Okuta is a town located in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria.
Okuta | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Okuta Location in Nigeria | |
| Coordinates: 9°13′12″N 3°12′02″E / 9.2199°N 3.2005°E | |
| Country |  Nigeria |
| State | Kwara State |
| Local government area | Baruten |
| Population | |
• Total | 26,589[1] |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Geography
editOkuta is located about 300 km (190 mi) north of Lagos, and about 170 km (110 mi) northwest of Kwara State's capital of Ilorin. Internationally, Okuta is located around 8 km (5.0 mi) from the Beninese border.
Ruler
editEdidi is currently under the rulership of His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Idris Abubakar Seropetete lll as of 2019.[2]
Festivals
editFestivals in Edidi include:
- Okuta Gaani Festival: Occurs annually in January/February. It is a celebration of religion, culture, and dance which brings participants from nearby countries as well as the local area.[3]
Brief History
editOkuta Ilorin was documented in the 16th century long ago before the invention of sharpening steels for knives. A man known as Ojo Isekuse who was one of the founding fathers of Ilorin devised a method for sharpening his knives with the use of a stone. It was from the activity of the knife sharpening that the name of the town Ilorin was formed.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Okuta, Baruten, Kwara State, Nigeria". Mindat.org. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ Olonishuwa, Rowland. "Gaani: A festival of unity, togetherness". The Herald, Nigeria. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ "Okuta Gani Festival". Nigeria Galleria. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- ^ "Okuta Ilorin, Kwara - Photos". Hotels.ng Places. Retrieved 2023-06-14.