Ogun State

CHAIRMAN: GIWA MUFUTAU OSENI

PROFILE OF IJEBU ODE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

INTRODUCTION

The administration of Ijebu-Ode Township started with the advent of Colonial administration in Ijebu and its environs.  Ijebu Provincial Administration was created in 1923 with Ijebu-Ode as its provincial headquarter.  The choice of Ijebu-Ode as the seat of the Western style of Government of Ijebu people was a deliberate and conscious decision of the British government to sustain the Pre-Colonial Status of Ijebu-Ode and

the seat of AWUJALE.

When the Western Regional Government introduced the system of Division administration in 1953, Ijebu-Ode had continued to play an important role with the passage of time and with successive Local Government Reforms.

However, the 1976 Local Government Reform by the Federal Government changed the structure of governance from Local Government Administration to Local Government system with a single-tier that put it on a sound footing of which Ijebu-Ode Local Government was not an exception.  Ever since, Ijebu-Ode Local Government has been forging ahead till today with it’s headquarters in ITORO, the heart of Ijebu-Ode.

In 1996 and 1999, Ijebu North East and Odogbolu Local Government were respectively carved out from Ijebu-Ode Local Government, despite this, Ijebu-Ode Local Government still remains a formidable Local Government.

 

Giwa Mufutu Oseni - Local Governement Chairman Ijebu-Ode

EMPIRICAL FACT ON IJEBU-ODE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

 

1.1.1.          LOCATION AND SIZE:  Geographically, the Local Government is bounded in the North by IJEBU-NORTH Local Government and IJEBU-EAST Local Government in the East by North Local Government in the South by LAGOS STATE and in the West is ODOGBOLU Local Government. Ijebu-Ode Local Government is one of the smallest in the state in terms of landmass which covers about 130,000 acres of land.  It is located within the tropics as it lies along latitude 6.47’ North and longitude 3.58’ East. 

1.1.2.          TOPOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY:  The geographical landscape of Ijebu-Ode Local Government comprises extensive fertile soil which is most suitable for Agriculture.  The Local Government has a little bit of forest reserve in the rural areas.

1.1.3.          ACCESSIBILITY:  The Local Government area is one of the main gateways to other parts of Nigeria.  This singular factor needs to be fully utilized as all Roads leading to the Northern and Southern part of the Country passes through it from LAGOS-SAGAMU END. Its proximity to LAGOS (former FCT and commercial nerve center of the country) and IBADAN (Africa’s Largest City and Capital of Oyo State) with LAGOS having an international Airport. LAGOS is about 90km away while IBADAN is just 65km away from the heart of Ijebu-Ode.

1.1.4.          ETHNIC GROUP AND TRADITION: Ijebu-Ode Local Government indigenes belong to the Yoruba ethnic group comprising mainly Ijebu People.  The people are hospitable and accommodating, hence Nigeria from other parts of the Country live peacefully with them.

1.1.5.          LANGUAGE AND FOOD:  The main languages of communication in the Local Government are English and Yoruba, even though the indigenes speak various dialects of the Yoruba Language.   The customized food of the people is usually IKOKORE, EBA and EGUSI.

1.1.6.          DEITIES:

• Ogun
• Sango
• Ayelela
• Oluweri
• Obatala
• Ita
• Egun

1.1.7.          RELIGION:  The two dominant religions in Ijebu-Ode Local Government are Christianity and Islam.  A small portion of the people still practice traditional religion.

1.1.8.          MAJOR FESTIVALS

• Jigbo
• Obanta Day
• Obinrin Ojowu
• Ojude Oba
• Oro
• Agemo

 

1.1.9.          POLITICAL REPRESENTATIONS: For ease of Administration, the Local Government Areas is predominantly divided into 4 geo-Political Zones which comprise 11 wards in all with one councilor representing each ward.

 

               ZONE    1   Wards     1, 2, 4 & 5      ITUNMETALA

               ZONE    2   Wards     3, 8 & 9          IWADE OKE

               ZONE    3   Wards      6, & 7            POROGUN

               ZONE    4   Wards     10 & 11          DISTRICT

 

Ward 1.         =          Isoku Ososa

Ward 2.         =          Odo Esa

Ward 3.         =          Itantebo/Ita Ogbin

Ward 4.         =          Ijada/Imepe 1

Ward 5.         =          Ijada/Imepe II

Ward 6.         =          Porogun I

Ward 7.         =          Porogun II

Ward 8.         =          Ijasi/Idepo

Ward 9.         =          Odoegbo/Oliworo

Ward 10.        =          Isiwo

Ward 11.        =          Itamapako

 

Zones 1, 2 & 3 are urbanized.  In contrast, the “district” geo Political zone of the Local Government Area is basically agrarian as there are several hundreds of hectares of land that are suitable for mechanized farming, livestock, poultry and fish farming.

 

1.1.10      EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS:   Ijebu-Ode Local Government area has one of the oldest Educational Institution Established in the country.  Our Saviour’s Primary School Italowajoda, Ijebu-Ode was founded in 1893 while Ijebu Ode Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode was created in 1913.  As a result, this Local Government Area can be regarded as one of the earliest place where formal (Western) Education was first introduced in the country.