Ondo State - The Nigerian Journey

Whenever Ondo state is mentioned, many people think of mud houses, naked little children who roam the streets, native men and women with cutlasses and baskets on their way to the farms. Whilst Ondo state has more to offer than all this, the beauty bestowed on this state cannot be overlooked. When you think of Ondo state you think seriously large.

Ondo State, Nigeria was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996. Akure is the state capital. Ondo state was created by military decree No. 12 of 3rd February 1976

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At the time of it's creation, it had a land mass area of 21853km² which included modern day Ekiti

As a state in the South Western extraction of Nigeria, Ondo state is a civilized state in Nigeria blessed with an enabling environment that hosts vast business opportunities yet to be explored. Ondo state prides in a total land scale of 15,500km that serves as home to about four million inhabitants who speak Yoruba as a common dialect.  The land is undoubtedly one with a beautiful and amazing landscape, awe inspiring hills, plains and high soaring mountains that attract tourists all over the world.

 

Popularly called the sunshine state throughout the country because of our impossible beautiful bright atmosphere with a sun filled day and beautiful tropical weather with moderate rain that

makes our state just right for a gorgeous landscape portraits.

Ondo state is proud of its breath taking luxury comfortable hotels and resorts that beautifully and luxuriously decorated, this hostel will help you relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.
 

Ondo state has the African largest bitumen deposit with 42 billion reserves and probably of the quality in Africa.Ondo state is also the largest producer of cocoa in Nigeria. No state as of now Is able to match ondo state in recent development in agriculture. The dominance of ondo state in cocoa production and agriculture generally is second to none.

Ondo state is graced with fertile land and has the capacity to feed Nigeria and export cash crops which would generate revenue for the state and also create foreign exchange.
Ondo state contributes 12 percent of the entire oil production and has created an economically stable environment for investors inside and outside of the country. Ondo state have attracted multi lateral agencies like World Bank, United Nations International Children's Education Fund, Africa development bank and many other.

Ondo State- Image Source: Wikipedia

Ondo state contains eighteen Local Government Areas, the major ones being Akoko, Akure, Okitipupa, Ondo, and Owo. The majority of the state's citizens live in urban centers. The universities in Ondo state are the Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure and the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko. The ethnic composition of Ondo State is largely from the Yoruba subgroups of the Akoko, Akure, Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ondo, and Owo peoples. Ijaw such as Apoi and Arogbo populations inhabit the coastal areas; while a sizable number of the Ondo State people who speak a variant of the Yoruba language similar to Ife dialect reside in Oke-Igbo.

Ondo State consists of eighteen (18) Local Government Areas. They are:

• Akoko North-East
  (headquarters in Ikare)
• Akoko North-West (Headquarters in Okeagbe)
  

• Akoko South-East
• Akoko South-West (headquarters in Oka)
• Akure North
• Akure South
• Ese Odo
• Idanre
• Ifedore
• Ilaje
• Ile Oluji/Okeigbo^[5]
• Irele
• Odigbo
• Okitipupa
• Ondo East
• Ondo West
• Ose
• Owo

List of Tertiary Institutions in Ondo State

• Elizade University, Ilaramokin
• Federal University of Technology Akure
• Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko
• Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa
• Achievers University, Owo
• Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo
• Adeyemi University of Education, Ondo
• Wesley University Ondo
• National Open University of Nigeria Oke Aro road Akure
• University of Medical Sciences, Ondo

Notable people

• Chief Gani Fawehinmi
• Gani Adams
• Jimoh Ibrahim
• King Sunny Ade
• Olu Falae, Olusegun Agagu, Olusegun Mimiko, Olusola Alexander Oke, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde and Prophet T. B. Joshua amongst others
  

See Ondo State Full Documentary video here

The Beauty of Kaduna's 106 Year Old Lugard Hall

Built in the shape of a star, the popular Lugard Hall has a central pavilion with a domed roof. It served as the legislative House of the defunct Northern Nigeria, when Kaduna was the capital of the Northern Region from 1954 to 1967. The Lugard Hall complex was built for the northern legislatures at that time. It is also a replica of the British House of Commons and the House of Lords, making it the third of its kind in the world.

The Lugard Hall was constructed by the British colonial government around 1914. The idea of the hall came as a result of the relocation of the headquarters of Northern Nigeria from Zungeru to Kaduna in 1911. The building’s design was brought by Lord Frederick Lugard who was then Governor of Northern Nigeria. 

 

The historic Lugard Hall is situated at the centre of a circular road in the northern part of Kaduna. It neighbours the Murtala Square by the north. It was constructed with significant resemblance with the typical palaces of northern emirs. In its design, it has decorative motifs and stands at the head of the main street.

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It was named after Lord Lugard, who brought the building's design when he moved to Nigeria from India in 1904. Today, the hall which was once a beehive of activities (because it was established for the whole Northern Region), now serves only one of the 20 units that made up the whole north, Kaduna State. It remains a legislative place up till today 

Two things are responsible for the end of the glorious days of the Lugard Hall; the splitting of the Northern Region into states and disinterest on the activities of the legislatures by Nigerians.

 

The Principal Adviser on building matters to the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Mamman Kankia, said the first person to occupy the Hall was Lord Lugard. He said, “Lugard Hall was not built for buying and selling but for meeting. The Arabic inscription at the corner of the Hall was written by me. Majority of the decisions taken on the region were reached there. The centre became less busy when states were created from the region. Before the creation of states in the region, a week will not pass without northerners coming from different parts of the region to meet on how to move the region forward,” he said.

In the same vein, Lugard roundabout got its prominence because the roundabout links the Hall with the Kaduna city centre. Visitors coming from other parts of the north have to pass through the roundabout before entering the Hall. The roundabout, as it is now, is the biggest of all roundabouts in the city of Kaduna. The murals used in decorating the roundabout are another point of attraction for visitors and even residents.

The Lugard Hall complex currently comprises two prominent historical structures - the Lugard Memorial Councils Chamber and the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The Lugard memorial chamber, which was also referred to as the Northern House of Chiefs, is still the venue where Northern emirs have their meetings.

 

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The stone for the construction of the building was laid on the 27th of June 1947 by the late Sultan of Sokoto, Sultan Abubakar III. He was assisted by Arthur F. Richard. As soon as it was completed, it served as the meeting place for Northern emirs and also for both the nominated and elected representatives of the northern region before the attainment of independence in 1960.