Description of Ekiti State

The state of Ekiti is located in southwestern Nigeria, and it has borders with the states of Kwara to the north, Kogi to the northeast, Ondo to the south and southeast, and Osun to the west. The city of Ado-Ekiti serves as the capital of Ekiti State, which was split off from Ondo State in 1996 and is named after the Ekiti people, a Yoruba subgroup that make up the bulk of the state's population.

Ekiti, one of Nigeria's smallest states, with a 2016 estimated population of about 3.3 million, making it the country's 30th most populous.

Most of the state is covered in the humid forest ecosystems typical of southern Nigeria, whereas the northern region is characterized by the drier forest-savanna mosaic typical of northern Guinea. Wildlife in the state includes false acraeas, mona monkeys, forest buffalo, and grey parrots; a troop of about 20 chimpanzees, critically endangered, live in the seriously threatened Ise Forest Reserve. Ekiti State adopted a state tree in March 2022, making it the first state in Nigeria to do so. Obeche (Triplochiton scleroxylon) was named by Governor Kayode Fayemi as the state tree on World Forest Day 2022 because of its prominence in the area and its environmental, economic, and cultural value.

The Ekiti people, a Yoruba subgroup, have lived in modern-day Ekiti State for millennia, with some help from the Akoko Yoruba. The state's population is predominantly Christian (85%), with smaller Muslim and traditionalist minority (10% and 5%, respectively).

The territory that is now Ekiti State was dominated by the Oyo Empire, the Benin Empire, and the Ekiti states that constituted the Ekiti Confederacy in the second half of the 1800s before European colonization. In the Kiriji War, which lasted from 1877 to 1893, the Confederacy and other Eastern Yoruba groups fought against the Ibadan Kingdom and other Western Yoruba groups. The conflict ended in a stalemate, brokered by the British, and the region was subsequently colonized and incorporated into the British Southern Nigeria Protectorate, which was subsequently merged into British Nigeria in 1914. After independence in 1960, the territory that is now Ekiti was a part of the post-independence Western Region until the region was split in 1967, at which point the area became a member of the Western State. In 1976, a division created Ondo State out of what had been the eastern part of Western State. Twenty years later, the northwest part of Ondo State (known at the time as the Ekiti Zone) was separated to become its own state.

Ekiti State's economy relies in part on farming; the state's primary agricultural products are yams, rice, cocoa, and cassava. Tourism and logging are important subsectors. It is widely acknowledged that Ekiti is the spiritual and cultural center of the Ekiti people and has a Human Development Index ranking in the top thirteen in Nigeria.

Geographical description of Ekiti State

The majority of the State is located in an upland region that rises more than 250 meters above sea level. Metamorphic rock forms the bedrock here. It's a rolling region of the country, characterized by old plains interrupted by stepped cliffs that can stand alone or form ridges. The areas of Aramoko, Efon-Alaiye, Ikere-Ekiti, Igbara-odo-ekiti, and Okemesi-Ekiti are particularly rich in outcrops of similar rocks. Ikere-Ekiti Hills in the south, Efon-Alaiye Hills on the western frontier, and Ado-Ekiti Hills in the middle are only a few of the rocky hills that dot the State.

Environmental factors

The State has a pleasant tropical climate with four distinct seasons. It has two distinct seasons: the wet (April–October) and the dry (November–March) (November–March). Humidity is high, and the temperature varies between 21 and 28 degrees Celsius. In the wet (Southwesterly) and dry (Northeast Trade Wind) seasons, rain and wind are brought by the Southwesterly and Northeasterly winds, respectively. Southern areas have tropical forest, whereas northern regions are dominated by savannah.

Raw materials

The country of Ekiti is provided by nature with a wealth of resources. There is a good chance that the state is full in mineral reserves. Granite, kaolinite, columbite, charnockite, iron ore, baryte, aquamarine, gemstone, phosphate, limestone, tourmaline, and gold are all examples of such minerals. They are mostly stashed in various communities in Ijero, Ekiti West, Ado - Ekiti, Ikole, Ikere, Ise-Ekiti, and other LGAs.

Ero, Osun, Ose, and Ogbese are only some of the important rivers that flow through the Land. Not only that, but there are many places of interest for visitors to explore, such as the Ikogosi Warm Springs, the Arinta Water Falls, the Olosunta and Orole hills in Ikere, the Erin-ayonugba River in Erijiyan Ekiti, the Fajuyi Memorial Park in Ado - Ekiti, and many others. When it comes to tourist hotspots, Ikogosi is where you want to be. The warm spring serves as a focal point for the city, around which ancillary services have been established. A private corporation, UAC Nigeria, is now processing and bottling water from the spring for commercial sale.

Furthermore, agricultural resources are abundant, with cocoa being the primary cash crop. It was well believed that more over 40% of the chocolate produced in the renowned old Western Region originated on Ekiti land. The region's forests are a major economic asset, and in March 2022, the state legislature designated the Obeche as the official tree of the state because of its cultural and commercial value. Favorable weather means lush vegetation, which means there are plenty of trees to go around. Yams, cassavas, and cereal grains like rice and maize are produced in great quantities. Notable crops grown in commercial amounts include kola nut and several fruits.