Oyo State - Records, Landmarks and 'Firsts'

Records, Landmarks and 'Firsts'

The first university in Nigeria is the University of Ibadan (established as a college of the University of London when it was founded in 1948, and later converted into an autonomous university in 1962). It has the distinction of being one of the premier educational institutions in West Africa. The other Universities in the state are: Lead City University, Ibadan, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso. The Polytechnic, Ibadan is one of the best polytechnics in Nigeria.

There are 324 secondary schools as well as 1,576 public primary schools in the state. Other noteworthy institutions in the city include the University College Hospital; the first teaching hospital in Nigeria and the internationally acclaimed International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (lITA).

Another prominent landmark in Oyo State is the Cocoa House, the first skyscraper built in Africa .

The state is also home to NTA Ibadan, the first television station in Africa and the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, a stadium with a capacity of 35,000.

Other major tourist attractions located in the state include: Agodi Botanical Garden, Ado-Awaye Suspended lake, Mapo Hall, University of lbadan Zoological Garden, Ido Cenotaph, Trans-Wonderland Amusement Park, Oke-Ogun National Park in, Old Oyo-Ile, Iyamopo and Agbele Hill in Igbeti, Bowers Tower and the Cultural Centre, Mokola.