Ogijo can be explored through local traditions concerning its early settlement, water, place names and religious practices. These accounts offer different perspectives on the town’s history: one describes its founding, while others associate particular people with individual settlements, a river source or the naming of a place. For travelers who factor cultural history into their choice of destination, this provides a specific theme without conflating all the stories into a single account of the town’s founding.

Settlement and Place Names

According to local tradition, Melufen Opowo was Ogijo’s first settler and founder around 400 years ago. The account places him in the Ilisa Compound in Iperu, Remo, and describes him as a hunter, herbalist and farmer. The date is approximate and is part of the traditional account of the town’s founding. The story also connects the founding to a named person, his origins and several occupations; together, these details form the picture of Ogijo’s beginnings told by local tradition.

Another story takes place in Agbo-Owa, also known as Agbowa in Ogijo. Ogijo’s local tradition says that Odumati settled there and hunted and farmed. This account focuses on one person and his activities in Agbo-Owa. Tradition also links Debolu to Abafon: it names him as the founder of the place and says he named it after a large Afon tree. Here, the focus is on the founding of a place and the explanation of its name. These two accounts complement the story of Ogijo’s founding with histories of their own places.

The Source of the Ogijo River

The source of the Ogijo River is also the subject of local tradition. Oluye is credited with discovering the source. Another account says that Ojikoledun helped Oluye dig until water emerged. The tradition distinguishes between two roles: Oluye is associated with the discovery, while Ojikoledun is associated with helping to dig. The account focuses on a particular water source and the process that led to its discovery in the story.

Religious Traditions

Melufen Opowo also features in Ogijo’s religious accounts: local tradition credits him with introducing the worship of Esu in Ogijo, as well as that of Ogun. These are two named deities associated with the same person; the traditions add a religious role to the picture of Melufen. Ogijo’s local tradition also tells of people in Ogijo, Ikorodu and the surrounding area worshipping Orisa Oba Lire and Oro Olagbeyinwa. The geographical scope here is broader than in the accounts of Esu and Ogun, which explicitly refer to Ogijo. This distinction helps ensure that the religious traditions are not treated indiscriminately as a single local history.

Oju-Olubun in Local Tradition

Another local tradition identifies Oju-Olubun, also called “Oju Ogiju Vii, nisi. tikukei,” as Ogijo’s community market. It connects the market’s use with places and villages between Sagamu and Ikorodu. Thus, in addition to individual life stories, the tradition offers a community connection: it links the market to an area extending beyond Ogijo.

Discover more destinations: Atan, Ijebu-Ode, Alagbado, Ilaro, Shagamu, Odogbolu, Iki, Omu

For the regional travel overview: Ogun.