Igbo Ora: A town in Oyo State where every family has multiple sets of twins
Nigeria and its 36 states boast beautiful landscapes, people, cultures, languages, traditions, artifacts, and interesting histories. Igbo Ora in Oyo State, for example, is renowned as the twin capital of the world. This is because every household has at least a set of twins. Multiple births are recorded in Igbo Ora than anywhere in the world.
The high rate of twins in Igbo-Ora has been historically attributed to a Yoruba meal, Amala and Ilasa. This meal is said to contain gonadotrophins, a chemical that helps women produce multiple eggs. However, this is not 100% confirmed.
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The first thing that draws visitors to the Igbo Ora community is a captivating post that reads: “Welcome to Igbo-Ora, the Land of Twins.” The frequent arrival of twins is seen as an abundance of wealth and continues to be warmly welcomed by the people. The people believe twins are special breeds from God.
This historical town often comes alive when people from different parts of the world, come together to celebrate the annual Igbo-Ora World Twins Festival. The festival, organized by Twins World Creations in partnership with Igbo Ora Community Foundation showcases the cultural potential of the community. It also attracts investors to the state.
The festival started 10 years ago as Naija Twins Festival and was rebranded to include global participation, to position Oyo State as the foremost twin tourism destination in the world.
The frequency of multiple births in Igbo Ora has attracted tourists and researchers globally, making the city worthy of being enlisted in the prestigious Guinness Book of Record.
Have you ever visited Igbo Ora? Let us know what you think about the place and the people.