Imeko Afon
Encyclopedia
Imeko Afon is a Local Government Area in the west of Ogun State
, Nigeria
bordering the Republic of Benin
. Its headquarters are in the town of Imeko at coordinates 7°29′00"N 2°53′00"E.
.
The land area is about 1711.43 square kilometres (660.8 sq mi).
The land is rolling, with small hills rising between 15 and 70 metres above sea level.
The Yewa River runs through the area from North to South, with its tributaries, the rivers Oyan and Oha.
The LGA is bounded in the north by Oyo State
, to the east by the Abeokuta North
LGA, to the south by the Yewa North
LGA and to the west it shares an international border with Benin
.
The international border is 93 kilometres (57.8 mi), and is one of the most accessible stretches of border between the two countries.
The Local Government is divided into ten political wards: Imeko, Afon, Ilara, Iwoye/Jabata, Idofa, Owode/Obada/Idi-Ayin, Moriwi / Matale /Oke-Agbede, Agborogbomo, Atapele and Kajole / Agberiodo.
Imeko, the LGA headquarters, is about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) by road from Keton, a major trading town in Benin.
The second largest settlement, Ilara, merges into Kanga in Benin.
The people are mostly Yorubas
of Ketu origin, but there are significant numbers of Ohori and Egun speaking people.
As a border community, other West African people live in the LGA, including a substantial number of Hausa-Fulani
nomads.
In March 2011, just before the April National elections, it was reported that a mass transfer of teachers disloyal to the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) had begun in the LGA.
The vegetation is a mixture of savannah belt and sparse forest suitable for cattle raising, with the advantage of being free of Tse-tse flies.
The climate is tropical, with a rainy season commencing around March and ending in November. The soil is fertile, and Cassava and Tomatoes are grown in large quantities.
Cotton grown in the LGA supplies the Yaru, tread and textile industries in Benin Republic. Other crops are pepper, maize, groundnuts, yams, vegetables, cocoa, cashew and teak.
The LGA has 43 public primary schools and 6 secondary schools, and a number of private schools.
Tourist attractions include Celestial City
, center of the Celestial Church of Christ
, Imeko, Odosuuru waterfalls, Mount Boomu, Afon and Jabata Forest.
To encourage tourists the LGA is named the "virgin land", and in 2010 a 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) Imeko-Oke-Agbede-Iwoye road was being built.
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in South-western Nigeria. It borders Lagos State to the South, Oyo and Osun states to the North, Ondo State to the east and the republic of Benin to the west. Abeokuta is the capital and largest city in the state...
, 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...
bordering the Republic of Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
. Its headquarters are in the town of Imeko at coordinates 7°29′00"N 2°53′00"E.
Location
The local Government was created from the old Egbado North Local Government in December 1996, during the military regime of General Sani AbachaSani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
.
The land area is about 1711.43 square kilometres (660.8 sq mi).
The land is rolling, with small hills rising between 15 and 70 metres above sea level.
The Yewa River runs through the area from North to South, with its tributaries, the rivers Oyan and Oha.
The LGA is bounded in the north by Oyo State
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....
, to the east by the Abeokuta North
Abeokuta North
Abeokuta North is a National Assembly delegation in Ogun State, Nigeria. It has been represented by Kayode Amusan since 2007....
LGA, to the south by the Yewa North
Yewa North
Yewa North is a Local Government Area in the west of Ogun State, Nigeria bordering the Republic of Benin. Its headquarters are in the town of Aiyetoro at in the north-east of the Area....
LGA and to the west it shares an international border with Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
.
The international border is 93 kilometres (57.8 mi), and is one of the most accessible stretches of border between the two countries.
The Local Government is divided into ten political wards: Imeko, Afon, Ilara, Iwoye/Jabata, Idofa, Owode/Obada/Idi-Ayin, Moriwi / Matale /Oke-Agbede, Agborogbomo, Atapele and Kajole / Agberiodo.
Imeko, the LGA headquarters, is about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) by road from Keton, a major trading town in Benin.
The second largest settlement, Ilara, merges into Kanga in Benin.
People
The 1991 population census gave a population of about 118,339.The people are mostly Yorubas
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
of Ketu origin, but there are significant numbers of Ohori and Egun speaking people.
As a border community, other West African people live in the LGA, including a substantial number of Hausa-Fulani
Hausa-Fulani
Hausa-Fulani is a term used to refer collectively to the Hausa and Fulani people of West Africa. The two are grouped together because since the Fulani War their histories have been largely intertwined...
nomads.
In March 2011, just before the April National elections, it was reported that a mass transfer of teachers disloyal to the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) had begun in the LGA.
Economy
Farming is the main economic activity.The vegetation is a mixture of savannah belt and sparse forest suitable for cattle raising, with the advantage of being free of Tse-tse flies.
The climate is tropical, with a rainy season commencing around March and ending in November. The soil is fertile, and Cassava and Tomatoes are grown in large quantities.
Cotton grown in the LGA supplies the Yaru, tread and textile industries in Benin Republic. Other crops are pepper, maize, groundnuts, yams, vegetables, cocoa, cashew and teak.
The LGA has 43 public primary schools and 6 secondary schools, and a number of private schools.
Tourist attractions include Celestial City
Celestial City, Imeko
Celestial City, Imeko is the world headquarters of the Celestial Church of Christ . It is located in the Imeko Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria, very close to the border with Benin....
, center of the Celestial Church of Christ
Celestial Church of Christ
The Celestial Church of Christ is an African Initiated Church founded by the Rev. Samuel Biléhou Joseph Oschoffa on 29 September 1947 in Porto-Novo, Benin...
, Imeko, Odosuuru waterfalls, Mount Boomu, Afon and Jabata Forest.
To encourage tourists the LGA is named the "virgin land", and in 2010 a 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) Imeko-Oke-Agbede-Iwoye road was being built.