Old Oyo National Park
Encyclopedia
Old Oyo National Park is one of the National parks of Nigeria, located across northern Oyo State
and southern Kwara State
, Nigeria
.
It is rich in plant and animal resources including buffalo
es, bushbuck
and wide variety of birds.
The park is easily accessible from southwestern and northwestern Nigeria.
The nearest cities and towns adjoining Old Oyo National Park include Saki, Iseyin
, Igboho
, Sepeteri
, Tede
and Igbeti which have their own commercial and cultural attractions for tourism.
of the Yoruba people
, and contains the ruins of this city.
Oyo Ile was destroyed in the late 18th century by Ilorin
and Hausa
/Fulani
warriors at the culmination of the rebellion of Afonja, commander
of Oyo Empire's provincial army for which he allied himself with Hausa/Fulani muslim
jihadists.
The National Park originated in two earlier Native Administrative forest Reserves, Upper Ogun established in 1936 and Oyo-lle established in 1941. These were converted to Game Reserves in 1952, then combined and upgraded to the present status of a National Park.
The southern part is drained by the Owu, Owe and Ogun River
s, while the northern sector is drained by the Tessi River.
Outcrops of granite are typical of the North Eastern Zone of the Park, including at Oyo-lle, with caves and rock shelters in the extreme north.
The central part of the Park has scattered hills, ridges and many rock outcrops that are suitable for mountaineering.
The Ikere Gorge Dam
on the Ogun river provides water recreation facilities for tourists.
However, this canid is now deemed extirpated locally due to hunting pressure and the expanding human population in this region.
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....
and southern Kwara State
Kwara State
Kwara State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Ilorin. The primary ethnic group of Kwara State is Yoruba, with significant Nupe, Bariba and Fulani minorities.- History :...
, 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...
.
It is rich in plant and animal resources including buffalo
African Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
es, bushbuck
Bushbuck
The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is found in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics and bush savannaforest and woodland. Recently, genetic studies have shown that the bushbuck, is in fact a complex of two geographically and phenotypically...
and wide variety of birds.
The park is easily accessible from southwestern and northwestern Nigeria.
The nearest cities and towns adjoining Old Oyo National Park include Saki, Iseyin
Iseyin
Iseyin is a city located in the Nigerian state of Oyo. It is approximately 100 kilometers north of Ibadan. The city is estimated to have a population of 236,000.The primary industry of the area is cotton-based textiles.It also known as the Home of "Aso Oke"...
, Igboho
Igboho
Igboho is a larger town in Oyo State, Nigeria. It is the headquarters of the Orelope Local Government Area.The town has an official Post Office....
, Sepeteri
Sepeteri
Sepeteri is the biggest town in the Saki East Local Government Area of Oke-Ogun Oyo State, Nigeria. The people of Sepeteri are believed to have migrated from a town called Ifon in Osun State. Sepeteri is located between Igboho and Oje Owode to Shaki, Ago Are and Iseyin.-Description:The title of...
, Tede
Tede
Jacek Graniecki , known professionally as Tede and DJ Buhh is a Polish rapper. Also known as Tas De Fleia, TDF, Tedeusz, Tedzik, Tedunio, Tedzio, Chory Pastor. He began his career in the band 1 kHz...
and Igbeti which have their own commercial and cultural attractions for tourism.
History
The Park takes its name from Oyo-lle (Old Oyo), the ancient political capital of Oyo EmpireOyo Empire
The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba empire of what is today southwestern Nigeria. The empire was established before the 14th century and grew to become one of the largest West African states encountered by European explorers. It rose to preeminence through its possession of a powerful cavalry and wealth...
of the Yoruba people
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
, and contains the ruins of this city.
Oyo Ile was destroyed in the late 18th century by Ilorin
Ilorin
Ilorin is one of the largest cities in Nigeria and is the capital of Kwara State. As of 2007 it had a population of 847,582.-History:Ilorin was founded by the Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, in 1450...
and Hausa
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
/Fulani
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
warriors at the culmination of the rebellion of Afonja, commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of Oyo Empire's provincial army for which he allied himself with Hausa/Fulani muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
jihadists.
The National Park originated in two earlier Native Administrative forest Reserves, Upper Ogun established in 1936 and Oyo-lle established in 1941. These were converted to Game Reserves in 1952, then combined and upgraded to the present status of a National Park.
Environment
The park covers 2,512 km2, mostly of lowland plains at a height of 330m and 508m above sea level.The southern part is drained by the Owu, Owe and Ogun River
Ogun River
The Ogun River is a waterway in Nigeria that discharges into the Lagos Lagoon.-Course and usage:The river rises in Oyo State near Shaki at coordinates and flow through Ogun State into Lagos State....
s, while the northern sector is drained by the Tessi River.
Outcrops of granite are typical of the North Eastern Zone of the Park, including at Oyo-lle, with caves and rock shelters in the extreme north.
The central part of the Park has scattered hills, ridges and many rock outcrops that are suitable for mountaineering.
The Ikere Gorge Dam
Ikere Gorge Dam
The Ikere Gorge Dam is a major earth-fill dam in Iseyin local government area of Oyo State in the south west of Nigeria on the Ogun River.Reservoir capacity is 690 million m3....
on the Ogun river provides water recreation facilities for tourists.
Flora and fauna
Within the entire country there previously existed extensive forestation; however, there is less forested area present in the country mirroring a trend in the region. The Old Oyo National Park was previously habitat for the endangered Painted Hunting Dog, Lycaon pictus.However, this canid is now deemed extirpated locally due to hunting pressure and the expanding human population in this region.