Akure North

Akure North is a Local Government Area in Ondo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Iju/Itaogbolu.

It has an area of 660 km² and a population of 131,587 at the 2006 census.

The postal code of the area is 340.

References

Akure

Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria, and is the largest city and capital of Ondo State. The city has a population of 588,000 based on 2006 population census. The people are of the Yoruba ethnic group.

History

Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic period, have been discovered on the outskirts of Akure. Also the oldest Homo sapiens fossil ever found in West Africa thus far was discovered there, dating back to around 11,000 years ago.

Oral tradition states that Akure was founded by Omoremi Omoluabi, a grandson of the Emperor Oduduwa. The Prince left Ile-Ife, his grandfather's principal kingdom, in search of a place to settle after passing a strict test administered by Oduduwa himself, and eventually founded the city. The Oba's Palace is located at the centre of the town, and was built in 1150 AD. It has over 15 courtyards, with each having its unique purpose. Ua nla, Ua Ibura, Ua jemifohun, Ua Ikomo are some of the names of the courtyards. For example, in the Ua ubura courtyard, oaths are taken, and the ua Ikomo is used for naming ceremonies. At present, a bigger and more modern palace is being built to the south of the old palace's grounds. Oja Oba, which means the Oba's Market, is just a stone's throw away from the Palace.