Effon Alaiye, city in southwestern Nigeria, located in Osun State. The city is a distribution center for cocoa, palm oil, timber, rubber, and cotton. Effon Alaiye is part of the Yoruba cultural region. It is located near the Oni River. In ancient times Oni was worshiped by the residents of Effon Alaiye, who made annual trips to the river. Today worship takes place in the town. The city is one of the important Yoruba sites of the annual Ogun festivals, commemorating the Yoruba deity Ogun, the god of iron. Iron was important to the Yoruba for the production of weapons and farm implements. In ancient times, Effon Alaiye became a prominent center for crafted beads made of red jasper, a type of quartz. In 1848 Effon Alaiye was raided by Ibadan and Ilorin forces of the Yoruba kingdoms, and subsequently fell from prominence. The city has a small Christian population, and unlike other cities in southwestern Nigeria, the Muslim population is not numerous. Population (1995) 149,300.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Effon Alaiye Information info
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