It Produced 1st Nigerian Monarch to Travel to England and 6 other Cool Facts You Didn't Know about Abeokuta

It Produced 1st Nigerian Monarch to Travel to England and 6 other Cool Facts You Didn't Know about Abeokuta

Abeokuta is a city of many firsts, and the Ogun state capital has produced a lot of illustrious sons and daughters many of whom can't be ignored when talking about Nigeria's history.

Abeokuta is known to many, but some of the interesting facts about this great city are unknown.

Legit.ng presents seven interesting facts about Abeokuta you probably didn't know.

The Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital
To the Egbas, the Olumo Rock stands not only as a monument of faith in unity but also as a source of protection. Photo credit: Education Images/Universal Images Group
Source: Getty Images

1. Abeokuta is home to Nigeria's first church

The first church in Nigeria, St. Peter’s Anglican Church, is in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, Neptune Prime reports.

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St. Peter's Anglican Church
Abeokuta is home to the first church in Nigeria. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Source: UGC

2. Nigeria's first secondary school

The city of Abeokuta was home to Nigeria's first secondary school, which was later relocated to Lagos as CMS Grammar School due to unknown reasons.

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3. First monarch to visit England

The first Nigerian monarch to visit England, Alake Gbadebo I, was from Abeokuta. He was in England on a state visit.

He travelled by sea on May 2, 1904, and arrived on May 5, 1904.

4. The only Nigerian rulers from southwest

Abeokuta produced the only Nigerian leaders from the southwest in the persons of Olusegun Obasanjo and Ernest Shonekan, Owogram reports.

Olusegun Obasanjo
Olusegun Obasanjo is Nigeria's former president, and he is from Abeokuta, Ogun state. Photo credit: Gabriel Aponte/Getty Images for Concordia Summit
Source: Getty Images

5. It's home to Nigeria's first hospital

The Ogun state capital is home to the first hospital in Nigeria, Sacred Heart Hospital, which is still functioning.

6. The first newspaper

Iwe Irohin, the first Newspaper in Nigeria, was founded in Egbaland in 1859 by Reverend Henry Townsend, a missionary from Exeter, England.

7. Abeokuta's first name

The first name ever given to Abeokuta was Oko Adagba, which means “Adagba’s Farmstead”. It was later changed to Abeokuta. Adagba was an Itoko farmer.

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Beautiful palaces in Nigeria and their adorable pictures

Legit.ng previously reported that the Ooni of Ife's palace made the list of six most beautiful palaces in Nigeria.

The palace of the Ooni of Ife speaks of architectural brilliance, and anyone visiting will definitely have a sense of coming to drink from the well of knowledge the palace workers possess.

The Gidan Rumfa also made the list. This is the palace of the Emir of Kano. Visiting the Gidan Rumfa is like travelling to the past to appreciate the architectural aesthetics of the ancient days. The palace, which was built in the late 15th century, is filled with historic pre-colonial pieces.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Tunde Ososanya avatar

Tunde Ososanya Tunde Ososanya, a former senior editor, is a graduate of Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism. He's passionate about what he does and finds fulfilment in informing the people. Ososanya is the author of Later Tonight: a Collection of Short Stories.