History of Erin-Ijesa
Erin-Ijesa was founded circa 1140AD by the great Akinla, the first daughter and a princess of Oduduwa, father of the Yorubas, who left Ile-Ife in the 12th century during the tumultuous years that witnessed the dispersal of all heirs and heiresses of Oduduwa.
Erin-Ijesa is about 10 kilometres north of Ilesa, the chief city of the Ijesa, a sub-nationality of the Yoruba and along the Lagos-Ibadan-Ilesa-Akure-Benin express road. Erin-Ijesa can be described as an ancient, sedate and relatively small and sleepy countryside, which has grown in spatial and demographic terms than it used to be during pre-colonial times. It is inhabited by a determined, dynamic and highly educated and progressive people. It shares boundaries with Efon-Alaye in the north, Ipetu-Ijesa in the south, Ipole-Ekiti in the east and Erinmo in the west.
Erin-Ijesa’s population was 2,122 in 1963. This rose to 4,415 in 1991 and 5,037 in 1996. However, in 2006 the inhabitants numbered 8,111. The women to men population ratio is about 60/40%. The town is situated on Latitude 07.56785oN and on Logitude 04.76345o E, which make it to fall within the tropical rain forest-belt of the West African sub-region. Politically, Erin-Ijesa occupies a prominent position in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State. It constitutes a ward of its own with some adjoining villages, hamlets and settlements amongst which are: Urokin, Igbelajewa, Ayetoro, Awaye, Igun, Seleolowe, Lakinyo, Olorogbo, Owode, Aba-Ibadan, Aba-Ikirun, Aba-Ogbomoso, Aba-Orisunmbare, Afero and Fariogun. Each of these settlements has its own traditional head (Loja) that comes regularly to pay homage to the Akinla of Erin-Ijesa.
Erin-Ijesa is blessed with beautiful landscape with projecting hills within the range of 1,200 to 1,300 feet above sea level. The geographical location of Erin-Ijesa at the foot of Yoruba Hills provides attractive and beautiful scenery looking upwards to the hills, interlocked by rocks and evergreen deciduous forest. It is also interspersed by big trees like ‘Iroko’, ‘Arere’, ‘Oganwo’, etc; which of course provided opportunities for timber business and saw-milling. The area is well-drained by two major rivers, the Oni and the Olumirin. There are, in addition, several streams and brooks many of which are however seasonal. Some of these are Agbaroko, Ogburugburu, Ayinrin, Mojapa, Osun, Onisooro, Asiko, and Ajimoloko. These streams and brooks can be used for fishery ponds. A cliff is formed along the course of the Olumirin river creating a waterfall which is a major tourist attraction for many people all over Nigeria and the world in general. Olumirin waterfalls have placed Erin-Ijesa on a roadmap of development. The waterfall is one of the most important tourist centres in Osun State. The epithet of Osun State “Land of the Living Spring” is derived from the waterfalls at Erin-Ijesa and Osun River grove in Osogbo.
The main stay of the economy of the town is farming. The location is swampy and sloppy, allowing for the cultivation of varieties of crops of which rice is currently very prominent. Erin-Ijesa produces the largest tonnage of rice in Osun State. Yams, maize, beans, plantain as well as cash crops like cocoa, kolanut and timber are also produced in large quantities. Other predominant occupations are rice-milling, cassava milling, welding, local wine brewing, photography, barbing, etc. Erin people are predominantly agrarian and peaceful. They practice ‘aaro’ and ‘ebese’ (a communal and cooperative labour system) as means of assisting one anotherin their land cultivation most especially during the clearing and planting seasons. It is a feature of cohesiveness and communal unionism. In the past, the aaro system was used to offer farming assistance on the basis of brotherhood, in-law, age-grades, and in helping the weak and the sick.
The people in the community are generous and accommodating as various people in Nigeria come here to buy and sell. Erin people can be accommodating to a fault. They are are also liberal but highly principled. This was reflected in the way Christian and Islamic religions have come to be accepted by the people without much conflict. Oba Ayeni, a famous and respected herbalist within his immediate domain and beyond, during his reign led his people to accept modern faiths in spite of their deep-seated beliefs in traditional ways of worship.
There are two government owned primary schools and one government-owned secondary school aside from many private schools (nursery, primarywithin the community. There are modern amenities like electricity, pipe-borne water, telecommunication (MTN, GLO,Airtel), maternity centre, post-office, Union Bank, Police Station, shopping complex, Grade C customary court, and 20-bed hospital (awaiting commissioning). There are many place of worship like Christ Anglican Church, Christ Apostolic Church, Redeem Church, Catholic Church, Deeper Life Church, Foursquare Gospel Church, Cherubim & Seraphim, and mosque.
The major market is the Oyigbo-Mekun market, also known as Oodua market, at the centre of the town. This market formerly held every seventeen days but now held every eight days. People come from various towns of Yorubaland to buy and sell various articles such as clothes, mats, beads, etc and farm produce among others. We also have various cooperative society of farmers and traders, such as Obalagbe Farmers Association, Agbelere Farmers Association, Agbejeunseku Farmers Association, Egbe Oniresi Farmers Group, Cocoa Produce Farmers Association, etc. Even though, Erin people practiced farming intensively and extensively, a small percentage of the population engaged in trading and craftwork like mat-weaving, blacksmithing and tailoring.
Erin-Ijesa is blessed with untapped mineral resources like feldspar-quartz and granite. Feldspar is used in making glassware while granite is used in construction industry.
As it is not uncommon among the Yorubas, Erin-Ijesa people engaged in various social activities and often with fanfare. These include burial, naming, marriage, chieftaincy ceremonies, etc. Accompanying the ceremonies are native drums and musical instruments, songs and dancing steps show-casing the social aspects of the lives of the people, their age grades and cultural interests. The very common social concepts and instruments of social gatherings since its founding in the 12th century have remained the Ikarakara, Bata, gada, agree, sabarikolo, and a very sacred social festival called “Agbeleku”. Ikarakara is the Akinla’s drum as the head of the community. He dances to this drum in any of the ceremonies he engaged in, which also involves the elders of Erin (Agbaerin). This group comprises the traditional title holders and chiefs. Bata is the drum designed for ceremonies performed by Chief Odofin, a principal figure in the installation of an Akinla. The Bata drum is also beaten for the Eleegbes (warriors).Agada is a drum beaten for hunters; while Agere is the drum designed for middle-aged women for various social and political functions. Sabarikolo is the drum meant for traditional titled-women such as Yeyerisa, Yeyesaba, Yeyesajowa, Yeyesoro, Yeyejemu, etc, led by the Esemue. There are also other drums like Ibembe, Gangan and Ilu-Ijebu for various functions like burial, marriage and naming ceremonies.
Credit: Erin-Ijesha Portal.