Ikerre, town in southwestern Nigeria, in Ondo state. The economy is based on agriculture, crafts, and trade. Food crops include yams, cassava, maize (corn), rice, beans, okra, and peppers. Some livestock is maintained, including goats, poultry, and a dwarf breed of cattle that is resistant to the disease trypanosomiasis. Crafts include items made from hardwood and palm. Mortars, pestles, and handles for hoes and machetes are made from hardwood; palm products include baskets, ropes, brooms, trays, sieves, stools, and beds, in addition to palm oil and palm wine. Spinning, weaving, and dyeing cloth are also significant activities. Ikerre serves as an important trade center for cocoa. The city has teacher-training colleges and a hospital. It is located on the road from Akure to Ado Ekiti.
Ikerre was settled by members of the Ekiti branch of the Yoruba near a sacred hill, Olosunta. Olosunta was believed to have the power to ward off foreign armies and domination, and it served as a refuge during periods of unrest. In response to Ibadan raids on their settlements in the 1860s, the residents of the surrounding area fled to Ikerre. Four of Ikerre's seven residential quarters bear the names of these former settlements. Like many Yoruba towns, Ikerre was organized around the palace of the oba (sacred king), with modern public buildings later built outside the traditional settlement. Population (1995) 238,500.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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