EKITI STATE

Posted by Nigeria Direct on 2009/02/15 | Views: 1419 |

EKITI STATE
Governor: Olusegun Adebayo Oni (PDP)


Deputy Governor: Sikiru Tai Lawal

Date Created: October 1, 1996

Capital: Ado Ekiti.

Main Towns: Ado, Ikere, Efon, Ikole Aramoko-Ekiti, Ode and Oye-Ekiti.

Ekiti state was created by the Abacha administration on October 1,1996. It was carved out of Ondo State. It shares boundaries with Kwara state to the north, Kogi state to the east, Ondo state to the south and Osun State to the west.

Ekiti State has a total of 16 local government areas. They are Ado, Ekiti-East, Ekiti-West, Emure/Ise/Orun, Ekiti South-West, Ikare, Irepodun, Ijero, Ido/Osi, Oye, Ikole, Moba, Gbonyin, Efon, Ise/Orun and Ilejemeje.

The people of the state are Yorubas and they share the same cultural values with other Yorubas. The Ekitis are homogenous hard working people.

Agriculture is the main stay of the economy of the people. A wide variety of cash crops and food crops are grown in Ekiti State. Some of the cash crops are cocoa, palm produce, timber and rubber. Others are citrus, kola nut, plantain, maize, rice, cowpea, yam and cassava.

Ekiti state has a fair amount of solid mineral resources. These are kaolin, clay, cassiterite, tin ore, columbite, bauxite (aluminum ore), foundry sand, granite and elarconits.

Ekiti state has both public and private companies. The public companies include the O'dua Textile Mills, AdoEkiti. Ire Burnt Bricks Works, Ire-Ekiti, Ekiti Oasis Companies Limited located in different parts of the state, Road Materials and Construction Company, Igbemo-Ekiti, Owena Motels, Ado-Ekiti and Medical Products Industry Ikere-Ekiti.

While the private companies include Polamp Electric Industries, Ikole-Ekiti, Adegbemile Food Industries, Oye-Ekiti, Omotayo Standard Press Limited, Ado-Ekiti, Star Printers Nig. Limited, Ado-Ekiti and Celtic Company Ltd., Ilawe Ekiti.

Education is very important to the people and government of Ekiti State. There are 541 public primary schools in the state while there are 141 public secondary schools. There are also four State Unity Secondary Schools. Ekiti has four Technical Colleges, four Women Education Centres and Five Nomadic Schools.

The tertiary Institutions in the State are the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti. There are Special Schools for Handicapped Children and School for the Mentally Retarded.

Health establishments in the state include a Specialist Hospital and six General Hospitals at different locations in the state. To get health care delivery closer to the people, there are also district hospitals and comprehensive health centres in all the local government areas.

Ekiti State is a tourist haven. The popular Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort is located in Ikogosi, Ekiti. Other tourist attractions are Arinta Water falls, Ipole-Iloro, Olosunta Hills, Ikere-Ekiti, Fajuyi Memorial Park, Ado-Ekiti, Ero Dam, Ikun-Ekiti, Egbe Dam, Egbe-Ekiti and Natural Caves in Ikere-Ekit.

Closely linked to the tourism potencials of the state is the festivals that are held seasonally. Some major festivals are common to all the Ekitis and these are Egungun festival, Ogun festival and New Yam festival.