Osogbo

Osogbo (Oshogbo) is a city of almost 400,000 people (2016) in Osun State in Southwest Nigeria. Osogbo, sometimes called "Ile Aro" (home of dyeing), is a major dyeing centre.

Understand
The traditional dyeing industry is one of the major industries of Osogbo and the different types of Adire in Osogbo includes Raffia Resist-Adire Oniko, Stitch Resist-Adire Alabere, Starch Resist-Adire Eleko, Wax Batik-Adire Alabele.Osogbo is also a centre of arts in SW Nigeria and has the highest concentration of art galleries which display woodcarving, paintings and other forms of art.

Get in
Osogbo is along the railway from Lagos to Kano.

It is 88 km by road northeast of Ibadan, 108 km (67 mi) by road south of Ilorin, and 108 km (67 mi) northwest of Akure.

Get around
Blue mini buses(Korope) and motorcycles are common within Osogbo and they are majorly the primary means of transport.You can decide to make use of either the buses or motorcycles depending on your choice and how fast you want to move.

Climate
The rainy season in Osogbo is humid, muggy, and partially cloudy, whereas the dry season is warm, oppressive, and overcast. The average annual temperature fluctuates between 65°F and 93°F; it is rarely lower or higher than 60°F or 98°F.

The best time of year to visit Osogbo for hot-weather activities is from late November to early February, according to the beach/pool score.

Do

 * Osogbo is the venue of the annual Osun-Osogbo festival along the River Osun. The festival is centred in the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. The Osun-Oshogbo festival is celebrated in the month of August at the grove. It festival attracts thousands of Osun worshippers, spectators and tourists from all walks of life. The two-week-long programme starts with the traditional cleansing of the town called 'Iwopopo', which is followed in three days by the lighting of the 500-year-old, 16-point lamp called 'Ina Olojumerindinlogun'. Then comes the 'Iboriade', an assemblage of the crowns of the past ruler, Ataojas of Osogbo, for blessings. This event s led by the sitting Ataoja of Oshogbo and the Arugba, Yeye Osun and a committee of priestesses.

Connect
Airtel: Formerly known as Zain. Service:Call,SMS,GPRS Service,Data(Internet).

MTN: Service:Call,SMS,Data(internet),GPRS Service.

GLO: Service:Call,SMS,Data(Internet),GPRS Service.

9MOBILE:Formerly known as ETISALAT. Service:Call,SMS,Data(Internet),GPRS Service.

Go next
You might consider a side trip to Ile-Ife, considered to be the ancestral home of the Yoruba people, as it is where Oduduwa is said to have grabbed the three items of creation from his older brother Obatala on their rather contentious trip down from heaven while the latter was imbibing on palm wine. Oduduwa then sprinkled some earth on the ocean and set a chicken on it, which spread the earth upon which Ile Ife came to be built, in a nutshell. The following are sites related to the cultural history of Yoruba in Ile-Ife:

In the core palace-sort of area of downtown Ile-Ife: A little ways out from the core: Also in Ile-Ife is the:
 * Ile Nla- Ooni of Ife Palace- this is where the current king of Yoruba (the Ooni of Ife) and descendant of the God-king Oduduwa presides. It may be possible to take a tour of the palace and even possibly meet the Ooni.
 * The National Museum - showcase of Yoruba culture and history, including the characteristic elongated bronze face sculptures that demonstrate Yoruban smelting ability and belief that the inner power and energy of a person, the Ase, are in the head.
 * Oduduwa Afewonro Park - a park centered around a statue of the deity Oduduwa, complete with his cockerel (chicken) ready to spread the earth.
 * Tower of Independence - an obelisk type monument celebrating Nigeria's independence in 1960.
 * Moremi, Statue of Liberty, Ile-Ife - this is a statue reminiscent in ways of the Statue of Liberty with a torch and all. This is said to be a monument to the autonomy of women.
 * Opa Oranmiyan - a shrine having to do with a Yoruba warrior whose descendants are royal heads in various parts of Nigeria, and a sacred grove.
 * Oduduwa Grove and Shrine - a similar sort of shrine, but unfortunately restricted without prior authorization
 * OAU Museum at the regarded Obafemi Awolowo University, which is perhaps one of Nigeria's only natural history museums.

Another outing on the other side of Osogbo (through Ilesha) is the Erin Ijesha Waterfall, a 7-tiered fall, but since it is quite crowded and people even seem to bath in it, the hour or so long trip may not be all that worth it.