Ondo State (Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Oǹdó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State.^[5] It borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast for 45 km, Edo State to the east, Delta State to the southeast for 36 km, Ogun State to the southwest for 179 km, Osun State to the northwest for 77 km, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.^[6] The state's capital is Akure, the former capital of the ancient Akure Kingdom.^[7] The State includes mangrove-swamp forest near the Bights of Benin.^[8]

Quick Facts Country, Date created ...

Ondo
State
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  Sunshine State
Location of Ondo State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 7°10′N 5°05′E
Country	Nigeria
Date created	3 February 1976
Capital	Akure
Government
• Body	Government of Ondo State
• Governor (List)	Lucky Aiyedatiwa (APC)
• Deputy Governor	Olayide Adelami
• Legislature	Ondo State House of Assembly
• Senators	C: Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC) N: Jide Ipinsagba (APC) S: Jimoh Ibrahim (APC)
• Representatives	List
Area
• Total	15,500 km2 (6,000 sq mi)
Population  (2006 census)1
• Total	3460877[1]
• Estimate  (2022)	5316600[2]
• Rank	18th of 36
GDP (PPP)
• Year	2021
• Total	$33.00 billion[3] 7th of 36
• Per capita	$6,077[3] 7th of 36
Time zone	UTC+01 (WAT)
postal code	340001
ISO 3166 code	NG-ON
HDI (2021)	0.610[4] medium · 16th of 37
^1 Preliminary results

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Nicknamed the "Sunshine State", Ondo State is the 18th most populated state in the country,^[9] and the 25th-largest state by landmass.^[10] The state is predominantly Yoruba,^[11][12] and the Yoruba language is commonly spoken.^[13] The state economy is dominated by the petroleum industry. Cocoa production, asphalt mining, and activities related to the state's extensive coastline also are part of the economy.^[14] It is the home to the Idanre inselberg hills, the highest geographical point in the western half of Nigeria at over 1000 metres in elevation.

Lucky Aiyedatiwa is the sitting governor of Ondo state.^[19] Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was sworn in on December 27, 2023 as the successor of Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu^[20] who died as a result of cancer complications earlier that day.

The State government is led by a democratically elected governor who works closely with members of the state's house of assembly. The Capital city of the State is Akure.^[21]

The electoral system of each state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two -third of the State local government Areas. If no candidate passes threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government Areas.^[22]

The ethnic composition of Ondo State consists largely of Yoruba subgroups of the Idanre, Akoko, Akure, Ikale, Ilaje, Ondo, and Owo peoples. Ijaw people, such as the Apoi and Arogbo populations inhabit the southeastern swamps close to the Edo state border. A small population of people speak a variant of the Yoruba language similar to the Ife dialect in Oke-Igbo town close to the Osun state border.^[23]

The vast majority of the population are Christians; minorities practice Islam and traditional Yoruba animist worship.^[24][25]

The Anglican Province of Ondo (2002?) within the Church of Nigeria includes the Dioceses of Akoko (2008) led by Bishop Jacob O.B. Bada (2019), Akure led by Bishop Simeon Borokini (2013), also Archbishop of Ondo Province (2022), On the Coast (1995 as the Diocese of Ikale-Ilaje) led by Bishop Seyi Pirisola (2019), Idoani led by Bishop Adegoke Oludare Agara (2020), Ilaje led by Bishop Fredrick Idowu Olugbemi (2009), Ile-Oluji led by Bishop Abel Oluyemi Ajibodu (2017), Irele-Eseodo (2009) led by Bishop Joshua Sunday Oyinlola (2019), Ondo (1952) led by Bishop Stephen Adeniran Oni (2018), and Owo (1983) led Bishop Stephen Ayodeji Fagbemi (2017).

174,148 Catholics (2021) in the Diocese of Ondo (1943) a suffragan of Ibadan, with 60 parishes under Bishop Jude Ayodeji Arogundade (2010).

Ondo has a Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate.^[26] The city's yearly temperature is 28.42 °C (83.16 °F) and it is -1.04% lower than Nigeria's averages. Ondo typically receives about 182.94 millimeters (7.2 inches) of precipitation and has 266.26 rainy days (72.95% of the time) annually.^[27]

Languages of Ondo State listed by LGA:^[28]

The following are mineral resources found in Ondo State:^[29]

• Bitumen
• Coal
• Oil & Gas
• Dimension stones
• Feldspar
• Gemstones
• Glass/and
• Granite
• Gypsum
• Kaolin
• Limestone

• Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko^[30]
• Achievers University, Owo^[31]
• Adeyemi College of Education^[32]
• Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin^[33]
• Federal College of Agriculture, Akure^[34]
• Federal Polytechnic, Ile Oluji^[35]
• Federal University of Technology Akure^[36]
• National Open University of Nigeria, Akure^[37]
• Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa^[38]
• Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo^[39]
• University of Medical Sciences, Ondo^[40]
• Wesley University of Science and Technology^[41]

Federal Highways are

• A121 (TAH8: Trans-African Highway 8 Lagos-Mombasa) east from Ogun State via Ore to Edo State at Ofosu,
• A122 southeast from Osun State at Igbara Oke via Akure to Edo State.

Other major roads include:

• the Ondo-Ife Rd northwest from Ondo to Osun State at Okeigo,
• Ipetu-Ondo Rd north from Ondo to A122 at Ikeji Oke in Osun State,
• Ondo-Owena Rd east from Ondo to Akure,
• Igede Ekiti Oke Rd north from A122 at Ilawe to Ekiti State at Ibuji,
• Oba-Ile Rd north from Akure to the Ijare-Akure Rd via Ilere and Ijare to Ekiti State,
• Akure Ado Ekiti Rd north from Akure via Ilado and Iju to Ekiti State,
• Owo-Emure Ile Rd north from A122 at Emure to Ekiti State,
• Owo-Obra Rd north from A122 at Owo as the Ikare-Akoko-Ipeme Rd to Kogi State as the Kabba-Arigidi Rd,
• Ipele-Kabba Rd from A122 at Ipele Junction to Kogi State at Akunnu,
• Akure-Ala-Ajagbusi Rd south from Akure as the Igbatoro Rd to Edo State at Ogbesse.

Airports:

Akure Airport

• Adaba 88.9FM^[83]
• ALALAYE 96.5FM
• Breeze 91.9FM^[84]
• Crest 87.7 FM^[85]
• Eki Radio 100.9 FM^[86]
• EMPIRE 104.5 FM^[87]
• FUTA Radio^[88]
• The Hope Newspapers^[89]
• INSIDE FUTA
• KAFTAN TV^[90]
• Kàkàkí Òndó FM^[91]
• Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
• Orange 94.5FM^[92]
• OSRC Television^[93]
• Positive 102.5FM^[94]
• Remdel Television^[95]
• RUGIPO 103.3 FM^[96]
• Suncity Radio 101.1FM^[91]

• Welcome to Etiaro, Akoko signpost
• Welcome to Alayere town, Akure, Ondo State
• The Apostolic High School, Ilara-Mokin
• St James Catholic Church, Ugbe-Afo, Ondo State
• St James Catholic Church, Ugbe-Afo, Ondo State