Igbo-Ora
Encyclopedia
Igbo-Ora is a town in Oyo State
, south-western Nigeria
, situated 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) north of Lagos
. As of 2001, the population of the town was approximately 60,000 people. The unusually large number of twin births in the region have earned the town the nickname Twin Capital of the World.
This phenomenon of a large number of twin births is not unique to Igbo-Ora; it has also been observed in the town of Kodinji
in India
and Cândido Godói
in Brasil. In Igbo-Ora, research has suggested that the multiple births could be related to the eating habits of the women in the region. Though no direct relation between dietary intake and twin births has been proved, a research study carried out at the University of Lagos
Teaching Hospital has suggested that a chemical found in Igbo-Ora women and the peelings of a widely consumed tuber (yams) could be responsible.
There is of course the possible explanation that the large number of twins being born here could simply be a matter of genetics.
Oyo State
Ọyọ State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria, with its capital at Ibadan. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east by Osun State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west partly by Ogun State and partly by the Republic of Benin....
, south-western Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, situated 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) north of Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. As of 2001, the population of the town was approximately 60,000 people. The unusually large number of twin births in the region have earned the town the nickname Twin Capital of the World.
This phenomenon of a large number of twin births is not unique to Igbo-Ora; it has also been observed in the town of Kodinji
Kodinji
Kodinhi is a village in Malappuram district in Kerala, India. The village is situated close to the town of Tirurangadi and, as of 2008, is home to around 2,000 families....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Cândido Godói
Cândido Godói
Cândido Godói is a municipality of 6,641 inhabitants in the state Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil near the Argentinian border, famous for the high number of twins born there...
in Brasil. In Igbo-Ora, research has suggested that the multiple births could be related to the eating habits of the women in the region. Though no direct relation between dietary intake and twin births has been proved, a research study carried out at the University of Lagos
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos - popularly known as Unilag - is a federal government university with a main campus located at Akoka, Yaba and a college of medicine located at Idi-Araba, all in Lagos, Lagos State, southern Nigeria...
Teaching Hospital has suggested that a chemical found in Igbo-Ora women and the peelings of a widely consumed tuber (yams) could be responsible.
There is of course the possible explanation that the large number of twins being born here could simply be a matter of genetics.