Ogun State


Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It is bordered to the south by Lagos State and the Bight of Benin, to the east by Ondo State, and to the north by Oyo and Osun states while its western border forms part of the national border with the Republic of Benin. The capital and largest city is Abeokuta, and the state is divided into 20 local government areas.
Of the 36 states in the country, Ogun is the 24th largest in area but among the top fifteen most populous, with an estimated population of about 6.4 million as of 2020. Geographically, the state lies primarily in the tropical Nigerian lowland forests ecoregion, although parts of the state's north transition into the Guinean forest–savanna mosaic and some of the coastal south reach the Central African mangrove ecoregion. The Ogun and Yewa rivers are the state's major waterways while the Omo Forest Reserve in the southeastern part of the state is one of the most important conservation areas in the country—home to a variety of bird species along with some of Nigeria's last remaining Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee and African forest elephant populations.
Demographically, the Yoruba people are the largest ethnic group in the state—particularly the Awori, Egba, Ijebu, and Yewa subgroups, as well as smaller groups like the Ketu, Ohori, Ilaje, Ikale and Anago. Additionally, there are ethnic minorities of non-indigenous groups in urban areas and indigenous Egun people along the border with Benin. In terms of religion, the majority of the state's population are Christian with a significant Muslim minority.
Historically, parts of modern Ogun State were included in several kingdoms, including the Benin, Ijebu, and Oyo states. In the late nineteenth century, British expeditions took control of the area and Abeokuta became a major center of missionary activity and education. During the early colonial period, the area was part of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate, which later merged into colonial Nigeria. After independence in 1960, the region was part of the Western Region until the creation of Ogun State in 1976 from the old Western State.
Economically, Ogun State is a major industrial hub with a growing base of factories and companies, especially along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway corridor. Agriculture remains vital in rural areas, with key crops including cassava, cocoa, and maize along with the indigenous Ofada rice. The state is also known for its cultural heritage, crafts, and textile traditions along with the arts. Ogun ranks in the mid-range in Human Development Index and has the eighth highest GDP in the country.

History

In pre-colonial times, today's Ogun western portion which is now inhabited by the Egba and Yewa people belonged to the kingdom of Oyo, which sank into civil war mid 1800s. South of Ogun, on the tiny island of Lagos, the British had a naval base near which the town of the same name grew rapidly.
Until the Berlin Congo Conference in 1885, Great Britain had focused on a few strategically placed bases for its merchant fleet and navy, such as Lagos and Calabar, and was not interested in the communities developing there.
After the European colonial powers had staked out their spheres of interest 1885 in Berlin the United Kingdom quickly expanded thusly its territory in the assigned Niger region. Today's Ogun became part of the "Protectorate of Lagos" in 1893 and later of the "Protectorate of Yorubaland", in 1906 of the "Protectorate of Southern Nigeria" and in 1914 of the whole of Nigeria. In 1899 it received a railway connection to Lagos, the "Boat Express" ran through Ogun to Apapa and thus connected the region with the wider world. In 1899, it was several years earlier in this than other regions in West and Central Africa that were not connected to the coast.
In the 1930s, Ogun was a centre of the Nigerian women's movement under the leadership of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Democracy in colonial Nigeria after 1922 only existed in Lagos and Calabar; Nigerians could not participate politically elsewhere.
During the 1940s, food was strictly rationed in Nigeria. The transport of food from the more agrarian Ogun to the hungry metropolis of Lagos was severely penalized.
In the first elections in Ogun, 1954, the semi-socialist "Action Group" under Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ became the strongest party in the Western Region, to which Ogun also belonged.
After independence in 1960, the Yoruba region, and Ogun in particular, was engulfed in conflict between the Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ and Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá fractions of the AG party. In July 1966, the then ruler of Nigeria, Johnson Agulyi-Ironsi, was assassinated in Ibadan in the second coup of the year, which was the prelude to the Biafra War.
The state was formed on 3 February 1976 from part of the former "Western" state.

Geography

Ogun State borders the Republic of Benin to the West for about 185 km, Oyo State and Osun State to the North, Ondo State to the east, Lagos State to the South for about 283 km, and has 31.6 km of coastline on the Bight of Benin to the south, Araromi beach belongs to Irokun land in Ogun Waterside local government but insistently claimed by Ondo state due to the influx of Ilaje migrants from neighbouring communities and due to no attention given to this area by the Ogun state government.

Major rivers

Ogun State consists of twenty local government areas. They are:
Ṣàgámù
Ayetoro
Ilaro

Climate

Ogun has a Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate. The city's yearly average temperature is 29.34 °C and it is -0.12% lower than Nigeria's averages. Ogun receives about 141.58 millimeters of precipitation and has 224.18 rainy days annually.

Economy

The state has a very high concentration of industries and has one of the lowest incidences of extreme poverty according to World Bank data from 2018.
Major companies in Ogun include the Dangote Cement factory in Ibese, Nestle, Lafarge Cement factory in Ewekoro, Memmcol in Orimerunmu, Coleman Cables in Sagamu and Arepo, Procter & Gamble in Agbara. In September 2024, The Ogun State Government announced the establishment of a $5 million battery recycling plant by a British company.

Primary sector

Mining and agriculture are among the most important economic sectors in Ogun. Limestone, chalk, phosphate and gravel are mined and grain, rice, maize, cassava, yams, bananas, cocoa, kola nuts, rubber, palm oil and palm kernels are harvested. The state is the largest producer of kolanut in Nigeria.

Mineral resources in Ogun State

The following are the mineral resources in Ogun State:
Ogún is also the name of the god for metalworking in the local Yoruba nature religion, similar to the Greek Hephaestus or the Roman god Vulcan. The state lives up to this name by being the Nigerian centre for metalworking. Here are two examples:
  • Proforce manufactures armoured vehicles in Ode-Remo, which are also sold to Europe. Since 2008, the company has expanded its product range and also produces drones for the security sector.
  • The wagon assembly plant in Kajola is the only plant in West Africa that manufactures, maintains and repairs railway vehicles.
Ogun also produces timber, ceramic products, bicycle tyres, carpets, adhesives and other products.

Tourist centers in Ogun state

The State government is led by a democratically elected governor who works closely with members of the state's house of assembly. The capital city of the state is Abeokuta.

Electoral system

The governor of the state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two -third of the State local government Areas. If no candidate passes threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government Areas.

Governor

The current governor is Prince Dapo Abiodun, a member of the All Progressives Congress, who heads the Executive Council of Ogun State. On Wednesday 29 May 2019, Dapo Abiodun was sworn in as the fifth Governor of the State at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta. He was re-elected for a second term in office by March 2023.

Local government areas

Ogun State is divided into three senatorial districts:
;* Ogun Central: Ogun Central consists mostly of the Egba that occupies six local governments: Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ewekoro, Ifo, Obafemi Owode and Odeda.
;* Ogun East: Ogun East consists mostly of the Ijebu and the Remo that occupies 9 local governments: Ijebu East, Ijebu North, Ijebu North East, Ijebu ode, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Ogun waterside, Remo North and Sagamu.
;* Ogun West: Ogun West consists mostly of the Yewa that occupies 5 local governments: Ado odo Ota, Imeko Afon, Ipokia, Yewa North and Yewa South.

Demographics

The main ethnic groups in Ogun State are the Ẹgba, Ijebu, Remo, Yewa, Awori and a minority Egun people. There are also sub groups like the Ikale, the Ketu, the Ohori and the Anago.
Languages of Ogun State listed by LGA:
LGALanguages
Abeokuta NorthYoruba; Egba, Yewa
Abeokuta SouthYoruba; Egba)
Ado-Odo/OtaAwori
EwekoroYoruba; Egba
IfoYoruba; Egba
Ijebu EastYoruba; Ijebu
Ijebu NorthYoruba;
Ijebu North EastYoruba; Ijebu
Ijebu OdeYoruba; Ijebu
IkenneYoruba;, Ijebu
Imeko AfonGun/, Yoruba; Ketu, Ohori, Yewa
IpokiaGun, Yoruba; Anago, Awori/Eyo, Yewa
Obafemi OwodeYoruba; Egba
OdogboluYoruba; Ijebu
OdedaYoruba; Egba, Oyo
Ogun WatersideYoruba; Ijebu, Ikale, Ilaje
Remo NorthYoruba;, Ijebu
Yewa NorthYoruba; Ketu, Ohori, Yewa
Yewa SouthYoruba; Ketu, Ohori, Yewa
SagamuYoruba;, Ijebu