Bower Memorial Tower

This amazing and extremely fascinating edifice was built in the honor of Captain Robert Lister Bower who was appointed as the minister for Ibadan city between 1893 and 1897 by the British Government. The tower building itself is 60 feet high and 11 feet square. Two entrances leads into it and in the inside is a spiral staircase that leads to the top of the tower. It is strategically located on the summit of Oke-Are, the highest hill in Ibadan, and from this tower, you can get a great view of Ibadan City.

The University of Ibadan Zoological Gardens

Established in 1948 initially with the purpose of serving as a menagerie supporting teaching and research, The University of Ibadan Zoological Gardens became a full fledged zoo in 1974. Home to a wide array of animals comprising mammmals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, the zoological garden is open seven days a week, all year round from 8 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Many guided tours take place in the zoo, mostly by schools for educational purposes.

Agodi Gardens

You can choose to call it Agodi Botanical Gardens, it still does justice to this beautiful scenery. Agodi Gardens is an exquisite flora enclave in the center of Ibadan. The serene and calm garden has a mini zoo, lush gardens with different types of vegetation, and water parks and a lake. It also provides facilities such as swimming pool and play areas for children and spaces for picnics. The garden is open to visitors throughout the week. You can decide to chill at one of the several ‘huts’ where you get served ’emu’- a local wine tapped from the palm tree- and ‘asun’

If you’re a lover of nature, serenity and solitude, you’ll fall in love with this garden as quickly as you can’t imagine.

Mapo Hall

Built beside one of the prolific palaces of the old Olubadans, in between Oja Oba (the King’s Market) and Beere, the Mapo Hall is located on the Mapo Hill and it was built to serve as the main town hall for Ibadan. It was commissioned during the colonial era in 1929, The hall is renowned for its seven columns, probably depicting the seven hills upon which the ancient city was built on (who knows?). The hall was the venue of the coronation of some Ibadan kings, and it is also quite famous for being the site of political campaigns of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Mapo Hall has a mini-museum where visitors can see chains which were used on tax evaders.

The Ventura

Located at Old Aerodrome Road, Along Sango-UI Road, Samonda, GRA, Ventura mall is one of the shopping malls in Ibadan, the others being Jericho Mall (along Jericho GRA), Palms Mall (Ring Road), Heritage Mall and Cocoa Mall (both located in Dugbe).

The Ventura is a place to enjoy many fun filled activities, if you’re one that loves bubbly activities. It has a children’s game arcade, cinema, food courts and shopping malls. Recreational activities including watching movies, games such as bowling, and shopping can be enjoyed at the mall too. Standing regally and strategically at the main entrance to the mall is an artificial fountain that you’ll not but fall in love with.

Enjoy amala

Your visit to Ibadan is not complete if you leave this beautiful town without eating amala, a popular Yoruba food and the main dish of Ibadan people. You can have amala in places such as Iya Adijat at Adeoyo State Hospital Road (Popular Nigerian Hip Hop Artiste Davido visited this place on his tour of Ibadan and he attested to the savoury taste of the local delicacy) Ose Olohun on Bodija Road, Inastraight on Cultural Centre Road in Mokola, the legendary Àmàlà Skye at Agodi and Iya Dunni Food Canteen at Challenge Roundabout Oluyole, Ibadan.

Enjoy the nightlife

Whether you love noisy and bubbly atmosphere or a cool and serene environment, Ibadan conveniently combines these so that you can have all the fun you choose. Apart from sights to see and places to visit, there are several night clubs in Ibadan to enjoy the nightlife. You can have a relaxing evening with friends and enjoy drinks and music in places like Kokodome, close to Cocoa House, Apollo’s at Palms Mall, Switch on Ring Road, GQ Lounge, Option 24/7 at Ikolaba, Platinum nightclub at Awolowo junction, Bodija amongst several others.

‘Seunfunmi Toluwalase

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