Ikire

Ikire is in Osun State in South West Nigeria. It is a place where local cash crops (cacao, palm oil, and kernels) are brought together. It is also a place where yams, corn (maize), cassava (manioc), palm produce, cotton, and kola nuts are sold. The Yoruba people who live there have been weaving cotton for a long time.

Understand
Ikire is a town in southwestern Nigeria. The town is between Ibadan and Ile-Ife, meaning it is very close to Oyo state but in Osun State. The main occupation of the Ikire people is farming. Ikire town has a good arable land. It also serves as a trade center for yams, corn maize cassava manioc, palm produce, cotton, and kola nuts. Ikire’s nearness to Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State and the major commercial and industrial center in the Southwest helps in ensuring the movement of goods and services.

Ikire was founded by Prince Akinrere and he was the first to settle in Ikire. He was an elephant hunter from Ile Ife.

Get in
Ibadan is about a two-hour drive from the town. Ikire can be reached from any of the 36 Nigerian states either by road or by taking a flight.

By plane
Osun state is surrounded by 3 airports namely Ibadan Airport, Akure Airport, and Ilorin Airport. Due to the close proximity of Ibadan from Osun state where Ikire is located, you can fly into Ibadan and take a connecting vehicle that will take you directly to Ikire. Tavel time is approximately 1 hr 35 min. A connecting vehicle will be taken after landing in Akura to Ikire. Travel time is approximately 1 hr 51 min. A connecting vehicle will be taken after landing in Ilorin. Travel time is approximately 3 hr 27 min.

By road
Several bus companies like God Is Good Motors (GIGM), ABC Transport,The Young Shall Grow offer daily services from almost all major cities around the country to Osun State. While buses usually are quite comfortable, journey times are very long.

A connecting means of transportation will be needed to finally get to Ikire either by taxi, public transport or a shared taxi has to be boarded from the bus park or upon arrival at the airport to the park.

While road transportation is comfortable and more fun, the travel hours are long, and the many checkpoints along the way will set you back by a little over an hour.

Get around
If touring around Ikire town, be sure to be accompanied by a tourist guide who is familiar with the routes. If you are going out at night, be sure to go in groups, and stick to known routes. The major means of transportation within Ikire are Motorcycle popularly known as Okada and Tricycle (keke).

If you are not on a tight budget, you should hire a tricycle (keke) which usually comes with a driver, usually available from most of the major hotels. The price varies from driver to driver, but it should be around ₦500-1,000 per trip, you will be expected to haggle. Talk to the drivers and find one you think will be able to communicate best with as they will be able to tell you things about the places you pass.

Motorcycle riders offer more of a drop-off service, and it is not the best option for someone touring the town with the expectation for the rider to talk about various location history. The service charge is around ₦150-300 per trip (drop-off).

See

 * 1) Erin Ijesha Waterfall: Erin-Ijesha Waterfalls is located in Erin-Ijesha. It is a tourist attraction located in Oriade local government area, Osun State, Nigeria.
 * 2) Ooni of Ife's Palace
 * 3) A. G. Leventis Museum of Natural History, OAU
 * 4) Genesis Art Gallery:  Genesis Art Gallery is a major tourist destination in Osogbo. It is the second largest art house in Southwestern Nigeria.

Do

 * 1) Agodi Gardens: Agodi Gardens is an amusement park in Nigeria that covers 13 acres. The entrance fee into Agodi Gardens is ₦500 per person and an extra ₦500 for access to the swimming pool.
 * 2) UI Zoo.


 * 1) Oduduwa Shrine and Grove: Oduduwa was the first Ooni (King of Ile-Ife) which is said to be the origin of the yorubas. The groove and site is a great historical and educational site regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility Osun, one of the pantheon of Yoruba gods, the landscape of the grove and its meandering river is dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures, and art works in honor of Osun and other deities.


 * 1) Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove: It is a historic site. The fees are ₦1000 per person to visit, ₦200 for mobile cameras, and about ₦2000 for a digital camera.

Eat
The people of Ikire are known for the production of Dodo Ikire. It is the local delicacy of the town and it is a commercially viable product from the town

Drink
Most hotels located in Osun state have bars that cater to the drinks needs of tourists can be found in the city centers.

Stay safe
When going out late at night, it's important to be aware of your surroundings. Make sure to go out in groups instead of alone. Stick to crowded streets.

In addition, don't be afraid if someone comes up to you while you're walking around the community and asks for money. Jos has its share of street beggars (both the old and young). What most people do when someone asks for money is ignore the person or keep walking at a quick pace. They don't have the right to your money.

Avoid deals or businesses that sound too good to be true, especially e-mails that ask you to help them. The best way not to show off your things is not to do it in public places.

If this is your first time visiting, stay in places and with people you know, and don't go anywhere without a trusted guide if you don't know anyone there.

Connect
The major mobile network in Nigeria is about 4. MTN, GLO, 9MOBILE, AIRTEL. In Ikire, Airtel has 4G network and it is very strong while the MTN network is very poor. Glo network and 9mobile network are very bad in that area.

Go next
You may bear in mind a facet experience to Ile-Ife, taken into consideration to be the ancestral domestic of the Yoruba people, as it's miles in which Oduduwa is stated to have grabbed the 3 gadgets of advent from his older brother Obatala on their instead contentious experience down from heaven whilst the latter changed into imbibing on palm wine. Oduduwa then sprinkled a few earth on the sea and set a hen on it, which unfold the earth upon which Ile Ife got here to be built, in a nutshell. The following are the places associated with the cultural records of Yoruba in Ile-Ife:

In the middle palace-kind of vicinity of downtown Ile-Ife:
 * Ile-Ife, where you can see the Ile Nla- Ooni of Ife Palace, the National Museum, the Oduduwa Afewonro Park, the Tower of Independence, the Moremi, Statue of Liberty, Ile-Ife, the Opa Oranmiyan shrine, the Oduduwa Grove and Shrine, and the OAU Museum, one of Nigeria's only natural history museums.
 * Osogbo, where you can also see the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, the Oja Oba Market Building, the Oun Oshogbo Shrine, the Museum Palace, and the Busseyin Shrine.