Ibadan, coined from the phrase "Eba-Odan", which literally means 'by the edge of the meadow', came into existence in 1829, during a period of turmoil that characterized
Yorubaland at the time. It was in this period that many old Yoruba cities such as
Old Oyo (Oyo-ile),
Ijaye and Owu disappeared, and newer ones such as
Abeokuta,
New Oyo (Oyo Atiba) and Ibadan sprang up to replace them. As a forest site containing several ranges of hills, varying in elevation from 160 to 275 meters, the location of the camp offered strategic defense opportunities. Its location at the fringe of the forest (the origin of the city's name) promoted its emergence as a trade center for traders and goods from both the forest and grassland areas. , 1850's Ibadan thus had initially begun as a military state and retained its martial character until the last decade of the 19th century. Between the 1860s and 1890s, the
city-state became the center of an empire extending over much of northern and eastern Yorubaland. It was appropriately nicknamed
idi-Ibon or "gun base", because of its unique military character. While most Yoruba cities practiced hereditary forms of kingship, Ibadan has been described as a
military republic by historians. The city was administered by four 'chiefs': three of whose offices were attainable by all freeborn males, and one of which was reserved for female residents. The warrior 'class' were the dominant population of the city, as well as the most important economic group, and military success offered significant opportunity for individual progression. Ibadan's unusual organization earned it the derision of other Yorubas. Ibadan grew into an impressive and sprawling
urban center, such that by the end of 1829, Ibadan dominated the Yoruba region militarily,
politically and
economically. The military
sanctuary expanded even further when
refugees began arriving in large numbers from northern Oyo following raids by
Fula warriors. After losing the northern portion of their region to the marauding
Fulas, many Oyo indigenes retreated deeper into the Ibadan environs. The
Sokoto Caliphate attempted to expand further into the southern region of modern-day Nigeria, but was decisively defeated by the
armies of Ibadan in 1840, which eventually halted their progress. In 1852, the
Church Missionary Society sent David and
Anna Hinderer to found a mission. They decided to build the mission and a church in Ibadan when they arrived in 1853. The colonial period reinforced the position of the city in the Yoruba urban network. After a small boom in rubber business (1901–1913), cocoa became the main produce of the region and attracted European and
Levantine firms, as well as southern and northern traders from Lagos, Ijebu-Ode and
Kano among others. The city became a major point of bulk trade. In 1893, the Ibadan area became a
British Protectorate after a treaty signed by Fijabi, the Baale of Ibadan with the British acting Governor of
Lagos Colony,
George C. Denton on 15 August. Its central location and accessibility from the capital city of
Lagos were major considerations in the choice of Ibadan as the headquarters of the Western Provinces (1939) which ranged from the northernmost areas of
Oyo State to
Ekeremor,
Bomadi and Patani, which were regions transferred from the old Delta province in the Old Western region and later Mid-west to the old Rivers state and later Bayelsa, in the redistricting of Nigeria carried out by the
Yakubu Gowon administration shortly before the
Nigerian Civil War. In 2024, Ibadan was the site of a
failed coup attempt by Yoruba
separatists. == Geography ==