Akure

Akure, wadda take a Jihar Ondo, tana da tarihi mai tsawo wanda ya fara ne a kusa da shekara ta 1150, bisa ga labarin baka na Alakure. Ta zama babban birnin Masarautar Akure, wadda ta kasance daya daga cikin manyan jihohin Yoruba a yammacin Najeriya. A farkon, garin ya kasance mai cin gashin kansa, yana da alaƙa da masarautun makwabta kamar Benin da Oyo, amma ya rike 'yancinsa na siyasa da al'adu har zuwa zuwan Turawa.

A shekara ta 1894, Birtaniya ta buɗe Akure ga tafiyar ciniki da mulki. A shekara ta 1915, gwamnatin mulkin mallaka ta haɗa sassan Owo, Ondo da Ekiti don kafa sabon lardi tare da hedikwata a Akure, wanda hakan ya ɗora ta zuwa matsayi na musamman na gudanarwa. A shekara ta 1976, an ayyana ta a matsayin babban birnin sabon Jihar Ondo, wanda ya canza zurfin matsayinta na siyasa.

A yau, Akure ita ce babbar cibiyar ilimi da noma a yammacin Najeriya, inda take da Jami'ar Fasaha ta Tarayya (da aka kafa a shekara ta 1981) da Kwalejin Noma ta Tarayya (1957). Tana da muhimmanci wajen kasuwancin kayan noma kamar koko, rogo, ayaba, shinkafa, mai da itace, rubber da kofi. Tare da yawan jama'a wanda ya kai kusan dubu 835,000 da yankin kilomita murabba'i 991, ita ce babbar birnin Jihar Ondo kuma tana ci gaba da bunƙasa a fannin kimiyya da fasaha.