Current Time in Iwo, Nigeria

Iwo is a Yoruba town in Osun State, in the south-west of Nigeria, lying about forty kilometres west of the state capital Osogbo and a similar distance north-east of Ibadan. It stands in the transition zone between tropical rainforest and derived savannah, on gently undulating land of red earth, palm groves and farm plots. The climate is warm and humid throughout the year, with a long rainy season from March to October and a drier spell in winter when the dusty harmattan wind blows down from the Sahara.

The town has a population of well over two hundred thousand, which makes it one of the larger settlements in Osun State. It remains a classic Yoruba town in form, with dense compounds spreading out from the palace and the market at its centre, and it functions as the commercial hub for a wide farming district.

Iwo was founded several centuries ago by settlers said to have come from Ile-Ife, the spiritual home of the Yoruba, and it developed into a substantial town within the sphere of the Oyo Empire. Its traditional ruler carries the title of Oluwo of Iwo, one of the senior monarchies of Yorubaland, and the palace remains the focus of ceremonial life. During the nineteenth-century wars that reshaped the region, Iwo received many refugees and grew considerably, and it later became an important centre of Islam in western Nigeria.

Religion is a strong feature of the town's identity. The great majority of residents are Muslim, and the annual Eid celebrations fill the prayer grounds and the streets, while a substantial Christian community and traditional Yoruba festivals also form part of the calendar. Drumming, praise singing, masquerade performances and the elaborate ceremonies of chieftaincy titles remain living traditions.

The local economy is founded on agriculture. Farmers grow cassava, yam, maize, cocoa, kola nut, oil palm and vegetables, and the markets of Iwo trade produce with buyers from Ibadan, Lagos and beyond. The town has long been known for craft work, particularly the weaving of aso oke cloth on narrow looms, indigo dyeing, leatherwork and blacksmithing, and small-scale food processing and trading employ many households.

The most significant modern development has been the growth of higher education. Bowen University, a well-regarded private institution founded by the Nigerian Baptist Convention, opened in Iwo in 2001 and has brought thousands of students, new housing, shops and services to the town, changing its economy and giving it a national profile. Several colleges and secondary schools add to the educational role.

Roads link Iwo to Ibadan, Osogbo and Lagos, served by buses and shared taxis, and the sacred Osun-Osogbo grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is close enough for a day trip.

Iwo is important as a historic Yoruba kingdom, a centre of Islamic learning in the south-west of Nigeria and, more recently, a growing university town where old traditions and modern education exist side by side.