The History of Iseyin, Nigeria’s Home of Aso-oke
Iseyin is an ancient city located in Oyo State, the southwestern region of Nigeria. The town boasts a rich history, culture, and tradition. This richness is shown in the socio-cultural relations displayed by the Iseyin natives. Approximately 100km north of Ibadan, Iseyin is the fourth largest city in Oyo State, after Ibadan, Ogbomoso, and Oyo. In 2011, Iseyin was estimated to have a population of 302,990.
The rich soils of Iseyin made it a center of attraction to the earliest farmers and hunters, who saw it as fertile forest land for both mild and wild games. According to history, Aaba Odo-Iseyin and his people were the first settlers to explore Iseyin. Aaba Odo-Iseyin was a hunter with no royal or chieftaincy background, who migrated from Ile-Ife mainly for hunting purposes. He was later joined by other courageous hunters.
The sustainable annual rainfall in the area made farming, hunting, fishing, and food processing the major agricultural activities in the town. Iseyin produces almost all farm crops such as yam, maize, cassava, and plantain. Tobacco is also grown in the town.
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Iseyin is reputed as the home of Aso Ofi or Aso Oke, a popular traditional fabric worn on renowned occasions by the Yoruba people. This fabric is seen In wedding engagements, coronations, festivals, and chieftaincies, amongst other important events.
Many families in Iseyin are cotton spinners and weavers, a tradition passed on from generation to generation. It is almost impossible to find any Iseyin native who does not know how to weave. According to the town’s customs, learning how to weave starts between the ages of eight and ten.
The weaving of Aso Ofi was said to have begun about four centuries ago In Ile-Ife and Is linked to Oduduwa, the founder of the Yoruba race. According to the current Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II in a recent publication, “Aso Ofi was invented in Ile-Ife, the traditional headquarters of Yoruba race worldwide, and later taken to Iseyin by Olu Ofi from where it was made to spread across the world.”
Fibers used to weave aso oke were sourced locally in the past, but recently, they are got from neighboring states. This is apart from synthetic fibers which are imported for the special traditional cloth.
To showcase the talents of the people and the beautiful aso oke, the Aso-Ofi festival was first held on September 27, 2016, during World Tourism Day. This festival continues to put Oyo State In the spotlight for many years.
The people of Iseyin are also known for dyeing heavily imported clothes. They do this by using locally grown indigo, and imported dyes.
Asides from farming and textile activities, Iseyin is home to several local industries and institutions. It houses SAF Polytechnic, Government Technical College, the Oyo State NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Friesland Campina – a milk processing center, Raji Oke-Esa Memorial Library, and Ikere Gorge Dam, which was discovered alongside Kanji Dam.
Have you ever visited Iseyin? Tell us what you know about the place.