Town in Kwara State, Nigeria
| Okuta | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
  OkutaLocation in Nigeria | |
| Coordinates: 9°13′12″N 3°12′02″E / 9.2199°N 3.2005°E / 9.2199; 3.2005 | |
| Country |  Nigeria |
| State | Kwara State |
| Local government area | Baruten |
| Population | |
| • Total | 26,589 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Okuta is a town located in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria.
Geography
Okuta is located about 300 km (190 mi) north of Lagos, and about 170 km (110 mi) northwest of Kwara State's capital of Ilorin. Internationally, Okuta is located around 8 km (5.0 mi) from the Beninese border.
Ruler
Edidi is currently under the rulership of His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Idris Abubakar Seropetete lll as of 2019.
Festivals
Festivals in Edidi include:
- Okuta Gaani Festival: Occurs annually in January/February. It is a celebration of religion, culture, and dance which brings participants from nearby countries as well as the local area.
Brief History
Okuta Ilorin was documented in the 16th century long ago before the invention of sharpening steels for knives. A man known as Ojo Isekuse who was one of the founding fathers of Ilorin devised a method for sharpening his knives with the use of a stone. It was from the activity of the knife sharpening that the name of the town Ilorin was formed.
References
- "Okuta, Baruten, Kwara State, Nigeria". Mindat.org. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- Olonishuwa, Rowland. "Gaani: A festival of unity, togetherness". The Herald, Nigeria. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- "Okuta Gani Festival". Nigeria Galleria. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
- "Okuta Ilorin, Kwara - Photos". Hotels.ng Places. Retrieved 2023-06-14.