Iperu, Ogun State

[1] The second school of thought i.e. oral African History about the name "Iperu" was that a lot of palm-trees abound around the place where Akesan was selling her cooked maize.

[citation needed] The third school of thought i.e. oral African history has it that Iperu was an offshoot of Epe in Sagamu.

[citation needed] The fourth school of thought about the name Iperu is quite different from the first three, and seems closest in meaning.

[citation needed] Iperu is the part of the Yoruba cultural region of southwestern Nigeria.

The city was founded in the mid-19th century when several small towns united for purposes of defense during the wars brought about by the fall of the Oyo Empire.

Iperu controlled the trade routes between the ports in the Niger Delta and the Yoruba mainland until the British occupied the area at the end of the 19th century.

Iperu has experienced both population and economic growth since the 1950s just like Sagamu due to its position between the cities of Ibadan and Lagos.

[3] The population in 1990 was 195,800 but has now declined due migration of the natives to big cities, the 2010 estimates place it as low as 178,412.

"For many years it was difficult for local historians and leaders to get hold of the complete proceedings of the Martindale Commission,[5] which are kept at the National Archives in Ibadan (NAI).

[6] The first assertion is that Iperu is an offshoot of Ijebu Ode,[7] and this is based on the account of a Bisuga, the forefather of Tiyamiyu of the Amororo ruling house whom claimed in the Martindale Report of 1937[8] that his father migrated with the son of the Awujale of Ijebo Ode to Iperu where the Awujale son i.e. the Prince met Akesan.

It is confirmed that Iperu is related to Ile Ife, Oyo, Ijebu Ode, and Epe in Sagamu by consanguinity traits and related to Eko, Lagos state by religion as in the Eyo festival which took off from Iperu and was taken to Lagos state many years ago.

Also the town plays host to a cargo airport,[10] which when completed would serve as a faster means to transport finished produce from the inner lands out.