Description of Oyo State 

The eastern part of Oyo was split off to form the new state of Osun in 1991, reducing the size of Oyo. Kwara State to the north, Osun State to the east, Ogun State to the south, and the Republic of Benin to the west make up Oyo's borders. The northern Yoruba Hills cut through Oyo state. In the south, near the state capital of Ibadan, you'll find a patch of tropical rain forest, while the majority of the state is covered by a "derived" savanna, created after forests were burned to make way for farmland.

The Yoruba people make up the large majority of Oyo State's population, and their language continues to be the most widely spoken. The modern-day Oyo State, sometimes known as the "Pace Setter State," is located on land that was historically ruled by a number of different kingdoms and empires.

From roughly 1300 to 1896, the Oyo Empire was a dominant Yoruba power in the region. The current city of Oyo was established in the 1830s and is known as "New y" (y tbà) to differentiate itself from the former capital to the north, "Old y" (y-Ilé), which was the site of the empire's center of power. Oyo's Alaafin still plays a symbolic role in the city's rituals today.

The Institution of Ibadan, Nigeria's first university, opened in Oyo State in 1948. The city of Shaki, in the state's western region, is often referred to as the "breadbasket" of the country. Among the most vital crops to Oyo State's economy are cassava, cocoa, and tobacco.

Economy

Agriculture and handiwork are the economic backbones of Oyo. Yams, corn, cassava, beans, millet, plantains, tobacco, cacao, palm oil and palm kernels, cotton, kola nuts, indigo, and fruits are only some of the agricultural items grown and sold. Cotton spinning, weaving, dying, leatherworking (sheep and goat skins), woodcarving, and mat manufacturing are just a few of the state's well-known cottage industries. Ibadan, Nigeria's second-largest city, is home to a variety of different types of manufacturing, including a cannery, brewery, publishing industry, tobacco-processing factory, wood- and steel-furniture factory, and motor-vehicle assembly facility. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, and the Federal Agricultural Research Institute can all be found in Ibadan. The residential palaces of Yoruba kings can be seen in Oyo and Ogbomosho, while the Ibadan University Zoo and Agodi Zoological Garden are also popular destinations in the state. Ibadan is home to both a prestigious university and a variety of institutes for educating future educators. Both the north and south of the state can be reached via the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Geography

Oyo State covers a total area of 28,454 square kilometers and is rated 14th by size. The Oyo state  features consists of old hard rocks and dome shaped hills, which increase gently from about 500 meters in the southern part and getting to approximately (1,200m)  above sea level in the northern part Some principal rivers such as Ogun, Oba, Oyan, Otin, Ofiki, Sasa, Oni, Erinle and Osun river spring up in this highland. Oyo State contains a number of natural attributes including the Old Oyo National Park. In this location there was earlier habitat for the extinction African wild dog. The Climate is trophical, particularly with dry and wet seasons with relatively high humidity. The dry season in Oyo state starts latest from November to March, meanwhile the wet season starts from April and ends in October. In Oyo state the standard day to day temperature varies between 25 °C (77.0 °F) and 35 °C (95.0 °F), almost throughout the year.

History

Oyo state was created in 1976 from the old Western State, including Ọsun State, which was split off in 1991. Oyo State is mainly occupied by the Yoruba ethnic group who are mainly agrarian but have a preference for living in high-density urban centers. Oyo state mainly comprises of ;  Oke-Oguns, the Oyos, the Ibadans and the Ibarapas, all belonging to the Yoruba family and native city in Africa. Ibadan had been the centre of authority of the former Western Region since the days of British colonial rule.In Ọyọ State there are significant cities and towns namely; Ọyọ, Ibadan, Isẹyín-Okeogun, Ipapo-Okeogun, Kíṣì-Okeogun, Okeho-Okeogun, Saki-Okeogun, Igbeti-Okeogun, Eruwa-Ibarapa, Iroko, Lanlate, OjeOwode-Okeogun,Ogbomọsọ,  Sepeteri-Okeogun, Ilora-Oyo, Jobele-Oyo, Awe-Oyo, Ilérò-Okeogun, Okaka-Okeogun, Igbo Ora-Ibarapa, Idere.

Education

There are (5) five government technical colleges in Oyo state namely; Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ibadan, Shaki-Okeogun and Igbo-Ora, with enrollment of 2,829 students in the 2000/2001 academic session.In Oyo state there are also Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan, Oyo state. Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo state. The Federal School of Surveying, Oyo state,  Research Cocao Institute of Nigeria (RCIN), Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan Oyo state. The Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT) in Ibadan Oyo state. The Federal College of Forestry, Ibadan (FEDCOFOR) a subordinate of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) and the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), all in Ibadan Oyo state. In Oyo state the Agency for Adult and Non-formal Education (AANFE) provides for uneducated  adults who had no opportunity of formal education. The universities in Oyo State include; University of Ibadan, Ibadan Oyo state. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo state. Lead City University in Ibadan, Oyo state.

Agriculture

Agriculture is the main business  of the people of Oyo State. The climate and weather  in Oyo state favours the cultivation of crops like maize, yam, cassava, corn, millet, rice, plantains, cocoa, palm produce, cashew.