Abeokuta

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(ä'bē-ō-kū') pronunciation

A city of southwest Nigeria north of Lagos. It is a trade center in an agricultural region. Population: 593,000.


City (pop., 2002 est.: 529,700), southwestern Nigeria. Located about 50 mi (80 km) north of Lagos, Abeokuta was established 1830 as a refuge from intertribal wars. It was the chief town of the Egba, who long maintained a working relationship with the British; not until 1914 was it incorporated into British Nigeria. The modern town is an agricultural and exporting centre.

For more information on Abeokuta, visit Britannica.com.

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Abeokuta (ä'bēōkū'tə, ăb'-), city (1991 est. pop. 377,000), SW Nigeria. It is the trade center for an agricultural region producing rice, yams, cassava, cotton, fruit, vegetables, and palm products. Manufactures of the city include beer, cement, dyed textiles, and canned foods. There are granite quarries nearby that provide building materials for S Nigeria. Abeokuta was founded in the 1830s by Egba refugees from the Yoruba civil wars.


Abeokuta
—  City  —
Abeokuta is located in Nigeria
Abeokuta
Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 7°9′39″N 3°20′54″E / 7.16083°N 3.34833°E / 7.16083; 3.34833
Country  Nigeria
State Ogun State
Population (2005)
 • Total 593,140

Abeokuta is the largest city and capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated at 7°9′39″N 3°20′54″E / 7.16083°N 3.34833°E / 7.16083; 3.34833Coordinates: 7°9′39″N 3°20′54″E / 7.16083°N 3.34833°E / 7.16083; 3.34833, on the Ogun River; 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. As of 2005, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 593,140.

Contents

Geography and agriculture

Abẹokuta lies in fertile country, the surface of which is broken by masses of grey granite. It is spread over an extensive area, being surrounded by mud walls 18 miles in extent. Palm-oil, timber, rubber, yams and shea-butter are the chief articles of trade. It lies below the Olumo Rock, home to several caves and shrines. The town depends on the Oyan River Dam for its water supply, which is not always dependable.[1]

History

Kuto Road in Abeokuta.

Abeokuta (meaning "under the rocks") began as a place of refuge in 1825 from slavehunters from Dahomey and Ibadan. The village populations scattered over the open country to take refuge among the rocks surrounding the city. Here they formed a free confederacy of many distinct groups, each preserving the traditional customs, religious rites and the names of their original villages.

The original settlers of Abeokuta were of the Egba nation.[2] Later, some members of other Yoruba clans came to the settlement. Baptist and Anglican missionaries from Great Britain began to serve the area in the 19th century.[2]

In 1851 and 1864, the forces of Abẹokuta defeated Dahomean slave raiders.[2]

In 1893, the Egba United Government based in Abẹokuta was recognized by the United Kingdom. In 1914, the city was made part of the colony of Nigeria by the British.[2]

The "Rock of Abeokuta", seen around 1892

Notable natives and residents

  • Chief Olufusibi Coker (also known as "Aderupoko") (b. 18xx- d. 19xx), was the first Oluwo of Itesi Abeokuta. He was born as the third son of Isaac Olufusibi Coker and Mama Sarah Taiwo. He became a prosperous farmer and trader. He became the first Oluwo of Itesi Abeokuta in 1897, after the death of Chief Lokunjobi, the junior brother of Mama Sarah Taiwo. Chief Olufusibi Coker was an outstanding philanthropist. He was given the title of the first Oluwo of Abeokuta in 1905 by Oba Gbadebo 1. During the war, he recruited his own soldiers and controlled the boundaries between Abeokuta and Ibadan (in Bakatari) and between Remo and Egbas (in Fidiwo) to check the advancements of the enemies. To this day, his descendants own the boundary lands in Fidiwo and Bakatari.

References

  1. ^ Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji (February 23, 2010). "Water scarcity bites harder in Abeokuta". Next. http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5530447-146/water_scarcity_bites_harder_in_abeokuta.csp. Retrieved 2010-05-22. 
  2. ^ a b c d Canby, Courtlandt. The Encyclopedia of Historic Places. (New York: Facts on File Publications, 1984), p. 2.

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