Ibadan

Ibadan grew in the nineteenth century as a military settlement and became one of the largest cities in West Africa, spreading over a series of hills in a mass of low buildings whose rusted corrugated roofs give the standard view from any high point its colour. Bower's Tower on Oke Are, built in 1936, is the usual place to see it from. Mapo Hall, the colonial-era town hall of 1929, stands on another hill above the old city and the Oja Oba market. The University of Ibadan, founded in 1948 as the first university in Nigeria, has a zoological garden and a botanical garden, and Cocoa House was for a time the tallest building in tropical Africa.

History

The name comes from "Eba-Odan", "by the edge of the meadow", and the city came into being in 1829, in a time of upheaval in Yorubaland when old cities such as Old Oyo disappeared and new ones such as Abeokuta and Ibadan arose; local historians name Lagelu as its founder. Built on a forest site with several ranges of hills, it grew into one of the largest cities in West Africa (Wikipedia, Ibadan).

The main sights

• Bower's Tower - the 1936 tower and the view over the rusted roofs.
• Mapo Hall - the colonial town hall above the old city.
• The University of Ibadan - the first Nigerian university and its gardens.
• Oja Oba market - the old city market below Mapo.

When to go

November to March in the dry season, though harmattan haze can flatten the view from Bower's Tower in December and January. Weekday mornings are best for the sites and worst for traffic.

Good to know

Traffic congestion is heavy and crossing the city takes a long time. Bower's Tower and Mapo Hall have been through periods of neglect and closure. The city has few conventional sights for its size. Air quality is poor during harmattan.

Nearby

Ile-Ife lies east; Abeokuta is south.

Key facts