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.

What you actually see

• 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.

Honest expectations

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.