CHAPTER TWO

HISTORY OF IGBETI
Historical Background of Igbeti
Igbeti-Okeogun is a town located in the northern part of Oyo State, Nigeria. 1 The
town's population was approximately 81,000 at the 2006 census. Igbeti is also
known as "Marble City" for its rich marble deposits. It is situated in Olorunsogo
Local Government area which is one of the thirty three local governments in Oyo
state. It has Ilorin, the Kwara state capital to her East, Ikoyi Ile to the South,
Igboho and Saki to her West, while the old Oyo National Park lies to the North. Iya
Mopo and Agbele Rock are the two most visited of the 16 hills surrounding the
town. Iya Mopo Hill, the highest hill in Igbeti, which occupies over six kilometers
of land mass and is as high as one hundred and fifty feet, was once used as shelter
against attacks. Agbele Rock is a naturally formed statue said to depict a mother
with load on her head carrying her child and also Bata Erugba named because of it
Drum like structure.2 There are annual activities of interest and tourist attractions in
Igbeti such as annual mountain hiking and picnics for the Easter holidays
especially on Easter Mondays. This attracts tourists inflow into the town. Igbeti is
known to have hosted many cultural programme such has the Oyo State
Celebration of world tourism day on September 27.
The history of Igbeti according to historical record could be traced to these active
interlocking phases. The town Igbeti according to the historical record by Igbeti
traditions supported by Johnson in his book title History of Yoruba stated that the
town Igbeti was founded by Alaafin Sango Ajala lji around 8 th century. Sango
was the title Alaafin of Oyo. When Oyo mesi refused to put Sango on throne after
the death of oranmiyan their father he grew annoyed and left Oyo with his team.
On his way to lle-lfe vwhen he got to the side of a big hill he met a tall and huge
woman who told Sango that she is the goddess of the hill and her name is 'Iya
Tomo-opo Eniyan' which later changed to Iyamopo she advised Sango to stay with
her and soonest the Oyo Mesi would send for Sango and his team were on the hill
top for about seven year before he was recalled to be Alafin of Oyo by deposing
his brother Dada Ajala from the throne.3 Sango ruled Oyo people for about fifteen
years with iron hands while he was at Oyo as Alaafin Sango often sent his
followers to come and make sacrifices to the goddess of Iyamopo and other with
that assisted his aspirations. Eventually, Sango and his war lords had disagreed on
1
S. O. Johnson, 'The History of Yorubas From the Earlist Times.' (Edited by Dr. O. Johnson Rutledge, London 1921), p8.
2
S. O. Johnson, 'The History of Yorubas From the Earlist Times.' (Edited by Dr. O. Johnson Rutledge, London 1921), p8.

3
S. O. Johnson, 'The History of Yorubas From the Earlist Times.' (Edited by Dr. O. Johnson Rutledge, London 1921), p8.
the committed suicide by hanging on Ayan tree. Sango subjects were not happy to
this embarrassment. They invented means to call thunder and lighting from heaven
to destroy Sango's enemies. At last they all accepted Sango as god and his wife
Oya too. Orisa Sango soon became the major royal family traditional religion with
lfa oracle.4While Sango was on Iyamopo hill he had a palace there and Iyamopo
too. The two palace are there as tourist attraction till today 5, likewise when Sango
and his team were on the hill, his enemies called name and they made jest of him
that he was living on the hills surrounded by forest (Igbe ni oti). This appellation
soon becomes the name lgbeti. When Sango died his followers flooded the hill side
of this area. They were mostly lji people worshiping the goddesses of the hill that
assisted them egantion or their leader Sango to greatness. Other people from Oyo
follow the chain. They were mostly hunter warriors. They settle in huts, tents,
caves and under big tree. They fed mostly on fruit (Emi, lgba, Ori, Babonta and
Ehiri etc).6The population of the people grew up but with independent settlements.
During this era, a prince called Okose Ifa and his brother Oladekan from the royal
family at Igbon came and settles with one of the settlements called paaga. The
leader of the settlement was an Iji dynasty called Akinyele Ayisa lji. He was the
Asoke of Iyamopo hill. He is a descendent of Sango olufiran Ajala lji. Because
prince okose Ifa and Olalekan were of royal blood, they quickly mixed up with all
the settlements few of which were written under appendix III. These settlements
were independent of each other but they respected Okoseifa and Oladekan of their
wisdom, uprightness and renounced Babalawo. Okoseifa was first appointed
(onigbeti) Baale of the new settlement.7
According to an oral interview conducted in Igbeti, Igbeti community developed as
a result of the formation of small groups and villages who felt they could live in
harmony and come together as one, to form Igbeti town, according to Chief Dauda,
the etymology of the name 'Igbeti' tells it all because 'we couldn't collect it' (A gba
ti) urned out to 'Igbeti'.8 There are Sixteen mountains in Igbeti town, the biggest of
them is called 'Iyamopo Mountain', it's such a very big mountain, that attract other
settlement like 'Saagbon, Sagbo, Enke, Babamogba...' and host of others, it's on
this Iyamopo mountain that they climbed for shield and protection, such that the
warriors whenever they invade, whatever effort they made to climb the mountain
with horses, because they usually come with horses back then, whenever the
comee, our forefathers will pluck 'ewedu' they will then pour it on 'Iyamopo
mountain' in question, when the horses start climbing the mountain and they get to
4
N.A Fadipe, Sociology of Yoruba's (Ibadan: University, Press 1972) p. 262
5
D.O Ogunbiyi: Igbeti Town A Tourism Attraction Since (Ibadan: University Press, 2000)p.45
6
S. O. Johnson, 'The History of Yorubas From the Earlist Times.' (Edited by Dr. O. Johnson Rutledge, London 1921), p9
7
N.A Fadipe, Sociology of Yoruba's (Ibadan: University, Press 1972) p. 262
8
Oral Interview Conducted with Mr. Jare Adeniyi, at Igbeti Babamogba Compound on Friday 14th April, 2023.
the part spilled with 'Ewedu' they will all fall down and rolled down to the feet of
the mountain. The many times they tried climbing the mountain, all failed, and that
was how they were unable to climb 'Igbeti' town and climb the rest towns around
us.9 It was from their failed effort to claim the land that the name 'Igbeti' came
from. It was after the war that our forefathers came down from the mountain, when
they come down from the mountain, instead of those who belong to a particular
village to go back to their various places, they concluded staying together and that
was how the started living together. Then they thought of having a leader, because
it's not right for a town not to have a leader. They started thinking on who to make
the leader from the people that their village, though one of the aboriginal they meet
at the bottom of the mountain was the first and as such deserves to be the leader,
though one who was appointed complained that he will go for animal hunting and
mamy more, later on they made an harbalist who came from 'Orile- Igbon' as luck
would have it that he came from 'Orile-Igbon' according to history, it was heard
that he cams from a royal family there, and Orile-Igbon was founded from Oyo
town, which also stated that we people from Igbeti hail from Oyo, except for
people in the village before. The political system was a monarchical type, though
the head of the community was formally known as the provincial governor 'Baale'
because that was the chieftaincy title post back then, before they started crowning
emerging king, now we crowned royal kings in Igbeti. We speak Oyo dialect in
Igbeti town, we are close to some community because we are in Oke-Ogun. There
were over 1130 settlements in the ancient town Igbeti. These settlements were
independents of each other. They met occasionally during their market days, Orisa
festivals such as iyamopo, Sango, Ogun, Obatala, Oya, Orisa Oko, Oro etc. and
during either ceremonies such as marriage, funeral ceremonies or and when
Alaafin sent message from Oyo. Between 1780 – 1800 many settlements started to
merge together to join big cities. The Jihad war was sure. Many settlements in
ancient Igbeti amalgamated between 1800-1820 through the efforts of Okose ifa.10
The heads of these settlements are the kingmaker of the town today. The family of
Okoseifa that led to their amalgamation of the Onigbeti dynasty. The settlements
made camps at the foot of lyamopo hill were Sango (the first settlers) met Iyamopo
the goddess of the hill. The amalgamation settlement had many Baales. Warriors
and leaders. The 18" century wars: - From 1815-1825; lgbeti settlements prepared
for Jihad wars coming through ... Afonja the Are Onakakanfo. In Yoruba land
Igbeti people built defensive wall of about 18 feet high. They built trenches and
made war implements ready like guns, cutlasses, swords, axes and monganmi of

9
Oral Interview Conducted with Mr. Jare Adeniyi, at Igbeti Babamogba Compound on Friday 14th April, 2023.

10
D.O Ogunbiyi: Igbeti Town A Tourism Attraction Since (Ibadan: University Press, 2000)p.3
various types. They selected their first Onigbeti in 1820 who would be their spoken
man and who would be representing them at Oyo mectings and to be head of other
Baales.11When the war ended, Igbeti people long on Iyamopo hill get nothing
concrete to do. They stated to fight within themselves. They waged war against
Onigbeti who reigned (1891-1899) by name Ayainsa. He was murdered during the
struggle this younger brother name Siyanbola I (1899 -1918) was made Onigbeti
and he was also attacked. He fled to Igboho. Helived in lgboho for some year
before Alaafin Siyanbola Ladigbolu (1911-1944)1 settled the rift and he returned
to his throne. When Alaafin sent about 100 solders to Igbeti to settle the rift
between Onigbeti Siyanbola and his subjects, they had nothing against the Oba.
They started fighting within themselves. The usurper of the throne called Omidijo
was banished. He first settled at Obanisun village very close to Igbeti before he
was move or force to settle down at Osagbolu, fata and the Olugbon where he
died.12
Though, as from 1890 people had been settle in the valley but not until 1900 when
people moved down mass, when Oba Siyanbola was returning from his voluntary
exile at Igboho other Obas that worked hard to improve the status of Igbeti then
were Oba Okunmo Afasegbejo (1918 -1926) and Oba Alawoki Folarin (1926 -
1944) During the reign of Onigbeti the town built Obas Palace, built Igbeti market
and Alaafin of Oyo accepted Igbeti as a leading town in his domain. The growth of
lgbeti town started as from 1918 to the present day. 13 The association that effected
the growth were Egbe Imule, Egbe lbile, Egbe Omo Igbeti and Igbeti toro. Egbe
Imule controlled the development of Igbeti until 1930s. many traditionist
controlled the union under the leadership of Onigbeti of Igbeti. From 1930s, 1940s
egbe Imule was form under the leadership of Pa Oderinde Aremu (Baba Ago) who
was the chairman from 1950s - 1960s egbe omo Igbeti was formed led by Pa
Ajibowu and from 1960 to date.14 These association and union worked hard to see
to the growth of the town structurally and physical. On December 4th 1996 Igbeti
and her environment attained an autonomous independent from Irepo Local
Government which was established in 1955 for the creation of Olorunsogo Local
Government with its headquarters at Igbeti.15
Indigenous Economic Activities in Igbeti
11
D.O Ogunbiyi: Igbeti Town A Tourism Attraction Since (Ibadan: University Press, 2000)p.45
12
D.O. Ogunbiyi 'Instrument of Office Booklet Presented During the Installation of New Onigbeti 2004, p.12
13
D.O Ogunbiyi: Igbeti Town A Tourism Attraction Since (Ibadan: University Press, 2000)p.45
14
Oral Interview Conducted with Mr. Jare Adeniyi, at Igbeti Babamogba Compound on Friday 14th April, 2023.
15
Daily Times Newspaper Headlines, January 1988, The scramble for Igbeti Marble. Daily Times Publishing Company Lagos
page 8 - 10.
There were many occupations in Igbeti, however farming and hunting remains the
most important occupation and the means of live hood for the majority. Though
regarded by many as subsidiary occupation, it has played major role in the social
cultural, political and economic life of the lgbetian from the carliest time to the
present. However, community where mostly farmer which was the main
occupation attracted the tiv, Idomas and zuru people to the settlement. The extent
of the contribution of these group to the growth of the settlement is not known, but
they must have been attracted partly due to the abundance of land and the climate
in the area favour the growth of crop like Yam maize, guinea corn, cassava,
cashew and marble stone which it offered for trading with other neighbouring state
and the Europcans.
According to an interview conducted, farming is the most indigenous occupation
that our forefathers do, and our mothers are into yam flour selling, they equally
make locust bean, locust bean is from the locust tree, they make 'Iyere' locust bean
is from 'Iyere', sher butter is made from 'Ese' we do eat sher butter, it can be used
as cream and lots more, they pluck the mangoes we eat, they also engaged in night
guard and knit cloth popularly called 'Aso Ofi'. 16We eat all the foods they eat in
Yorùbá land, pounded yam is our most favourite food, including taking of pap, we
don't joke with it even till this date, paps happened to benmy favorite food and
other people who hails from Igbeti.17 In essence Igbeti are known for eating
pounded yam, Pap drinking and Yam Flour it's called 'Oka' in the indigenous
language of the people.18
Igbeti people, before colonization, already had the basic infrastructure that made
them self-sufficient and productive.19The organisation of the whole area now
known as Igbeti ensured the maintenance of law and order. And generally, the
people’s economy was built mainly on agriculture, trade and industry. On the eve
of the colonial rule, the land had already been visited by many Europeans, who
were mainly missionaries, explorers, traders and treasure hunters. The contact with
the Europeans could be taken back to about the middle 1850s. 20 But during this
period of contact with the British, the Igbeti cultural traditions were not really
adulterated by foreign influences. It is good to examine the social life of the people
16
Oral Interview Conducted with Mr. Jare Adeniyi, at Igbeti Babamogba Compound on Friday 14th April, 2023.
17
Oral Interview Conducted with Mr. Jare Adeniyi, at Igbeti Babamogba Compound on Friday 14th April, 2023.

18
Oral Interview Conducted with Mr. Jare Adeniyi, at Igbeti Babamogba Compound on Friday 14th April, 2023.

19
N.A.I., Ondo Prof. Lieut, L.N. Backoell, District Commissioner, Akure, 1898 in Administrative Report, File No. 220, 1920, p.
32.
20
J. A. Atanda (ed.), Travels and Explorations in Yorubaland, 1854-1858, by. W.H. Clarke (Ibadan: Ibadan University Press,
1972).
during this period. Some writers like D. Philips, Bolanle Awe, S.A. Akintoye,
Paula Brown, P.C. Lloyd and H. Oluwasanmi, among others, have written, either
in bits or indirectly, on Igbeti pre-colonial cultural, political and social experiences.
Being a completely homogenous society, made up of different family units within
households that were also within districts, all the districts within each town were
headed by an Oba or king whose chiefs were usually heads of these districts. The
chiefs were special advisers to the king who also had minor chiefs in charge of, for
example, wars, purification of the society or religious rites, community work and
judicial problems. The people on the eve of the “colonial era were living in houses
made of mud walls and palm leaves or other leaves for roofing”. Nearly all the
buildings had the same “design and size, all of which were determined by the
utilitarian and domestic needs of the Igbeti people”.21
However, generally, The buildings were all bungalows and were built in
compounds known as Agbo – Ile (a group of houses). The compound was usually
circular in shape enclosing a large area. Each compound was divided into several
compartments serving the need of all the families and their dependants. In the open
space in the centre of the compound, “Aede”, were kept goats, and sheep at night
to prevent leopard from destroying them.22 Every compound had an entrance near a
urinary called Ojuto or a gutter. Within each compound were also different areas
for cooking, bathing and other activities like night story telling. It was not in the
people’s tradition to pass stools within a compound. Instead, each household, made
up of several compounds, had a separate area, distant from the compounds, for this.
To avoid any plague, this area was always burnt to ashes, usually once a year.
Sanitation was an important aspect of Igbeti’s communal settlement. For example,
“it was very mandatory for all the young boys and girls in each compound to
sweep the grounds within and outside the compound every morning”.23And very
periodically also, all male adults in every district used to clear and burn the areas
where refuse was dumped.
Though symbolically, the land belonged to the king, the custodian of all lands, he
did not get himself involved in any family or household land unless there was a
problem. But the king was in charge of all the community land. Land in the pre-
colonial Igbeti was hereditary. That is, the male children of a man inherited all his
land after him, and the land was shared among them if the man had more than one
child. It was not the tradition of Igbeti to sell any portion of their land, because no
21
J. Adebisi, Igbeti Local Architecture. (Ibadan: Karimu Printing Press, 1962), p. 19.
22
A. Oguntuyi, History of Ekiti: From the Beginning to 1939. (Ibadan: The Carton Press, West Africa, Limited, 1979), p. 16.
23
J. Adebisi, Igbeti Local Architecture. (Ibadan: Karimu Printing Press, 1962), p. 35
person outside the family was allowed to permanently own a land within the
family’s land. Rather, land could be given to a distant relation on trust on agreed
terms and for a specified period, after which the land was returned to the owner.
Such land was given after the person had given a gift of kolanut and wine to the
family. In fact, each lineage had the right to land which, according to tradition,
belonged to their ancestor. Such land was in the charge of the head of the
household who would make sure that the land was shared among the family heads
who, in turn would also make sure that the family heads shared the land
appropriately.24There was no tradition of land pledging in the pre-colonial period.
Pre-colonial Igbeti was a completely agricultural society, and farming was their
main occupation. With very few and simple agricultural implements like cutlass,
hoe and axe, the farmers were able to produce more than enough food for the
people. According to Captain Anderson in 1899, 'With few, simple and primitive
implements, these hard-working people (Igbeti) have been able to produce a
variety of food crops that are displayed in segmented units like Egyptian pyramids
in the markets that are customarily located near the kings’ palaces. One is not
surprised because very early in the morning, by 6 a.m., the farmers and their male
children are seen trooping to the farms with cutlasses, hoes, baskets and, at times,
wood torches needed to make fire in the farm for food…. And in the evening,
around 4 p.m., the people usually return home in groups, this time including
women carrying heavy loads on their heads while men are seen carrying fire wood
on their shoulders….' Evidently, there can be no Igbeti without farming. 25 It is very
clear from the above observation that the pre-colonial agriculture “though without
all the appliances of civilization, produces fine results”.26 In addition, “with …
simple instrument, large trees are felled, the forest cleared, the wood cut and split
and thousands of acres prepared for tillage”.27 Since some cash crops were not yet
really introduced to them, the main crops grown were cassava, kolanut, maize,
yam, cocoyam, beans, gourds, calabashes, melon, okro and a variety of vegetables,
which, at times, grew up unplanted among planted crops. The common vegetables
were ewe dudu, tete, rorowo, edu and egure (water leaf). A variety of pepper was
also cultivated, in addition to plantain, cassava, potatoes, cotton and pawpaw. Palm
oil and palm kernels were also part of Ìgbeti's agricultural products in addition to
24
J. Adebisi, Igbeti Local Architecture. (Ibadan: Karimu Printing Press, 1962), p. 3

25
N.A.I., Ondo Prof. 2/4, File No. 82A, Administrative Report (Miscellaneous), 1920, p. 4.
26
J.A. Atanda (ed.), Travels and Explorations in Yorubaland, 1854-1858, by. W.H. Clarke (Ibadan: Ibadan University Press,
1972). p. 259
27
J.A. Atanda (ed.), Travels and Explorations in Yorubaland, 1854-1858, by. W.H. Clarke (Ibadan: Ibadan University Press,
1972). p. 259
palm wine. It was the duty of the men to clear the bush, till the land with hoes and
plant the crops. It was the responsibility of the women to harvest farm products and
bring then home and for sale in the market. The Igbeti farmers reared animals like
goat, dogs and pigs. The animals were allowed to roam about freely after being fed
in the morning. Apart from pigs which were not allowed to enter a house, dogs and
goats were free to mix with people. In fact, a dog was treated like a human being
and was allowed to even sleep within a house and close to people. Dogs were used
for hunting and for other domestic purposes. Fowls were raised both at home and
in the farm. While the men were responsible for rearing fowls in the farm, women
were mostly in charge of rearing them at home.
It should be noted that farming was considered a very hazardous task and therefore
regarded as man's job. In Igbeti, all male children were taught to farm as soon as
they are of age while the woman role was merely supportive particularly during the
harvesting period and other related activities. Farming, it is not an occupation for
the lazy as farms are fully engaged in it. They hardly have time for any other work
and so, they are either on the farm for clearing of bush or any other related work.
There are various equipment and method used by the farmers. These include hoe,
cutlass, Axe, basket etc. They are locally made from materials such as palm stems,
wood and blacksmiths. Agricultural practice is intense and immense despite the
crude means of cultivation over the year; the fertile loose land still provides variety
of products which ensure the survival of the people and others from different parts
of the country. Iyamopo Olorunsogo local Government forms parts of the food
basket of Oyo state as their variety of farm products attract people from all over
Nigeria. The main cash products are Shea nuts, locust beans, tobacco, cashew nuts
etc.
Another important aspect of the agricultural life in the pre-colonial Ìgbeti was
hunting. During this period, and the situation still remains the same till today,
nearly all the farmers were also hunters, using locally made guns, different types of
traps, wires and catapults. Apart from individual hunting, there were also periodic
collective hunting expeditions made up, at a time, of about 20 to 30 or more,
hunters hunting various animals and birds. Such game resulting from hunting were
usually shared according to age and contribution either for food or for sale. One
practice was very common among the farmers before 1900, though this was carried
over to the colonial period. This was the practice of selling some crops in the farm
without the sellers or the owners of such farm products being around. About this
method of selling. Anderson also commented in 1899: The amazing thing about the
Igbeti farmers, both men and women, is their strange method of selling farm
products without the presence of the sellers. This is a lesson for we British because
I cannot but wonder how this method can work among us in Britain. At the
entrance or gateway to a farm is usually found items like ripe plantain, tomatoes,
yams, roasted rats and snakes and other things that were displayed on skeletal
wooden beds resting rectangularly on four wooden sticks that were firmly driven
into the ground. What the buyers do is to pick any of the items displayed and put
the cowrie money there. Nothing is ever stolen.28
Igbeti people called this practice kosoloja or remote selling. 29 Kosoloja, or ko si
oloja, means the seller is not around or very distant from his market. Chief
Jonathan Agunbiade -explained the working of “remote selling”. According to
him, “remote selling was a custom that, among other things, helped teach and
promote moral decency among the Igbeti”.30 People believed that it was a curse for
anybody to steal or take any of the displayed items without dropping the price
money near the product. However, for a prospective buyer to know the price of
each product displayed for sale, according to Agunbiade, a price was put very close
to each item for sale. What the buyer needed to do was to first count the amount of
money, usually in cowries, beside the item he or she wanted to buy and then drop
the exact amount in front of the product.31 “Remote selling” was also practised
among some Igbo communities well into the late 1950s.
But Bosede Ajayi, a 67-year old trader at Igbeti, in Igbeti she further explained the
commercially creative nature of “Remote Selling” among the Ekiti traders. For
example, it is still the practice that when somebody buys any food item in the
market or in a yard, it is customary for the seller to generously add to or top what
has been bought with small and free extra. This small extra or gift was known in
Ìkere as “eni” or what the Igbo people call “mmezi”. However, Bosede has been
able to recollect the same practice with remote selling in the farm. To her, though
not all the remote sellers were practising this, many farmers usually put extra
foodstuffs on the right side of other foodstuffs for sale. No money or amount was
placed near this at all, meaning that it was “eni” or free gift.32 What happened was
that if, for example, a bunch of banana was placed on the extra portion of the stall,
one was free to take one or two from the bunch after buying an item. Nobody had

28
N.A.I., Ondo Prof. 4/1, file No 2/4, Administrative Report, 1920, p. 4
29
Chief Jonathan Agunbiade, 83 years, a farmer and a former Produce Buyers in the early 1960s in Igbeti, Interview conducted in
Igbeti on Friday, 14th April, 2023.
30
Chief Jonathan Agunbiade, 83 years, a farmer and a former Produce Buyers in the early 1960s in Igbeti, Interview conducted in
Igbeti on Friday, 14th April, 2023.
31
Chief Jonathan Agunbiade, 83 years, a farmer and a former Produce Buyers in the early 1960s in Igbeti, Interview conducted in
Igbeti on Friday, 14th April, 2023.

32
Bosede Ajayi, 67 years, a trader. Interview conducted in Igbeti, Friday 14th April, 2023
the right to touch the extra gift if the person had not bought anything from the
stall.33 To Oluwatoba, the method of putting “eni” or extra on many stalls was a
way of attracting patronage.34And this now makes it necessary to discuss the
amount for and the currency used in remote selling. The main and most popular
currency were cowries followed by precious beads called “ayun”. About the
remote selling, the quality and quantity of the foodstuff’s usually determined the
number of cowries placed near each item by the seller. However, it is good to point
out that occasionally, people could exchange food item for another food item.
There were other economic activities such as pottery craft and basket making
weaving as well as mat making of weaving pottery involved clay moulding into
various shapes before elaborate drying and firing ensured. Pot of various sizes for
difference purpose were produced other items made of clay include clay lamps,
plates, clay grounds to mention but a few. These items were used for ritual
purpose. We also had mat making and weaving which meat kneeling or sitting
down from dawn to dusk. This was dominated by women and children. All the
economic activities of Igbeti discussed above were important because they
provided revenue for individuals with whom they bought cloths, made shelter and
other necessities of life.35
Modern Industrial Development in Igbeti
As regards the Modern industrial development in lgbeti, Igbeti Marble Mining.
focuses, on Igbeti at large. It states that Igbeti state in Oyo state accounts for over
10 percent of industrial investments in the country. However, the modern industrial
development measure of the government and from time to time to provide more
investors in Nigeria, be it foreign or domestic. Other fiscal incentive extended by
the governments for the purpose of promoting industrial investment in Nigeria
include concessional tariff protection, import duty relief, accelerated depreciation
allowance and pioncer income tax concessions and exemptions, refunds on
imported industrial goods, government provision and regulation governing
recruitment of foreign personnel. Government also made declaration and
regulations guaranteeing free currency convertibility, transfer of profit to the home
income country investors. In the concession tariff protection, there are schedules
which provide substantial protection for local manufactures of most product excise
duty rate on comparable products. Furthermore, to solve the problem of the land
33
Bosede Ajayi, 67 years, a trader. Interview conducted in Igbeti, Friday 14th April, 2023
34
Oral Interview Conducted with Oluwatoba, in Igbeti, on Friday 14th April, 2023.
35
Oral Interview Conducted with Mr. Jare Adeniyi, at Igbeti Babamogba Compound on Friday 14th April, 2023.
tenure system which made it difficult to obtain lands with clear tittles the
government of Nigeria developed a number of industrial the marble industrial
estate was established in 1989.

The Igbeti marble mining was later change to the Nigerian marble mining
company limited is a liability company primarily engaged in the quarrying and
processing of marble for sale to the public, in the form of aggregates (lumps) and
the pulverized form of chippings and powder (calcium carbonate). The company
was formed in 1984 in culmination of the series of negotiation deriving from the
protected controversy the occasioned the seizure in 1978, by the executive fiat of
the Oyo state government under Col.pic Tarfa, of the operation of the late chief
E.0. Ashamu's lgbeti Mining Industries limited (I.M.I), which had pioncered the
exploration of the marble deposits in Igbeti and environs. The industrial estate is
provided with good electricity, water, road facilities and other modem
infrastructures needed for efficient industrial growth. Again government provide
good road network, for instance the marble industrial estate was linked by two dual
carriage road to the town which helps to facilities the transportation of heavy
imported material from kutonu and lomen to the community.