Ilesa

Osun State, Nigeria · Africa

About Ilesa

Ilesa sits on the route: 20 minutes from Ijebu-Jesa.

Ilesa is in Osun State, Nigeria, with about 330,000 people. The nearest town is Ijebu-Jesa, about 10 km away.

Ilesa or Ilesha ( il-AY-shə; Yoruba: Iléṣà [īléʃà] or, locally, Uléṣà [ūléʃà]) is a historic city located in Osun State, southwest Nigeria; it is also the name of the capital of a historic state-kingdom (also known as Ijesha) centred around that town as the capital. The state is ruled by a monarch bearing the title

of His Imperial Majesty, the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland. The city of Ilesa consists of Ilesa itself and a number of surrounding cities. The Ijesa, a term also denoting the people of the state of Ijeshaland, are part of the present Osun State of Nigeria. Although the historic state-kingdom is mainly placed within Osun State, it has towns and cities covering several south-western Nigerian states. Some of the popular towns of the Ijesa are Iwara, Odo-Ijesa, Ilaje, Igbogi, Ise-Ijesa, Ibokun, Erin Oke, Erin Odo, Ijeda-Ijesa, Ipetu Jesa, Ijebu-Jesa, Esa-Oke, Iwoye Ijesa, Esa Odo, Ipole Ijesa, Ifewara, Ipo Arakeji, Iloko Ijesa, Iperindo Ijesa, Erinmo Ijesa, Iwaraja Ijesa, Oke-Ana Ijesa, Idominasi, Ilase Ijesa, Igangan ijesa, Imo Ijesa, Alakowe Ijesa, Osu Ijesa, Eti Oni, Itaore, Itagunmodi, Iyinta, Itaapa, Epe Ijesa, Omo Ijesa, Eti-oni, Ibokun, Inila, Ijinla, Iloba Ijesa, Imogbara Ijesa, Eseun Ijesa, Iloo, Owena Ijesa, Ido Ijesa, Ido Oko, Ibala Ijesa, Ere Ijesa, Ilahun, Ibodi, Ijaaregbe, Ikinyinwa, Idominasi, Ilowa, and Ibodi. The state of Ijeshaland was founded c.1300 by Ajibogun Ajaka Owa Obokun Onida Raharaha, the warlike youngest son of Yoruba progenitor Oduduwa. All kings of Ijeshaland are considered to be direct descendants of Oduduwa; who is believed to be the founder of the Yoruba people and is considered as a God-King. Ilesa is known for its natural resources and minerals especially Gold, it is said the Ilesa and Ijeshaland at large according to geological studies . Ilesa has at the very minimum, 5 Billion US dollars' worth of Gold alongside the Ilesa Gold belt axis. However the number is expected to rise in value as significant exploration for commercially quantifiable Gold deposits only began in the last decade.