Ogun Ìpínlẹ̀ Ògùn (Yoruba) | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Gbagura mosque in Abeokuta in Ogun State | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: | |
 Location of Ogun State in Nigeria | |
| Coordinates:7°7′12″N3°22′21″E / 7.12000°N 3.37250°E /7.12000; 3.37250 | |
| Country |  Nigeria |
| Date created | 3 February 1976 |
| Capital | Abeokuta |
| Government | |
| • Body | Government of Ogun State |
| • Governor | Dapo Abiodun (APC) |
| • Deputy Governor | Noimot Salako-Oyedele (APC) |
| • Legislature | Ogun State House of Assembly |
| • Senators | C:Shuaibu Salisu (APC) E:Gbenga Daniel (APC) W:Solomon Adeola (APC) |
| • Representatives | List |
| Area | |
• Total | 16,980.55 km2 (6,556.23 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 24th of 36 |
| Population (2006 census) | |
• Total | 3,751,140 |
• Estimate (2022) | 6,379,500[1] |
| • Rank | 11 of 36 |
| • Density | 220.908/km2 (572.149/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Ogun |
| GDP (PPP) | |
| • Year | 2021 |
| • Total | $32.55 billion[2] 8th of 36 |
| • Per capita | $5,288[2] 11th of 36 |
| Time zone | UTC+01 (WAT) |
| postal code | 110001 |
| ISO 3166 code | NG-OG |
| HDI (2022) | 0.569[3] medium ·21st of 37 |
| Website | Official website |
Ogun StateListenⓘ (Yoruba:Ìpínlẹ̀ Ògùn[ìk͡pĩ́lɛ̀ògũ̀]) is astate insouthwesternNigeria. It is bordered to the south byLagos State and theBight of Benin, to the east byOndo State, and to the north byOyo andOsun states while its western border forms part of thenational border with theRepublic of Benin. The capital and largest city isAbeokuta, and the state is divided into 20 local government areas.
Of the 36 states in the country, Ogun is the24th largest in area but among thetop fifteen most populous, with an estimated population of about 6.4 million as of 2020. Geographically, the state lies primarily in the tropicalNigerian lowland forestsecoregion, although parts of the state's north transition into theGuinean forest–savanna mosaic and some of the coastal south reach theCentral African mangroveecoregion. TheOgun andYewa rivers are the state's major waterways while theOmo 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 remainingNigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee andAfrican forest elephant populations.[4][5]
Demographically, theYoruba people are the largest ethnic group in the state—particularly theAwori,Egba,Ijebu, andYewa subgroups, as well as smaller groups like theKetu,Ohori,Ilaje,Ikale and Anago.[6] Additionally, there are ethnic minorities of non-indigenous groups in urban areas and indigenousEgun 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 theBenin,Ijebu, andOyo 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 theSouthern Nigeria Protectorate, which later merged intocolonial Nigeria. After independence in 1960, the region was part of theWestern Region until the creation of Ogun State in 1976 from the oldWestern State.
Economically, Ogun State is a major industrial hub with a growing base of factories and companies, especially along theLagos–Ibadan Expressway corridor. Agriculture remains vital in rural areas, with key crops includingcassava,cocoa, and maize along with the indigenousOfada rice. The state is also known for its cultural heritage, crafts, and textile traditions along with the arts. Ogun ranks in themid-range inHuman Development Index and has theeighth highest GDP in the country.
In pre-colonial times, today's Ogun western portion which is now inhabited by the Egba and Yewa people belonged to thekingdom of Oyo, which sank into civil war mid 1800s. South of Ogun, on the tiny island ofLagos, the British had a naval base near which the town of the same name grew rapidly.
Until theBerlin Congo Conference in 1885, Great Britain had focused on a few strategically placed bases for its merchant fleet and navy, such as Lagos andCalabar, and was not interested in the communities developing there.
After the European colonial powers had staked out their spheres of interest 1885 inBerlin (these were only valid if another power had not previously brought the area in question under its control) theUnited Kingdom quickly expanded thusly its territory in the assigned Niger region. Today's Ogun became part of the "Protectorate of Lagos" (as opposed to theColony of Lagos; the border between these two is identical to the modern border betweenLagos State and Ogun State—inhabitants of a colony were treated as fully entitled subjects of the British crown, those in protectorates were not) 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 toApapa 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 theNigerian women's movement under the leadership ofFunmilayo Ransome-Kuti (Fela Kuti's mother). Democracy in colonial Nigeria after 1922 only existed in Lagos and Calabar; Nigerians could not participate politically elsewhere (seehere).
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 (Pullen Scheme, seehere).
In the first elections in Ogun, 1954, the semi-socialist "Action Group" (AG) underỌbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ became the strongest party in the Western Region, to which Ogun also belonged.
After independence in 1960, theYoruba region, and Ogun in particular, was engulfed in conflict between theỌbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ andSamuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá fractions of the AG party ("Operation Wetie", seehere). In July 1966, the then ruler of Nigeria,Johnson Agulyi-Ironsi, was assassinated inIbadan in the second coup of the year, which was the prelude to theBiafra War.
The state was formed on 3 February 1976 from part of the former "Western" state.
Ogun State borders the Republic ofBenin to the West for about 185 km,Oyo State andOsun State (for 84 km) 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 (Ijebu province) 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.
Ogun State consists of twentylocal government areas. They are:
Ogun has a Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate. The city's yearly average temperature is 29.34 °C (84.81 °F) and it is -0.12% lower than Nigeria's averages. Ogun receives about 141.58 millimeters (5.57 inches) of precipitation and has 224.18 rainy days (61.42% of the time) annually.[7]
The state has a very high concentration of industries (the second most industrialized afterLagos State) and has one of the lowest incidences ofextreme poverty (around 5% of the population against a national average of 31%) according toWorld Bank data from 2018.[8]
Major companies in Ogun include theDangote Cement factory in Ibese,[9]Nestle,[10]Lafarge Cement factory inEwekoro, Memmcol in Orimerunmu,[11] Coleman Cables inSagamu andArepo,[12]Procter & Gamble inAgbara.[13] In September 2024, The Ogun State Government announced the establishment of a $5 million battery recycling plant by a British company.[14]
Mining and agriculture are among the most important economic sectors in Ogun.Limestone,chalk,phosphate andgravel are mined and grain, rice, maize,cassava,yams, bananas,cocoa,kola nuts, rubber,palm oil andpalm kernels are harvested. The state is the largest producer of kolanut in Nigeria.
The following are the mineral resources in Ogun State:[15]
Ogún is also the name of the god (Orisha) for metalworking in the local Yoruba nature religion, similar to the GreekHephaestus or the Roman godVulcan (since the ancient world had trade relations with present-day Nigeria, this may not be entirely coincidental). The state lives up to this name by being the Nigerian centre for metalworking. Here are two examples:
Ogun also produces timber, ceramic products, bicycle tyres, carpets, adhesives and other products.
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.[20]
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.[20]
The current governor isPrince Dapo Abiodun, a member of theAll Progressives Congress (APC), who heads theExecutive Council of Ogun State.[21] On Wednesday 29 May 2019, Dapo Abiodun was sworn in as the fifth Governor of the State at theMKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta.[22] He was re-elected for a second term in office by March 2023.
Ogun State is divided into three senatorial districts:
The main ethnic groups in Ogun State are theẸgba,Ijebu, Remo,Yewa,Awori and a minority Egun people. There are also sub groups like the Ikale, the Ketu, the Ohori and the Anago.[23]
Languages of Ogun State listed by LGA:[24]
| LGA | Languages |
|---|---|
| Abeokuta North | Yoruba;Egba,Yewa |
| Abeokuta South | Yoruba;Egba) |
| Ado-Odo/Ota | Awori |
| Ewekoro | Yoruba;Egba |
| Ifo | Yoruba;Egba |
| Ijebu East | Yoruba;Ijebu |
| Ijebu North | Yoruba; (Ijebu) |
| Ijebu North East | Yoruba;Ijebu |
| Ijebu Ode | Yoruba;Ijebu |
| Ikenne | Yoruba; (Remo),Ijebu |
| Imeko Afon | Gun/, Yoruba;Ketu,Ohori,Yewa |
| Ipokia | Gun, Yoruba;Anago,Awori/Eyo,Yewa |
| Obafemi Owode | Yoruba;Egba |
| Odogbolu | Yoruba;Ijebu |
| Odeda | Yoruba;Egba,Oyo |
| Ogun Waterside | Yoruba;Ijebu,Ikale,Ilaje |
| Remo North | Yoruba; (Remo),Ijebu |
| Yewa North | Yoruba;Ketu,Ohori,Yewa |
| Yewa South | Yoruba;Ketu,Ohori,Yewa |
| Sagamu | Yoruba; (Remo),Ijebu |
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Residents of Ogun State are mainly Muslim and Christian, with some adhering to traditionalYoruba religion.
TheAnglican Province of Lagos within theChurch of Nigeria includes the ten Dioceses ofAwori led by BishopJohnson Akin Atere (2009),Egba (1976) led by BishopEmmanuel Adekunle (2009),Egba West (2007) led by BishopSamuel Oludele Ogundeji (2010),Ifo (2007) led by BishopNathaniel Oladejo Ogundipe (2012),Ijebu led by BishopPeter Rotimi Oludipe (2020),Ijebu-North led by BishopSolomon Kuponu (2005),Remo led by BishopMichael Fape (2004, Archbishop of Lagos 2016-21),Yewa, formerly Egbado led by BishopMichael Adebayo Oluwarohunbi (2014), andIjebu-South West led by BishopBabatunde Ogunbanwo (2009).
179,014 Catholics (2020) in the Dioceses ofAbeokuta (1997) with 60 parishes under BishopPeter Kayode Odetoyinbo (2014) andIjebu-Ode (1969) with 40 parishes under BishopFrancis Obafemi Adesina (2019), both suffragans of theArchdiocese of Lagos.
Ogun state has three federal secondary schools; Federal Government Girls' College, Sagamu[28] andFederal Government College, Odogbolu[29] and Federal Science and Technical College, Ijebu-Imushin.[30]
Ogun state has two Federal Universities; theFederal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB)[31] andTai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu Ode and one Federal college of education, FCE Osiele (both at Odeda Local government area), one state government college of education, named after the late Nigerian educationist of international repute Augustus Taiwo Solarin in 1994 as Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE[32]), (formerly known as Ogun State College of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, one Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro). One is named after late Nigerian business mogul and winner of 12 June 1993 election, Basorun Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola asMoshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY[33]), formerly known as Ogun State Polytechnic, Ojere, Abeokuta, Another Gateway Polytechnic Saapade,[34] Remo (GAPOSA), Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic[34] Ijebu-Igbo (Aapoly) (formerly known as 'The Polytechnic Ijebu-Igbo) it was name afterChief Abraham Aderibigbe Adesanya who was a Nigerian politician, lawyer and activist.
One state government universities:Olabisi Onabanjo University,Ago Iwoye (formerly known as Ogun State University).
Ogun State has a total of nine registered universities, the highest of any state in Nigeria. It has fiveprivate universities.[35] Amongst which areChrisland University,Hallmark University in Ijebu-itele, AbeokutaBells University of Technology inOta,Covenant University andBabcock University in Ilisan-Remo, which was the first private university in the country.[36]
The state has two major government hospitals: theFederal Medical Center at Abeokuta, and theOlabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital inSagamu. TheNational Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Permanent Orientation Camp is located at Sagamu Local Government area of the state.[36]
Ogun state government has begun the itele road.[37]
Ogun benefits from its proximity to the metropolis ofLagos and the newdeep-sea harbour and the newDangote refinery in Lekki (as of 2024). The planned airport Lagos-Epe will be located next to the border to the state of Ogun.
Ogun benefits from the Lagos-Abeokuta-Ibadan standard rail link since 2021.
The plannedApapa-Kajola Express will connect the centre of the state with the Lagos port.[42]
Abeokuta also is connected with Lagos by 77 km of theWestern Railway (built in 1899), which still is used for freight trains.
The terminus of the "Red Line" of the Lagos suburban railway is located in Agbado, which is part of the Lagos agglomeration but belongs to the state of Ogun in administrative terms. This is why the trains and carriages of Lagos State will be parked, cleaned and maintained in Ogun.[43]
The Ogun State Governor,Dapo Abiodun on 7 October 2025 inaugurated the first commercial flight of the Gateway International Airport inIlishan-Remo. The airport plans to fly passengers internationally.[44] An aircraft owned by the airlineValueJet, with registration number 5N-BXS and 90 passengers on board, departed the airport at 10:10 a.m. for Abuja as the first commercial flight to officially fly from the airport.[44]
Federal Highways are:
Three roads to the Republic ofBenin:
Other major roads include:
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State capital:Abeokuta | ||
| Local government areas |  | |
| Towns and villages | ||
| Geographic | |
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| Other | |
