of professors in the country, with the Ekiti taking the lead.

Ikare Akoko is the biggest city in the Akoko area. It has an I.C.T resource center where its people have the opportunity to connect to and communicate with other individuals across the country and around the world. In addition, the city also has the largest number of cybercafes in the Akoko area. Also another big and well known general Hospital is being located in Ipe Akoko, and a big secondary school Ipe High School.

Auga-Akoko is a small town located at the North-East of Ikare with about 3000 population mostly involved in farming activities. They are known for production of Cocoa, Coffea, Yam, Cassava which is locally processed to "Gari" as it's called. Auga is made of two towns: Okemole whose inhabitants are predominantly Muslims and Okegbagbo,about 3km apart.

Industry

Predominant traditional occupations of the community include large scale farming and teaching. In contemporary time, military, policing and para-military is the common denominator of all Akoko communities. This is clearly displayed in the fact that every Akoko state constituency produced in the last 20 years at least a commissioner of police or equivalent in the other military and para-military (Customs, Immigration, Prisons, Federal Road Safety Corps etc.). Akoko also produced the most prominent Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps in the person of Dr. Olu Agunloye and the former Inspector General of Police Gabriel Sunday Ehindero.

Notable people

Notable members of the Akoko clan include:

References