Ikire, city in southwestern Nigeria, located in Osun State. The city is located on the Oshun River, 32 km (20 mi) east of Ibadan. Economic activities in Ikire include cotton weaving, timber processing, and cocoa and palm oil production. Ikire is also the site of the Asejire Dam development project, which produces hydroelectric power for the surrounding area. The city lies in the Yoruba cultural region. It became an important destination for displaced inhabitants of other Yoruba towns when the Fulani people of northern Nigeria began to expand their empire farther south in the 1800s. Ikire was conquered by the Yoruba kingdom of Ibadan in the late 1800s. Population (1995) 120,200.
