Quick answerIbadan is a city in Nigeria, with 2,559,853 people inside the city limits in 2006. The wider metropolitan area had about 4.3 million people in 2006. It is best known for the Cocoa House, the Mapo Hall and the University of Ibadan. Its official language is English, and its currency is the Nigerian naira.
Ibadan is Nigeria's third-largest city, with about 2.6 million people in the 2006 census and about 4.3 million in the metropolitan area. It stands in the Yoruba heartland of south-western Nigeria and is known for Cocoa House and Mapo Hall.
Key facts
| Country | Nigeria |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 2,559,853 (2006) |
| Population (metro) | 4,300,000 (2006) · Ibadan metropolitan area |
| Elevation | 230 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Africa/Lagos |
| Language | English |
| Currency | Nigerian naira (NGN, ₦) |
| Coordinates | 7.396° N, 3.917° E |
Overview
Ibadan is Nigeria's third-largest city and the capital of Oyo State, in the south-west of the country. It counted 2,559,853 people in the 2006 census, with about 3.9 million in the urban area and 4.3 million in the metropolitan area. The city spreads over hills at 230 metres above sea level, covering about 3,080 square kilometres, one of the largest city areas in West Africa.
Ibadan was founded in 1829 as a Yoruba military camp and grew into the largest city of the Yoruba world. Its landmarks include Cocoa House, the 26-storey tower built in 1965 that was once West Africa's tallest building, and Mapo Hall, the colonial town hall on Mapo Hill. The University of Ibadan, founded in 1948, is Nigeria's oldest university.
Today Ibadan is an education and farming centre, home to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and to markets that trade cocoa, yam and cassava from the surrounding Yoruba countryside.
What Ibadan is known for
- Cocoa House
- Mapo Hall
- University of Ibadan
- Bower's Tower
- Yoruba history
Landmarks
- Cocoa House
- Mapo Hall
- Bower's Tower
- University of Ibadan
- Agodi Gardens
- National Museum of Unity
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Ibadan?
About 2.6 million people were counted in Ibadan in the 2006 census (2,559,853), with about 3.9 million in the urban area and about 4.3 million in the metropolitan area. That makes Ibadan Nigeria's third-largest city, after Lagos and Kano, and the largest city of the Yoruba south-west.
What is Ibadan famous for?
Ibadan is famous for Cocoa House, the 26-storey tower built in 1965 that was once West Africa's tallest building, and for Mapo Hall, the colonial town hall on Mapo Hill. It is also known as the home of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria's oldest university.
Where is Ibadan located?
Ibadan is in south-western Nigeria, about 130 kilometres north-east of Lagos, and is the capital of Oyo State. It spreads over a set of hills at 230 metres above sea level. Its coordinates are 7.40° N, 3.92° E, in the Yoruba heartland.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Nigeria — the country Ibadan is in
- Lagos — another city in Nigeria
- Kano — another city in Nigeria
- Abuja — another city in Nigeria
- All cities in Nigeria
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.