Ila Orangun

Ìlá Òràngún (or Ila) is an ancient city in Osun State, Nigeria, that was capital of an ancient city-state of the same name in the Igbomina area of Yorubaland in south-western Nigeria. Ìlá Òràngún is the more populous sister-city (and sister-kingdom) of Òkè-Ìlá Òràngún, located about 7.5 miles (12 km) to the north-east.

Ila Orangun
town
Ila Orangun
Coordinates: 8°1′N 4°54′E
Country Nigeria
StateOsun State
Time zoneUTC+1 (WAT)

It is the headquarters of the Ila Local Government Area.

The people of Ila speak the distinctive dialect of the Yoruba language called Igbomina (or Igbonna). A common traditional profession of the indigenes of the town is palm-wine tapping. This profession is referenced in one of the most popular songs and common sayings about the town of Ila. The proverb Ila 'o l'oogun, emu l'oogun Ila means "Ila has no special medicine or magical preparations other than palm-wine". A folk song also says Ila ni mi, ise mi o le/ti mo ba wa l'orun ope bi 'ofusia' ni i ri, which translates into English as "I am a citizen of Ila, my profession is very easy; if I am on top of a palm tree, I feel like I am upstairs in a multi-storey building."

Ila-Orangun is the home of the Oyo (now Osun) State College of Education.[1] The African Heritage Research Library was established in 1988.[2]

The ancient town also has a Police Mobile Training School[3] The name of present king (Oba) of Ila Orangun is Oba Abdul Wahab Olukayode Oyedotun Bibiire I. Amongst the prominent clergy men (Muslim) in the town are Alhaji Jamiu Keuyemi, Alhaji Imam Hammed Solahudeen.

Prominent Ila include Alh Bisi Akande, Former Osun state Governor, Tafa Balogun, former IGP Nigeria, Aisha Olajide amongst others. Among the town's prominent sons are chief Bisi Akande, former Governor of Osun state during the first tenure of chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Tafa Balogun, former Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force, many professionals in science, arts and in academia.

There are more than 197 compounds in the Ancient town.

References
  1. "About Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun". Osun State College of Education. Archived from the original on 2009-10-01. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  2. "African Libraries and Archives". Africa South of the Sahara. USA: Stanford University. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  3. "Nigeria Police Force". www.npf.gov.ng. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
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