Shaki is a relatively big town situated in the northern part of Oyo State

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....

 in western 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...

.

Location

The terrain is hilly. It lies near the source of the Ofiki River, the chief tributary of the 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....

, about 40 miles (60 km) from the Benin

Benin

Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...

 border. It is referred to as the food basket of Oyo State because of its agricultural activities. It is the headquarters of Saki West

Saki West

Saki West is a Local Government Area in Oyo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Saki.It has an area of 2,014 km² and a population of 278,002 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 203....

 local government authority.

Culture

Originally part of the Oyo Empire

Oyo 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...

, Shaki became a Yoruba

Yoruba people

The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...

 refugee settlement after the destruction in 1835 of Old Oyo (Katunga), 70 miles (113 km) east-northeast, by Muslim Fulani conquerors.
By the early 1860s the Yoruba Mission had established an Anglican church in the town.
The traditional ruler is the Okere of Shaki town, Oba Kilani Olatoyese Ilufemiloye Olarinre and has team of Traditional Council.

Commerce

Modern Shaki is an exporter of cotton, swamp rice, teak, and tobacco. The flue curing of tobacco has been important in the area since 1940. Indigo

Indigo

Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...

 is grown in the area for local dyeing, and the town is a traditional centre of cotton weaving. Yams, cassava

Cassava

Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...

, corn (maize), sorghum

Sorghum

Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...

, beans, shea nuts, and okra

Okra

Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins...

 are grown for subsistence. Cattle raising is increasing in importance, and there is a government livestock station. Shaki has a government hospital. A 1,600-foot (490-metre) inselberg rises above the surrounding savanna. The town is also prominent in the production of Aluminum pots (Ikoko) for cooking. Users of pots and sellers from far and near visit the town to purchase the product. Shaki popular Sango Market has also brought the town into limelight as buyers and sellers from all walks of life besiege the market every Thursday.

Public institutions

Shaki is the location of a Baptist Hospital and a Muslim hospital, which was commissioned by M.K.O Abiola in 1987.

It is home for the following educational institutions:

• Satellite Campus of the Polytechnic Ibadan, Shaki
• School of Basic Midwifery, Muslim Hospital, Shaki
• School of Nursing, Baptist Medical Centre, Shaki
• Baptist Medical Centre Nur/Pry School
• Baptist Medical Centre Secondary School
• Ansaru-ud-deen High School, Shaki
• Baptist High School, Shaki
• Parapo Community High School, Shaki
• Asabari High School, Shaki
• International Muslim College, Shaki
• Ansaru-ud-deen Comprehensive College, Shaki
• Benefit comprehensive college,sango, shaki
• Sharon Rose College, Shaki
• Primerose Model College, Shaki
• Aisha Model School, Shaki