Oyo State

Oyo State is a state in southwestern Nigeria, with its capital at Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the 'Pace Setter State', it is the largest state in Southern Nigeria by landmass and the second most populous in the region after Lagos. The state is noted for being the site of the first university in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, founded in 1948, and for many other 'firsts' in the country, including the first television station, first stadium, and first teaching hospital. With a projected population of 7,976,100 in 2022, Oyo State is the sixth most populous in Nigeria.

The vast majority of residents are Yoruba, and the state occupies territory once ruled by the powerful Oyo Empire, which controlled much of the region until 1896. The modern city of Oyo, built in the 1830s, serves as a remnant of that imperial era, with the Alaafin continuing a ceremonial role. Formed in 1976 from the former Western State, Oyo originally included what is now Osun State, which split off in 1991. Its capital, Ibadan, was the administrative center of the old Western Region under British colonial rule. The state’s economy remains largely agrarian; the western city of Shaki is considered its breadbasket, with cassava, cocoa, and tobacco among the most important crops. Geographically, Oyo covers about 28,454 square kilometers, with a landscape of old hard rocks and dome-shaped hills rising from 500 meters in the south to 1,200 meters in the north. Major rivers like the Ogun, Oba, and Osun originate in these highlands. The state features natural attractions such as Old Oyo National Park and Agodi parks and gardens, though the endangered African wild dog has been locally extirpated. The climate is equatorial, with dry and wet seasons and average daily temperatures between 25°C and 35°C. Notable landmarks include Cocoa House in Ibadan, the first skyscraper in Africa, and the first television station on the continent, NTA Ibadan. The state also hosts the first teaching hospital in Nigeria, University College Hospital, Ibadan, and several other universities and polytechnics.