This post will provide information on the list of the 16 local government areas in Ekiti state and their towns in Nigeria as well as provide answers to questions like: What is the history of Ekiti? When was Ekiti State created and by who? Which tribe is Ekiti State? What is the motto of Ekiti State? How many local government areas are in Ekiti State? How many towns are there in Ekiti State? What local government area is Ado-Ekiti? What are the local government of Ekiti?
Ekiti was an independent state prior to the British conquest. It was one of the many Yoruba states in what is today Nigeria. The Ekiti people as a nation and districts of Yoruba race trace some of her progeny to Oduduwa, the father and progenitor of Yoruba race even though good reason appear to establish the existence of aboriginal people in Ekiti region prior to influx of royalty from present day Ile Ife as that kingdom grew and abound. There are two major schools of thought regarding Ekiti history. First was the story that tied the origin of Ekiti to Ife. The story goes that the Olofin, one of the sons of Oduduwa had 16 children and in the means of searching for the new land to develop, they all journeyed out of Ile-Ife as they walked through the Iwo - Eleru (Cave of Ashes) at Isarun and had stop over at a place called Igbo-Aka (forest of termites) closer to Ile-Oluji. It is believed that the ancestors of Ekiti people who came to combine with the aboriginal people on the land migrated from Ile Ife, the spiritual home of the Yoruba people. According to oral and contemporary written sources of Yoruba history, Oduduwa, the ancestor of the Yoruba traveled to Ife where he met people who were already settled there. Among the elders he met in the town were Agbonniregun, Obatala, Orelure, Obameri, Elesije, Obamirin, Obalejugbe and so on. The modern Ekiti state was formed from part of Ondo in 1996. Prior to this, it was part of the Ondo Province in Western Region of Nigeria. While the non-Ekiti part of the region largely dominated geographically, Akure which was then regarded as an Ekiti town was the headquarters of Ondo province.
Ekiti State is in Southwest region of Nigeria, declared a state on 1 October 1996 alongside five other states in the country by the then military government under head of state, General Sani Abacha. Ekitis are culturally homogeneous and they speak a dialect of Yoruba language known as Ekiti. The land is buoyant in agricultural resources with cocoa as its leading cash crop. It was largely known that Ekiti land constituted well over 40% of the cocoa products of the famous old Western Region. The land is also known for its forest resources, notably timber. Because of the favourable climatic conditions, the land enjoys luxuriant vegetation, thus, it has abundant resources of different species of timber. Food crops such as yam, cassava, and also grains like rice and maize are grown in large quantities. Other notable crops such as kola nut and varieties of fruits are also cultivated in commercial quantities. The dominant religion is the ancestral and traditional religious activities, Islam and Christianity.
It is located in Ado Ekiti town with about 13 districts and towns which include:
- Ado-Ekiti
- Ago Araromi
- Ajebamidele
- Amirin
- Aso Ayegbule
- Ategbado
- Ernfun
- Igim Okogo
- Igirigiri
- Ika
- Ikewo
- Ilokun
- Iranse
It is located in Efon Alaiye town with about 19 major towns and villages which include:
- Oro
- Obake
- Iwaji
- Etisun
- Abeta
- Agboro
- Aladura
- Alagba
- Mesan
- Alawaye
- Araromi
- Ido-Ajegunle
- Igbo-Aba
It has its headquarters in Omuo-Ekiti town with about 13 wards and villages which include:
- Ikun
- Araromi
- Eda
- Ile
- Isinbode
- Eremiji
- Igbole
- Suru
- Omuo Ekiti
- Araromi
- Ilasa
- Isinbode
- Oda-do
it is located in Ilawe town with two towns; Igbara Odo, Ilawe and Ogotun with about 7 wards which include:
- Igbara Odo I
- Igbara Odo II
- Ilawe III
- Ilawe Iv
- Ilawe V
- Ilawe I
- Ilawe II
It has its administrative headquarters in Aramoko town with about 11 other towns and villages
- Ido Ajinare
- Ikogosi
- Ipole Iloro
- Aramoko
- Erinijiyan
- Okemesi
- Isokowa
- Egede
- Orokuta
- Osemo
- Kajola
It comprises of about 15 districts and villages which include:
- Oke Emure
- Odo Emure
- Ideimudu
- Ogbontioro
- Sasere
- Owode
- Owosi
- Igboso
- Ilu
- Oge Oke
- Seri
- Oke Sett
- Omaje Opticum
- Ose
- Owosand Agbanimu
It has its headquarters in Ode Ekiti town with about 13 towns and villages which include:
- Ode
- Agbado
- Imesi
- Aisegba
- Egbe
- Ijan
- Iluomoba
- Iro
- Aba-Baale
- Aba-Jioba
- Ugboeku
- Oke-Afa
- Olorunda
It is located in Ido town with about 12 towns and villages which include:
- Aaye
- Usi
- Ilogbo
- Ido
- Aiyetoro
- Ilogbo
- Osi Ekiti
- Ifaki
- Ipole
- Obaji
- Odo
- Oba-Aladesusi
It has its headquarters located in Ijero Ekiti town with about 13 districts and towns which include:
- Ekamarun
- Ijero
- Ikoro
- Iloro
- Ijunrin
- Ipoti
- Odo
- Owa
- Idao
- Ilukuno
- Iroko
- Temidire
- Abedi
It is made up of about 15 wards and towns which include:
- Okejegbende
- Oniroba
- Okeruku
- Ugele/Aroku
- Aso-Osolo
- Atoka
- Aba Igbira
- Ugbo-oje
- Ijao
- Odose
- Ogbonjana
- Oke-Osun
- Oyo
- Are Araromi
- Ugbo-Uro
It has its headquarters in Ikole town with about 16 communities which are:
- Agere
- Ajileye
- Apadie
- Ikoyi-Ile
- Ire
- Ijesa-Isu
- Ikole
- Oke-Ako
- Ijesha
- Iyemero
- Temidire
- Ikunri
- Ijebu-Agege
- Ilamo
- Ayebode
- Ikosi
It is located in Iye town with about 15 villages and wards which are:
- Epe
- Ira
- Iro
- Otun Ekiti
- Eda Oniyo
- Ewu
- Ijesamodu
- Iludun
- Ipere
- Iye
- Obada
- Osan
- Erinmope
- Igogo
- Obada Isaoye
- Kosu
It has its administrative headquarters in Igede town with about 8 towns and villages which include:
- Igede-ekiti
- Iyin-ekiti
- Igbemo-ekiti
- Awo-ekiti Afao
- Are
- Awo
- Igbemo
- Iropora / Esure / Eyio Iworoko
It is located in Ise Ekiti town with about 15 major district and villages which include:
- Erinwa
- Odo Ise
- Oraye
- Orun
- Afolu
- Agbe
- Ajebamidele
- Ajebamidele Ilofa
- Ajegunle
- Alabi
- Alagbada
- Araromi
- Aratu
- Aro
- Arola
It has its administrative headquarters in the town of Otun with about 10 towns and villages such as:
- Otun Ekiti
- Igogo Ekiti
- Aaye-Oja
- Osan Ekiti
- Iro Ekiti
- Irare Ekiti
- Isaoye Ekiti
- Ikosu Ekiti
- Epe Ekiti
- Ikun Ekiti
It comprises of about 17 other towns and villages which are:
- Ilafon
- Ilemeso
- Itapa
- Osin
- Omu Oke
- Omu Odo
- Ijelu
- Oye
- Ode
- Ekiti Imesi
- Ekiti Aba
- Asua
- Ajegunl
- Aldejobi
- Apata-Ajo
- Ayelala
- Elewuro