Ilesa | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Ilesa Roundabout, Owa obokun statue | |
  Ilesa Location in Nigeria | |
| Coordinates: 7°37′0″N 4°43′0″E / 7.61667°N 4.71667°E | |
| Country | Nigeria |
| State | Osun State Ekiti State |
| Seat | The Royal Palace |
| Government | |
| • Type | Monarchy |
| • His Imperial Majesty , Owa Obokun Adimula | Aromolaran II |
| Population (2016) | |
• Total | 384,334 |
• Estimate (2024) | 416,000 |
| (Metropolitan Area only ) https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/cities/21997/ilesha/population#:~:text=The%20current%20metro%20area%20population,a%203.77%25%20increase%20from%202021. | |
| National language | Ilesa |
Ilesa (Yoruba: Iléṣà) is a historic city located in Osun State, southwest Nigeria; it is also the name of the capital of a historic state-kingdom(also known as Ijesha) centred around that town as the capital .[1][2][3] The state is ruled by a highly revered first class monarch who is one of the most prominent monarchs of the Yoruba Race (one of the largest ethnicities in Africa) and Nigeria at large bearing the title of His Imperial Majesty , the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland.[4] The city of Ilesa consists of Ilesa itself and a number of surrounding cities.[5][6]
The Ijesa, a term also denoting the people of the state of Ijeshaland, are part of the present Osun State of Nigeria. Although the historic state-kingdom is mainly placed within Osun State , it has towns and cities covering several south-western Nigerian states [7].[8] Some of the popular towns of the Ijesa are Odo-Ijesa, Ilaje, Igbogi, Ise-Ijesa, Ibokun, Erin Oke, Erin Odo, Ijeda-Ijesa, Ipetu Jesa, Ijebu-Jesa, Esa-Oke,Esa Odo, Ipole Ijesa, Ifewara Ijesa, Ipo Arakeji, Iloko Ijesa, Iwara Ijesa, Iperindo Ijesa, Erinmo Ijesa, Iwaraja Ijesa, Oke-Ana Ijesa, Idominasi, Ilase Ijesa, Igangan ijesa, Imo Ijesa, Alakowe Ijesa, Osu Ijesa, Eti Oni, Itaore, Itagunmodi, Iyinta, Itaapa, Epe Ijesa, Omo Ijesa, Eti-oni, Ibokun, Inila, Ijinla, Iloba Ijesa, Imogbara Ijesa, Eseun Ijesa, Iloo, Owena Ijesa, Ido Ijesa, Ido Oko, Ibala Ijesa, Ere Ijesa, Ilahun, Ibodi, Ijaaregbe, Ikinyinwa, Idominasi, Ilowa, and Ibodi.[9]
The state of Ijeshaland was founded c.1300 by Ajibogun Ajaka Owa Obokun Onida Raharaha, a warlike youngest son of Yoruba Projenitor Oduduwa . All kings of Ijeshaland are considered to be direct descendants of Oduduwa ; who is the founder of the Yoruba people and is considered as a God-King.
Ilesa is known for its natural resources and minerals especially Gold[10] , it is said the Ilesa and Ijeshaland at large according to geological studies . Ilesa has at the very minimum , 5 Billion US dollars worth of Gold alongside the Ilesa Gold belt axis . However the number is expected to rise in value as significant exploration for commercially quantifiable Gold deposits only began in the last decade .[11]
Areas in Ilesa
- ^ "Osun 2014: Ijesa North Traditional Rulers Declare Support for Aregbesola". thisdaylive.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015.
- ^ punchng (11 November 2018). "Osun begins construction of Ilesa New Town". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Ilesa New Town: reviving rural urbanisation". The Nation. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "From Ancient to Modern Cities". thisdaylive.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015.
- ^ "Ajayi Emerges New King of Erinmo-Ijesha". thisdaylive.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015.
- ^ Bamigbola, Bola (3 December 2023). "Rehabilitate Ibadan–Ife–Ilesha road, ex-Osun commissioner urges FG". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "In pictures: Country of kings, Nigeria's many monarchs". BBC News. 13 October 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
- ^ "Osun 2014: The Battle for Aregbesola's Job". thisdaylive.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015.
- ^ Trager, Lillian (2001). Yoruba Hometowns. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 9781555879815.
- ^ www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/525526-special-report-osun-in-the-mud-as-mining-greed-intensifies.html. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Tackling Illegal Gold Mining in Osun – THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 22 November 2024.