Abeokuta travel guide — Abeokuta tourism and travel information

Abeokuta travel guide

about Abeokuta

Abeokuta is a city of southwest Nigeria, situated at 7°8'N, 3°25'E, on the Ogun river, 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. As of 2002, the Abeokuta proper had an estimated population of about 530,000, while the figure for the city and outlying environs was approximately 700,000 individuals.

History

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.

It was a town of British West Africa in the Egba division of the Yoruba country, S. Nigeria Protectorate. Population, approximately 60,000.

Abeokuta lies in a beautiful and fertile country, the surface of which is broken by masses of grey granite. It is spread over an extensive area, being surrounded by mud walls 18 miles in extent. Abeokuta, under the reforming zeal of its native rulers, was largely transformed during the early years of the 20th century. Law courts, government offices, prisons and a substantial bridge were built, good roads made, and a large staff of sanitary inspectors appointed. The streets are generally narrow and the houses built of mud. There are numerous markets in which a considerable trade is done in native products and articles of European manufacture. Palm-oil, timber, rubber, yams and shea-butter are the chief articles of trade. An official newspaper is published in the Yoruba and English languages. Abeokuta is the headquarters of the Yoruba branch of the Church Missionary Society and British and American, missionaries have met with some success in their proselytizing work. In their schools about 2000 children are educated. The completion in 1899 of a railway from Lagos helped not only to develop trade but to strengthen generally the influence of the British.

Abeokuta (a word meaning under the rocks,), dating from 1825, owes its origin to the incessant inroads of the slavehunters from Dahomey and Ibadan, which compelled the village populations scattered over the open country to take refuge in this rocky stronghold against the common enemy. Here they constituted themselves a free confederacy of many distinct groups, each preserving the traditional customs, religious rites and even the very names of their original villages. Yet this apparently incoherent aggregate held its ground successfully against the powerful armies often sent against the place both by the king of Dahomey from the west, and by the people of Ibadan from the north-east.

The district of Egba, of which Abeokuta is the capital, has an estimated area of 3000 sq. m. and a population of some 350,000. It is officially known as the Abeokuta province of the Southern Nigeria protectorate. It contains luxuriant forests of palmtrees, which constitute the chief wealth of the people. Cotton is indigenous and is grown for export. The Egbas are enthusiastic farmers and have largely adopted European methods of cultivation. They are very tenacious of their independence, but accepted without opposition the establishment of a British protectorate, which, while putting a stop to inter-Yoruba warfare and slave-raiding, and exercising control over the working of the laws, left to the people executive and fiscal autonomy. The administration is in the hands of a council of chiefs which exercises legislative, executive and, to some extent, judicial functions. The president of this council, or ruling chief ---chosen from among the members of the two recognized reigning families--is called the Alake, a word meaning Lord of Ake, Ake being the name of the principal quarter of Abeokuta, after the ancient capital of the Egbas. The Alake exercises little authority apart from his council, the form of government being largely democratic. Revenue is chiefly derived from tolls or import duties. A visit of the Alake to England in 1904 evoked considerable public interest. The chief was a man of great intelligence, eager to study western civilization, and an ardent agriculturist.

See the publications of the Church Missionary Society dealing mith the Voruba Mission; Col. A. B. Ellis's The Yoruba-speaking Peoples (London, 1894); and an article on Abeokuta by Sir Wm. Macgregor, sometime governor of Lagos, in the African Society's Journal, No. xii. (London, July 1904).

Near cities to Abeokuta

• Ibadan travel guide 15 km
• Lagos travel guide 80 km
• Oyo travel guide 94 km
• Badagri travel guide 98 km
• Porto Novo travel guide 120 km
• Ife travel guide 120 km
• Ogbomoso travel guide 140 km
• Oshogbo travel guide 140 km
• Cotonou travel guide 140 km
• Ondo travel guide 150 km

Near webcams to Abeokuta

• Geysir - Lake Nyos webcam 750 km
• Bamako webcam 1 400 km
• Ascension webcam 2 600 km
• Playa de las Americas webcam 2 600 km
• Lanzarote - Playa Honda webcam 2 600 km
• La Quinta Park webcam 2 700 km
• Maspalomas webcam 3 000 km
• Playa del Ingles webcam 3 100 km
• El Medano webcam 3 100 km
• El Medano 2 webcam 3 100 km

back to top

Abeokuta travel services

cheap flights to Abeokuta

• book cheap flights to Abeokuta »
• book cheap flights to Nigeria »

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of four main cheap airline tickets and cheap flights online booking systems. We are happy to offer cheap airline tickets Abeokuta, cheap flights Abeokuta, also available cheap airline tickets to Nigeria and to the whole world. Up to date cheap flights Abeokuta deals also available.

cheap Abeokuta hotels

• book cheap hotels to Abeokuta »
• book cheap hotels to Nigeria »

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of main cheap hotels and accommodation online booking systems. We are happy to offer cheap hotels in Abeokuta, Nigeria hotel guide and cheap hotels and accommodation in lot of other world-wide destinations. Up to date cheap Abeokuta hotel deals and discount accommodation tips also available.

cheap Abeokuta vacations

• book Abeokuta vacations »
• book Nigeria vacations »

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of main cheap vacations online booking systems. We are happy to offer cheap vacations in Abeokuta, Nigeria vacation rentals and cheap vacations in lot of other destinations world-wide. Up to date Abeokuta vacation deals also available.

cheap car rentals in Abeokuta

• book cheap car rental in Abeokuta »
• book cheap car rentals in Nigeria »

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of main car rentals online booking systems. We are happy to offer car rentals in Abeokuta, car hire in Nigeria and cheap car rental in lot other world-wide destinations. Up to date cheap Abeokuta car hire deals also available.

Abeokuta travel insurance

• Abeokuta cheap travel insurance »
• cheap travel insurance for Nigeria »

City Travel Guide is exclusive partner of Essential Travel Ltd., leading online travel insurance company, we can offer you health travel insurance for Abeokuta, accident health Abeokuta travel insurance, all using our online Abeokuta travel insurance form. We also offer travel insurance for other cities in Nigeria. This offer is available for UK residents only.

Abeokuta real estate

• Abeokuta real estate guide »
• real estate listings in Nigeria »

City Travel Guide comes with Abeokuta real estate guide with several tips on home valuation, realtors comparison, secrets on finding the "right" home, loans guide and other helpful real estate advices. Our partners also maintain Abeokuta property for sale and rental listings, real estate laws and reviews. We will try to help you with buying property in Nigeria, choosing real estate agents, property finders, relocation help, and information for English speakers wanting to buy real estate in Abeokuta.

back to top

Abeokuta travel books

Abeokuta travel guide books

• Abeokuta travel guide books »
• Nigeria travel guide books »

Abeokuta maps and atlases

• Abeokuta maps and atlases »
• Nigeria maps and atlases »

back to top