Nigeria’s second-largest city is located about 100 miles inland from Lagos. Its name means field between the plain and the savannah. Ibadan was founded at the end of the 1700s by the Yoruba people.

Under British colonial rule, Ibadan became an important trading centre. Today, the New Dugbe Market is one of Nigeria’s largest markets. The Oje Market is one of the largest cloth markets in Africa, and the Bode Market specializes in beads. The main industries in the city produce furniture and plastics.

The city also has the University of Ibadan, one of West Africa’s best schools. Scientists at the Institute of Tropical Agriculture study the cassava, yam, and other foods that are basic to the West African diet.