Ekiti State is situated entirely within the tropics. It is located between longitudes 40°51′ and 50°451′ East of the Greenwich meridian and latitudes 70°151′ and 80°51′ north of the Equator. It lies south of Kwara and Kogi State, East of Osun State and bounded by Ondo State in the East and in the south, with a total land Area of 5887.890sq km. Ekiti State has 16 Local Government Councils. By 1991 Census, the population of Ekiti State was 1,647,822 while the estimated population upon its creation on October 1st 1996 was put at 1,750,000 with the capital located at Ado-Ekiti. The 2006 population census by the National Population Commission put the population of Ekiti State at 2,384,212 people.
Oun abajoro kiipe kun
Oun asepo nileye
Ehin ola wa tidara o
Awa Ekiti ati parapo
Kaparapo katun panupo
Awa Ekiti ati gbominira
Okan lawansee
Ekiti, Ekiti ati gbominira (2ce)
Awa Ekiti iwaju laomalo lagbara Olorun
Awa Ekiti okan soso ma ni’wa o lailai
Mainly an upland zone rising over 250 metres above sea level, Ekiti has a rhythmically undulating surface. The landscape consists of ancient plains broken by steep-sided outcropping dome rocks. These rocks may occur singularly or in groups or ridges and the most notable of these are to be found in Efon-Alaaye, Ikere-Ekiti and Okemesi-Ekiti.
An important feature of the state is the large number of hills it possesses, which are often the site of towns in which much of the population resides. In fact, the word ‘Ekiti’ was derived from the local term for hill.
The State enjoys a tropical climate with two distinct seasons. These are the rainy season (April – October) and the dry season (November – March). Temperature ranges between 21oC and 28oC with high humidity. The south – westerly winds and the North East Trade winds blow in the raining and dry (Harmattan) seasons respectively. Tropical Forest exists in the south, while guinea savanna predominates in the northern peripheries.
| LG | Name | HQ | 1963 Census | 1991 Census | 2006 Census |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ado-Ekiti | Ado-Ekiti | 151,519.00 | 149,472.00 | 308,621 |
| 2 | Ekiti East | Omuo-Ekiti | 123,649.00 | 136,519.00 | 137,955 |
| 3 | Gbonyin (Aiyekire) | Ode-Ekiti | 148,193 | ||
| 4 | Ekiti South West | Ilawe-Ekit | 124,044.00 | 134,271.00 | 165,277 |
| 5 | Ekiti West | Aramoko | 171,347.00 | 247,373.00 | 179,892 |
| 6 | Efon Alaaye | Efon-Alaaye | 86,941 | ||
| 7 | Emure | Emure-Ekiti | 105,295.00 | 131,639.00 | 93,884 |
| 8 | Ise/Orun | Ise-Ekiti | 113,754 | ||
| 9 | Ido-Osi | Ido-Ekiti | 101,546.00 | 107,990.00 | 159,114 |
| 10 | Ijero | Ijero-Ekiti | 109,330.00 | 93,286.00 | 221,405 |
| 11 | Ikere | Ikere-Ekiti | 114,780.00 | 59,257.00 | 147,355 |
| 12 | Ikole | Ikole-Ekiti | 92,902.00 | 142,657.00 | 168,436 |
| 13 | Irepodun/Ifelodun | Igede-Ekiti | 104,818.00 | 124,088.00 | 129,149 |
| 14 | Moba | Otun-Ekiti | 122,504.00 | 165,805.00 | 146,496 |
| 15 | Ilejemeje | Iye-Ekiti | 43,530 | ||
| 16 | Oye | Oye-Ekiti | 88,558.00 | 136,805.00 | 134,210 |
| Total | 1,410,292 | 1,629,162.00 | 2,384,212 |
Agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Ekiti, and it is the major source of income for many in the state. Agriculture provides income and employment for more than 75% of the population of Ekiti State.
Some of Ekiti’s agricultural produce are: Cash crops such as Cocoa, Oil Palm, Kolanut, Plantain, Bananas, Cashew, Citrus and Timber; Arable /Food Crops such as Rice, Yam, Cassava, Maize and cowpea. A detailed list of agricultural produce is contained in the tables below.
Cash Crops
| S/No | Crop | Locations | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cocoa | Ise, Emure, Ilawe, Ado, Igede, Igbara, Odo, Aramoko, Ikoro | Cocoa butter, Cocoa, Powder, Beverages, Cocoa Liquor and Export |
| 2 | Oil Palm | Spread across the State | Vegetable Oil, Spices, Flavoring and export |
| 3 | Kola Nut | Ikoro, Igede, Ise and generally in the forest zone | Stimulants and export |
| 4 | Plantain/Banana | Widespread across the State | Plantain Flour, Plantain Beer, Plantain Balls & Chips/Crape |
| 5 | Cashew | Northern part of the State | Oil, Nuts and for export |
| 6 | Citrus | Widespread across the State | Fruit, Juice, Fruit Wine and for export |
| 7 | Rubber | Southern part of the State | Tyre manufacturing, Crepe and for export |
| 8 | Timber | Ijero, Ise, Ikere, Aramoko, Ado | Log, Planks, Panel Furniture Ilawe and for export |
Arable/Food Crops
| S/No | Crop | Highly Cultivated LGAs | Industrial Uses/Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rice | Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ekiti West, Ekiti East, Ikole | Flour, Grits, Grains |
| 2 | Yam | Widely cultivated across the State | Yam Flour |
| 3 | Cassava | Widely cultivated across the State | Garri, Starch, Adhesive, Mosquito Expeller, Livestock Feeds, Chips, Yeast, Alcohol Products |
| 4 | Maize | Widely cultivated across the State | Maize, Grit, Corn Flour |
| 5 | Cowpea | Northern Part of the State | Grits, Flour |
| 6 | Plantain & Banana | Widely cultivated across the State | Plantain Flour, Plantain Chips/Crepe, Plantain Juice & Beer |
Ekiti is rich in natural mineral resources, with several of these yet to be tapped. They include casserrite, columbite and tantalite which are found in Ijero-Ekiti, ceramic (ball) clays and kaolinitic clays which are available in Isan Ekiti and Oye Local Government Area.
Feldspar which is used in the manufacture of glass is found in Oke Ewu in Ijero Ekiti and in Aramoko. Bauxite clay is available in Orin-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area, while foundry quartzite can be found around Ijero and Efon Alaaye, Ekiti.
Dimension stones like granites, charconites and banded gneisses exist extensively in Ikere-Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ewu and Otun-Ekiti. Mica/Moscovite is found in most parts of the state, while Tantalum is also available in Ijero.
A comprehensive list of natural resources can be found in the table below.
| S/No | Types of Mineral | Town | LGA | Industrial Uses/Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clay Kaolin | Isan-Ekiti | Oye | Chemicals, Industrials abrasive, Ceramics wares, Pharmaceuticals, Fertilizers. White tiles, Insulator wares, Pencils. |
| 2 | Cassiterite and Tin Ore | Ijero-Ekiti | Ijero | Tin Planting, Tin Can, Alloys Printings and Dying. |
| 3 | Columbite | Ijero-Ekiti | Ijero | Special Steel, Electronic Tube, Filaments in Rackets and Air Craft Manufacture |
| 4 | Bauxite (Aluminum Ore) | Orin-Ekiti | Ido Osi | Aluminum Productsproduction |
| 5 | Foundry Sand | Ijero-Ekiti | Ijero | Foundry Ceramics Manufactureof Glass Wares |
| 6 | Charnochite Granite | Ikere-Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti, Emure-Ekiti, Aramoko | Ikere, Ado, Emure, Ekiti West | Stone Cutting and Polishing, Road Aggregate |
| S/No | LG Name | HQ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ado-Ekiti | Ado-Ekiti |
| 2 | Efon-Alaaye | Efon-Alaaye |
| 3 | Ekiti East | Omuo-Ekiti |
| 4 | Ekiti South West | Ilawe-Ekiti |
| 5 | Ekiti West | Aramoko |
| 6 | Emure | Emure-Ekiti |
| 7 | Gbonyin (Aiyekire) | Ode-Ekiti |
| 8 | Ise/Orun | Ise-Ekiti |
| 9 | Ido-Osi | Ido-Ekiti |
| 10 | Ijero | Ijero-Ekiti |
| 11 | Ikere | Ikere-Ekiti |
| 12 | Ikole | Ikole-Ekiti |
| 13 | Ilejemeje | Iye-Ekiti |
| 14 | Irepodun/Ifelodun | Igede-Ekiti |
| 15 | Moba | Otun-Ekiti |
| 16 | Oye | Oye-Ekiti |
Ekiti Central Senatorial District
- Ado Local Government Area
- Efon Local Government Area
- Ekiti West Local Government Area
- Ijero Local Government Area
- Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area
Ekiti North Senatorial District
- Ido/Osi Local Government Area
- Ikole Local Government Area
- Ilejemeje Local Government Area
- Moba Local Government Area
- Oye Local Government Area
Ekiti South Senatorial District
- Ekiti East Local Government Area
- Ekiti South West Local Government Area
- Emure Local Government Area
- Gbonyin Local Government Area
- Ikere Local Government Area
- Ise/Orun Local Government Area
Federal Constituencies
- Ekiti Central I – Ado/Irepodun/Ifelodun
- Ekiti Central II – Ijero/Efon/Ekiti West
- Ekiti North I – Ikole/Oye
- Ekiti North II – Ido-Osi/Ilejemeje/Moba
- Ekiti South I – Ekiti South West/Ikere/Ise-Orun
- Ekiti South II – Ekiti East/Emure/Gbonyin