The popular Yoruba saying, Ajisebi oyo la n ri, oyo o se bi baba enikan, mean Oyo is the pacesetter and has so many things to show that the state leads in different areas.
In case you are wondering what makes Oyo the pacesetter, you need to pay keen attention to these 7 facts about the ancient state, located in the south-west region of Nigeria, Africa.
1. The first television station in Africa, previously known as Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) was established in 1959.
It is now known as the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA and it is located at Agodi GRA, Ibadan North Local government, in Oyo state.
2. The first stadium in Africa is the liberty stadium which was designed after the famous Wembley Stadium in London.
The 25, 000 capacity seat football stadium and the first stadium to be built in Africa was officially opened in 1960.
It was officially renamed the Obafemi Awolowo stadium on the 12th of November 2010 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
3. Cocoa House: The famous 24 storey skyscraper is a 105-meter imposing skyscraper at the centre of Ibadan city.
The cocoa house was built with proceeds from commodities like cocoa, rubber and timber by the then Western Region of Nigeria.
It is also known as Ile Awon agbe, meaning house of farmers.
4. University College Hospital, UCH is the first teaching hospital in Nigeria, and it is patterned after the University of London Teaching Hospital, ULTH.
It was officially commissioned by the Queen, during her historic visit to Nigeria in 1956.
5. The University of Ibadan was established in 1948, and it is the first University in Nigeria, Until 1962 when it became a full-fledged independent University, it was a college of the University of London.
6. Ibadan is the home of the first set of research and training institutes in Nigeria, The forestry Research institute established in 1930, the Idi Ayunre cocoa research institute, the Nigerian cereal research institute Moor plantation.
The Nigerian Institute of horticultural research, the Nigerian Institute of social and economic research and the Institute of agriculture
7. The first Housing Estate in Nigeria, the Bodija Housing Estate was built and developed in 1958, and the first dualized road in Nigeria, named Queen Elizabeth road from Mokola to Agodi secretariat was officially declared open by Queen Elizabeth 11 in 1956.