Old Oyo National Park

Old Oyo covers around two and a half thousand square kilometres of Guinea savanna in northern Oyo State, and it is unusual in Nigeria for combining a wildlife park with a major archaeological site: within its boundaries lie the remains of Oyo-Ile, the capital of the Oyo empire, which dominated much of what is now southwestern Nigeria and Benin before being abandoned in the 1830s. Earth walls, gates, a palace area, grinding hollows and pottery scatters survive under the bush. The wildlife is savanna species, roan antelope, kob, baboon, warthog and a good bird list, though numbers have been reduced by poaching. Facilities are minimal and visitors are few.

History

The park takes its name from Oyo-Ile, the old capital of the Oyo Empire of the Yoruba, whose ruins lie inside it. It grew from two native administration forest reserves, Upper Ogun of 1936 and Oyo-Ile of 1941, which became game reserves in 1952 and were later combined and raised to national park status (Wikipedia, Old Oyo National Park).

Highlights

• Oyo-Ile earthworks - the walls and gates of the old capital under bush.
• The palace area - the excavated and traced core of the city.
• Savanna wildlife - antelope, baboon and warthog on the plains.
• Agbaku cave - the rock shelter associated with the old settlement.

When to go

November to March in the dry season, when grass is low, the ruins are visible and tracks are passable. The rains bring high grass that hides both wildlife and archaeology. Harmattan haze is heaviest in December and January.

Things to know

Wildlife numbers are low and sightings limited. The archaeology is overgrown and needs a guide to interpret. Facilities are very basic with limited accommodation. Roads within the park are rough.

Nearby

Igboho lies east; Ibadan is south.

Key facts