OGUN STATE AT GLANCE

...... .PHYSICAL STRUCTURE
....... POPULATION
........LAND USE
....... MAJOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
.... ...PLANTATION

OGUN STATE PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME: Ogun State of Nigeri  

APPELLATION: The Gateway State                                    

STATE CAPITAL: Abeokuta is about 100 km north of Lagos, Nigeria's business capital.

CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS: One of the 36 States of the Federation of Nigeria

DATE OF CREATION: February 3, 1976

LOCATION: Ogun State is in southern-western Nigeria, and lies within to the tropics. It is bounded to the West by Benin Republic; to the South by Lagos state and Atlantic Ocean; to the East by Ondo State; and to the North by Oyo and Osun States. It is situated between Latitude 6.2°N and 7.8~ and Longitude 3.0oEand 5.0oE.

LAND AREA: 16,409.26 square kilometres

POPULATION: Projected estimate 3,728,098 comprising of 1,847,243 males and 1,880,855 females.

THE PEOPLE: The people of Ogun State belong to the Yoruba ethnic group of south-west Nigeria and also live in parts of Benin Republic and Togo, with substantial Diaspora elements in Brazil, Cuba and Sierra Leone, consequential to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. The sub-groups are mainly the Egba, Yewa, Awori, Egun, Ijebu, Remo, Ikale and Ilaje, Anago, Ketu, Ohori etc.

LANGUAGES: Yoruba and English (Official Languages), and several dialects of the sub-groups.

FESTIVALS: Olumo, Ogun, 19unnuko, Osun, Orisa-Oko, Egungun, Obirin-Ojowu, Gelede, Oro and Sango.

VEGETATION: High forest zone of rain forest in the southern part.

CLIMATIC CONDITION: tropical pattern with rainy season starting about March and ending in November and followed by dry season. The mean annual rainfall varies from 128cm in the southern parts of the State to 105cm in the northern areas. The average monthly temperature ranges from 23°C to 32°C in February.

NATURAL RESOURCES: Extensive fertile soil suitable for agriculture, with Savannah belt in north-western part suitable for cattle rearing. Vast forest reserves, rivers, a lagoon, rocks, mineral deposits and oceanfront.

MINERAL RESOURCES: Limestone, tar sand, crude oil, bitumen, gypsum, feldspars, quartz, phosphate, mica, glass sand, clay, high quality granite stones, gravels, decorative stones and kaolin.

TOURISM SITES: Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Birikisu Sugbo Shrine at Oke-Eri in Ijebu- Ode, Yemoji Natural Swimming Pool at Ijebu-ode, Oyan dam in Abeokuta North, Iwopin Boat Regatta and Ebute-Oni in Ogun Waterside. Other sites are Madam Tinubu Shrine, Abeokuta; Oronna Shrine, Ilaro; Area J4 Forest Reserve; Tongeji Island, Ipokia; Old Manse at Ogbe, Abeokuta; St. James Anglican School, Ota and Ijamido River Shrine, Ota.

SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional Democracy in a Federal Republic, with elected Executive and Legislature, and an independent Judiciary.

LOCAL ADMINISTRATION: Twenty (20) Local Government Areas: Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Ado-Odo/Ota, Yewa North, Yewa South, Ifo, Ijebu East, Ijebu North, Ijebu-Ode, Ikenne, Obafemi/ Owode, Odeda, Odogbolu, Sagamu, Ogun Waterside, Imeko-Afon, Ipokia, Ijebu North-East, Ewekoro and Remo North.