Ikole

The Local Government is predominantly a homogenous society and carefully populated by Ekiti speaking people of the South West Zone of Nigeria. The Religious of the people are mainly Christian and Islamic religious while a percentage of the people are Traditional religion worshippers.

Ikole LGA is named after the principal town of the area, Ikole Ekiti. The traditional ruler Ikole town is the Elekole of Ikole, who also doubles as the paramount ruler of Egbeoba (Literally meaning, Confederation of Obas) Kingdom alluding to Ikole LGA's make up of several other constituent towns with their own traditional rulers and Chiefs. There are 24 state level recognised Obas in Ikole LGA alone, a unique feature of this area contrasted with other areas of Ekiti. Each of these Obas are independent. History holds that between 1900 and 1920, active migration of far flung villages and towns deep in the forest were encouraged towards a new conurbation under the umbrella of Egbeoba leading up to the formation of modern Egbeoba Kingdom under the then Elekole Adeleye I, a retired police officer. According to JET Babatola, "This community and others around Ikole resettled along the Ikole-Kabba road due to the influence of the late Elekole (an ex-policeman) who asked them to settle nearby to influence their trade and economic potentials prior to the 1920 Oke Eniju revolt and its consequences"

The LGA comprises twenty-four towns and villages. Towns in the LGA are

Ikole Ijesha Isu Oke Ayedun Ootunja Odo-Oro Ipao Itapaji Ara Isaba Usin Orin Odo Odo Ayedun Ayebode Oke Ako Irele Iyemero Ikosi Igbona Asin Esun Temidire Ikunri Ijebu-Agege Ilamo

Among the villages in the LGA are

Aba Dam Ita Gbangba Aba Audu Aba Fatunla Arinta Aba Ebira, Ayedun Aba oko Ijebu Iwetin Aba Oke Oko, Igbona

The thriving industries in the local government are Agriculture and Lumbering which include Timber/Saw mills which include Olo Sawmill, Okejebu, Eleyero Sawmill, Ilamo and Ara Sawmill, Ara; Pharmacies which include Chuks Pharmacy and Okoli Pharmacy both located at Ikole. Ikole's land are one of the most fertile, and with high degree of accessibility to water bodies. Itapaji dam with enormous mini-hydroelectric power potential, as well as water supply opportunities for irrigation and townships is located in Ikole. Even as Oye river nearby flows into River Ele and provides substantial alluvial deposits in the Ikole plains for year-round agriculture. Ero dam in Moba is also nearby. The first major cattle ranch in Nigeria, the Oke Ako Cattle Ranch established by the then Western Region Government is located in Ikole, as is the Agriculture Development Project of the state government.

The place in the Ikole Local Government that attracts tourists from all over is the Itapaji Water Dam, Itapaji-Ekiti. Ikole is also home to several educational institutions including a campus of the Federal University, Oye and a Federal Government College.

• Orlando Julius, Nigerian afrobeat musician born in Ikole in 1943

OVERVIEW OF CONFLICT AND AGITATIONS FOR LOCAL AUTONOMIES IN EKITILAND (1900-2014) . Accessed on 24th Dec, 2017

http://ekitistate.gov.ng/administration/local-govt/ikole-lga/