Road trip: seeing the beautiful city of Abeakuta  

Vol. 25, Issue 05, 07 September 2022

Life gets so busy sometimes we forget about the little things. For instance, the sound of birds chirping, the colors of the sky, the blooming of flowers and appreciating breathing good air. This past weekend I had the opportunity to go on a trip by road to Abeakuta from Lagos state. 

Abeakuta is the state capital of Ogun state in the southwest area of Nigeria, near the east bank of the Ogun river. It is situated near the rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna. Abeakuta has a population of about 449,088 inhabitants and it’s a state rich in natural rubber, yams, rice cassava and many more. It is one of the popular export locations for cocoa and shea butter within the region and across Nigeria. The missionaries in the 1950’s introduced rice, Cotten and indigo dye. From Lagos state, you can get to the city within two hours drive. The city is home to the Yoruba people 

Abeokuta “Refuge Among Rocks” was founded in 1830 by Shideke who was a hunter and leader of the Egan people who fled from the disintegrating Oyo empire. The town was also settled by missionaries by the 1840’s and by Creoles, who later became prominent as missionaries and as businessmen. Abeokuta’s success as the capital of the Egba and as a link in the Lagos-Ibadan oil-palm trade led to wars with Dahomey, now known as Benin. In the battle at Abeokuta in 1851, the Egba, aided by the missionaries and armed by the British, defeated King Gezo’s Dahomeyan army, known in history of west Africa as its common practice of using women warriors. (As seen in the movie adaptation, (“The Woman King”). Popularly known as the home of the Olumo rock, which was once a place of refuge from Dahomey Slave Hunters. During the slave era, people took refuge amongst these rocks to avoid being captured by slave traders. It is also the home to many shrines and caves. It is the home of the federal Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority of Nigeria, which develops land and water resources, irrigation, food processing and electricity for its neighboring cities like Lagos, Oyo and Ogun. 

I live just two hours away from this beautiful city but never visited until now. We visited the Olumo rock, the OOPL Wild Life Park with its wide landscape and beautiful ambiance. which has a zoo with some wild and beautiful animals like the Lion, Eagle, hyena, snakes, ostriches and peacocks. The park welcomes a lot of guest especially during festive seasons. It is a place people visit for inspiration and creativity. There are surrounding trees that make the atmosphere very cool and pleasant,  chairs made out of cement for guest to sit while touring the park. It is also a good place for photos..(people come just to take pictures). If I lived in this city, I will be there everyday because it’s a good place to sit and write. I must also add that it’s a place that welcomes lovers. 

While at the park, there’s places to have drinks and some finger foods like the Nigerian Suya. A combination of goat, ram, cow meat and intestines that are roasted over the fire and cut into small bite sizes, with added peppers and onions. This is a delicacy eating and topped with palm wine (tapped freshly from the palm trees), and served in wooden made cups and kegs.

The sunset on our way back was so beautiful I had to stop for some pictures. Overall, Abeakuta is a beautiful place to visit if you’re ever within Nigeria West Africa area. It is a place you’ll love to experience. The people are welcoming and ready to show their rich culture and heritage, the food is a whole experience on its own and if you’re into rock climbing, it is the perfect location to explore and tour.