The Akoko are a large Yoruba people cultural sub-group in the Northeastern part of Yorubaland.
Akoko language, a dialect cluster, is spoken in the LGAs of Akoko North East, Akoko North West, Ekiti East, and Ijumu.
Geography
Akoko comprises about 47 small towns and villages, predominantly situated in rocky outcrop areas of northern
Ondo state.
The rocky terrain nevertheless, may have helped the region to become a melting pot of sorts with different cultures coming from the north, eastern and southern Yoruba towns and beyond. Akoko became one of the few Yoruba clans with no distinctive local dialect.
Major Akoko settlements include; Ọkà,
Ikare, Oba, Ikun, Arigidi, Ugbe, Ogbagi, Okeagbe, Ikaram, Ibaram, Iyani, Akungba, Erusu, Ajowa, Akunu, Gedegede, Isua, Auga, Ikakumo, Supare, Epinmi, Ipe, Ifira, Ise, Iboropa, Irun, Ese, Iye, Afin, Igashi, Sosan, Ipesi, Etioro, Ayegunle, Eriti and Oyin. In addition to this group, there are several other autonomous communities of varying sizes.
The Akokos occupy a frontier zone of Yorubaland and are bound to the north by the Owé Okun people and the Ebira people people, to the west by the Ekiti people, to the south by the Owos and the Owan, and to the east by the Afemai people groups.
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Ikare is the biggest city in the Akoko area with around 150,000 inhabitants as at 2008.
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Oka Akoko is the second largest city in Akokoland, with a population of 132,800. It is made up of 5 distinct settlements of Ayegunle-Oka, Oke-Oka, Iwaro-Oka, Okia-Oka and Isimerin-Oka. It is notable for the Oke-Maria Catholic Grotto, a popular tourist site.
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Irun-Akoko is one of the major towns in Akoko. It is made up of Surulere, Ugbouji, Ojeka, Utalefon, Kajola/Ejidu, Oyimo and Ugbooge distinct Settlements. The town is the gateway to Ekiti State as it is bounded by Iro-Ekiti and Isinbode-Ekiti to the North, Egbe-Ekiti, Imesi-Ekiti and Aisegba-Ekiti to the West and Emure-Ekiti to the South.
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Oba Akoko is another town in Akoko South-West Local government. Oba is the gateway to Akokoland as it is the first settlement encountered in a northward direction from the Owo community into the Akoko community.
Culture and Lifestyle
The predominant traditional occupations of the community include large scale
agriculture,
Trade and
Education.
The Akoko and Ekiti Yorubas have a socio-cultural value concept known as Omoluka analogous to the general
Yoruba people concept of
Omoluabi which summarises the ethos and virtues of the ideal Akoko man or woman a person's identity of integrity or uprightness. This concept has played a significant role in the indigenous integration, interaction and administration among the people.
Climate
The climate at Akoko, which is 97.65 metres (320.37 feet) above sea level, is classified as tropical wet and dry or savanna (Aw). The district's average annual temperature is -0.69% lower than Nigeria's averages at 28.77oC (83.79oF). 233.37 millimetres (9.19 inches) of precipitation and 267.89 wet days (73.39% of the time) are Akoko's usual yearly precipitation totals.
Towns and villages
Several mid sized towns and settlements pepper the Akoko landscape. This is a non-exhaustive list of them.
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Ikare District
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Arigidi District
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Arigidi
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Iye
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Agbaluku
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Imo
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Erusu
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Irun/Surulere District
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Ese
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Ugbouji
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Irun
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Utalefon
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Kajola/Ejidu
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Ogbagi
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Ojeka
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Suurulere
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Ugbooge
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Oke Agbe District
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Afa
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Afin
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Aje
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Ase
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Ido
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Oke-Agbe
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Iye
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Oyin
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Ajowa District
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Ajowa
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Eriti
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Gedegede
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Igasi
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Akunnu/Isowopo District
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Akunnu
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Auga
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Iboropa
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Ikakumo
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Ise
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Oka-Akoko District
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Ayegunle-Oka
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Iwaro-Oka
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Oke-Oka
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Okia-Oka
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Simerin-Oka
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Epinmi -Akoko District
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Isua Akoko District
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Ipe Akoko District
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Akungba Akoko District
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Sosan Akoko District
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Ifira Akoko District
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Ayegunle
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Ifira
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Ikun-Akoko
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Oba Akoko District
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Ago Ajayi
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Ago Ojo
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Ago Oka
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Ose-Oba
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Supare Akoko District
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Abule Nla
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Ago Flower
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Ago Ori okuta
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Igbo Eegun
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Igbo Nla
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Ikaram District
Notable people
Notable members of the Akoko clan include:
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Segun Abraham is a Nigerian politician and businessman.
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Adebayo Adefarati, 1931–2007, former governor of Ondo State
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Adejoro Adeogun, b. 1967 Member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria
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Olu Ajayi, a Nigerian professional artist, painter, cartoonist, and art reviewer, with over 40 years experience in studio practice and Art Administration
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Kayode Ajulo, politician, lawyer and civil rights activist
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Taiwo Akerele, a Nigerian policy economist, author, and politician
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Jones Arogbofa, b. 1952 former Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, retired Nigerian Army Brigadier General.
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Bamidele Aturu, 1964–2014, a prominent lawyer and human right activist
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Prof Robert Ajayi Boroffice, Nigerian politician, scientist, and academic scholar, who served under former Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. Made an Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in 2011.
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Bisayo Busari-Akinnadeju lawyer, politician and humanitarian
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Roy Chicago, d 1989, a highlife musician
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Sunday Ehindero, Inspector General of Police in Ondo State 2005-2007
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Omobayo Godwins, a Nigerian politician and deputy governor of Edo State in 2024
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TB Joshua, 1963–2021, of The Synagogue, Church of All Nations
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Adetokunbo Kayode, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chairman Gemstones Miners and Marketers Association of Nigeria
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Olugbenga Omole, Member of Ondo State House of Assembly
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Joseph Oladele Sanusi, former governor, Central Bank of Nigeria
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Moses Orimolade Tunolase, Founder of the first African initiated church, the Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim
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