Amazing Facts You May Not Know About Ogun State

Ògùn is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It borders Lagos State and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Oyo and Osun states to the north, Ondo State to the east and the Republic of Benin to the west.

It was created by the Murtala/Obasanjo administration on the 3rd of February, 1976 from the old Western State. Abeokuta is the capital and largest city in the state.

The state’s appellation is “Gateway State”, because you’ll have to pass through the state to/from Lagos (which was then the capital of Nigeria) to other parts of Nigeria.

The State is named after the Ogun River which runs right across it from north to south and it boasts of 20 local government areas which are: Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ewekoro, Ifo, Ijebu East, Ijebu North, Ijebu North East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Imeko-Afon, Ipokia, Obafemi Owode, Odogbolu, Odeda, Ogun Waterside, Remo North, Sagamu (Shagamu), Yewa North (formerly Egbado North) and Yewa South (formerly Egbado South).


Map of Ogun State showing the 20 LGAs
Ogun State is made up of six major ethnic groups: the Egba, the Ijebu, the Remo, the Egbado, the Awori and the Egun. There are also sub-groups like the Ikale, Ketu, Ohori and Anago. The language of the majority of the people of Ogun State is Yoruba but this is however broken into scores of dialects. Like the rest of Nigeria, English is the official language.

The State has the highest number of registered (private) universities and higher institutions in Nigeria.

Ogun is the only state that runs two universities in the country.

The first and only University of Education in Nigeria is in Ogun State.

Ogun State is the political capital of the South-West and has produced more political leaders for Nigeria from the Region. In fact, all South-Westerners to be President/Head of State (Obasanjo and Shonekan) and their deputies (Ogundipe, Obasanjo, Diya and Osinbajo) were/are from Ogun State. The state also produced Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo, the first Premier of the Western Region.

Ogun State is reputed to have produced the highest number of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria in the country.

The first indigenous Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice (Sir) Prince Adetokunbo Ademola was from Ogun State. In fact, the first five indigenous Chief Justices of Nigeria are reputed to have hailed from Ogun State.

The first two civilian governors were famous journalists.

On the 4th of May, 2016, CNBC Africa reported that Ogun State has become the new industrial hub of Nigeria and is regarded as the most industrialised state in the country. In the last five years, about 90 major industries have been established due to the investment of the governor in security and other services that boost investors’ confidence. These are multi-billion naira industries.

According to Ogun State Television (OGTV), the state is the largest producer of poultry products in Nigeria as 80% of the land is arable.

Ogun State makes the highest amount of royalty payment to the federal government.

In 2015, according to www.nigerianstat.gov.ng, Ogun State is the top gainer in Nigeria’s 2015 Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) service with 49.42%.

Ogun and Lagos States contribute almost 55 per cent of Nigeria’s economic activities.

According to www.businessdayonline.com, Ogun State’s represents 78 percent of N483 billion worth of investments made in the whole of the manufacturing sector in 2014.

Also, www.nationalmirroronline.net, Customs Generated N2.36bn from Ogun-Benin border between January and April 2015.

The businessdayonline.com recorded that, in 2015, Ogun state alone was responsible for processing 15,000,000,000 metric tonnes of mining activity (other than metal ore and coal) and referred to it as the mining capital of Nigeria. Also, in the 2014 financial year, the state came top accounting for 14,000,000,000 metric tonnes of mining activity.

The largest deposits of limestone in Nigeria and Africa is in Ogun State.



The popular Ofada rice, is grown almost exclusively in Ogun State. It is named after Ofada-a town where it was first successfully cultivated. The starch in Ofada rice can be used in pharmaceutical delivery.

Places to visit in the State includes:

Olumo Rock in Abeokuta.
Birikisu Sugbo Shrine at Oke-Eri.
Yemoji Natural Swimming Pool at Ijebu-Ode.
Oyan Dam in Abeokuta North.
Iwopin Boat Regatta and Ebute-Oni in Ogun Waterside.
Madam Tinubu Shrine, Abeokuta.
Oronna Shrine, Ilaro.
Area J4 Forest Reserve, Ijebu-Ode.
Tongeji Island, Ipokia.
Ake palace, Abeokuta.
Notable personalities from Ogun State includes:

Adeoye Lambo
Ayo Rosiji
Babafemi Ogundipe
Bola Ajibola
Olawunmi Banjo
Ernest Adegunle Shonekan
Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo
Jubril Martins-Kuye
Kuforiji Olubi
Madame Tinubu
MKO Abiola
Mike Adenuga
Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
Chief Olusegun Osoba
Obafemi Awolowo
Ola Rotimi
Olabisi Onabanjo
Otunba Gbenga Daniel
Oladipo Diya
Peter Akinola
Tunde Bakare
Tai Solarin
Tutuola Amos
Bisi Onasanya
Sen Abraham Adesanya
Wole Soyinka
Professor Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo—-and others too numerous to mention.