Ogun State

Ogun State
—  State  —
Nickname(s): Gateway State
Location of Ogun State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 7°00′N 3°35′E / 7°N 3.583°E / 7; 3.583Coordinates: 7°00′N 3°35′E / 7°N 3.583°E / 7; 3.583
Country	Nigeria
Date created	3 February 1976
Seat	Abeokuta
Government
– Governor (List)	Ibikunle Amosun (ACN)
– Senators
– Representatives
Area
– Total	16,762 km2 (6,471.8 sq mi)
Area rank	24th of 36
Population (1991 census)
– Total	2,338,570
– Estimate (2005)	4,054,272
– Rank	N/A of 36
– Density	139.5/km2 (361.3/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
– Year	2007
– Total	$10.47 billion[1]
– Per capita	$2,740[1]
Time zone	WAT (UTC+01)
ISO 3166 code	NG-OG

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. Ogun has one federal university; the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta , two state government universities; the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye (formerly known as Ogun State University) and the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) Ijebu Ode. Ogun State thus has the highest number of registered universities in Nigeria (nine in all). Five of the nine universities are private, which include Babcock University - Ilisan-Remo, the first private university in the country. The state has two major government hospitals, the Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta and the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.

Other cities and towns in the Ogun State are Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, Ijebu Igbo, Ilaro Ayetoro and Ota.

Administrative divisions

The state contains the following twenty Local Government Areas:

• Abeokuta North
• Abeokuta South
• Ado-Odo/Ota
• Ewekoro
• Ifo
• Ijebu East
• Ijebu North
• Ijebu North East
• Ijebu Ode
• Ikenne
• Imeko Afon
• Ipokia
• Obafemi Owode
• Odogbolu
• Odeda
• Ogun Waterside
• Remo North
• Sagamu or Shagamu
• Yewa North formerly Egbado North
• Yewa South formerly Egbado South

The state's nickname is "Gateway to Nigeria". It was created in February 1976 from the former Western State. The 1991 census recorded a total population of 2,338,570 residents. The state governor is Senator Ibikunle Amosun

Famous native sons and daughters

Abeokuta is the birthplace of Laja Famuyiwa, the former president of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo, who also has a large farm in Ota. The immediate past Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, is also a native of Abeokuta.^{[citation needed]}

Ogun State has produced many of the most important Yoruba leaders, politicians and musicians in Nigeria, including Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief MKO Abiola, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Ernest Shonekan, General Oladipo Diya, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Iyalode J A Aromire, Dr. Gbolabo Oyede, Sir G.O Adenuga-Taiwo, Chief Peter Olakeinde Sogbesan, Chief Kuforiji Olubi, Prof Ola Rotimi, Prof Olikoye Ransome Kuti, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Prof Onabamiro, Dr. Tai Solarin, Dr Efunbo Dosekun, Otunba Subomi Balogun, Chief Oba Otudeko, Chief Mike Adenuga,prof.Ogunlesi [first professor of medicine in Nigeria], Chief Olu Oyesanya, founder of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and Chief Gabriel Yemi Adetayo. Chief Chris Ogunbanjo, an industrialist, corporate lawyer and philanthropist.Chief Bayo Kuku,Dr Sonny Kuku OFR the current Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu land. Prince Micheal Oyedele an industrialist chief Adegunle soetan (Aro of Egbaland), Iyalode jojolola soetan (2nd Iyalode of Egbaland). Sunday Adelaja, the founder and pastor of the Embassy of God Charismatic church in Kiev, Ukraine was also born in Ogun State, Prof. Oluyemi Adeola Banjoko, Special Adviser to The American president and the British prime minister on African matters (Manchester, U.K). Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, CFR, Former Executive Secretary of Economic Community for Africa and Founding Executive Director of African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies (ACDESS), Ijebu-Ode, Engr. Babatunde Odufuwa (of Oke-Aye in Ijebu North East Local Government, Off Senbora), Chairman of Lagos City Polytechnic, Ikeja.

Ikenne Remo, a major town, is home to many prominent sons and daughters of Ogun State and has over the years evolved to become the political and intellectual 'mecca' of the state. With Chief Obafemi Awolowo's home and rich library resources open to the public and history researchers; Dr Tai Solarin's Mayflower School (acknowledged to have groomed business, religious and political leaders) and of course the annual Ereke Day festival attracting tourists from within and without the country.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo is revered as one of the founding fathers of Nigeria, along side Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe and Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, the late Sardauna of Sokoto. He was Prime Minister of the Western Region from 1954 - 1959 after which he became the opposition leader in the Federal House of Representatives. He built the educational,political and business infrastructure upon which the Western States have built and thrived.

The State is also reputed to have produced the highest number of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (a.k.a Queen's Counsels) in the annals of the legal profession since independence to date. The Senior Advocates of Nigeria included Late Chief Sowemimo, Chief Fatai Atanda Williams, Chief Obafemi Awolowo,Prince Bola Ajibola, Kehinde Sofola, Abayomi Sogbesan, Kehinde Onafowokan, Pa Abraham Adesanya. The living ones include Chief GOK Ajayi, Chief Olanihun Ajayi, Chief Idowu Sofola, Mr. Kayode Sofola and a host of others.

Universities in Ogun state

• University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
• Covenant University, Ota
• Bell University of Technology, Ota
• Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye
• Redeemer's University (RUN), Redemption Camp of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mowe
• Babcock University, Ilisan Remo
• Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu Ode
• Crawford University, Igbesa
• Adetokunbo University, Sagamu
• Crescent University, Abeokuta

Notable Religious Places in Ogun state

• The Redemption Camp of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Along Lagos-Ibadan Exp. Way, Mowe
• Canaanland, Winners' Chapel, Ota
• Prayer City of Mountain of Fire & Miracle Ministry, Along Lagos-Ibadan Exp. Way

Think Tanks

• African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies (ACDESS)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "C-GIDD (Canback Global Income Distribution Database)". Canback Dangel. http://www.cgidd.com. Retrieved 2008-08-20. 

External links

• Ogun State Government Homepage
• Portal of Educational Institutions in Ogun State
• Federal Government College, Odogbolu
• News On Ogun State