OLUMO ROCK, ABEOKUTA: I have a deep connection with the not so ancient city of Egba, Abeokuta, not just because I lived there for a year as a Youth Corps Member in 2012, but because my maternal grandmother hails from there. I enjoy the peace, serenity and joy the city brings. If you live/lived in Lagos, you will understand and appreciate this peace the beautiful city of Abeokuta brings.

Also Read: My Abeokuta Experience 

In my last post here, I shared the wonderful experience I had touring the Magnificent Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library and all the beautiful historical memories. On leaving the Library, we journeyed toy OLUMO ROCK.

I first visited Olumo Rock in 2012 with some friends during NYSC and it was really exciting, my second visit was in 2015 during a staff retreat in Abeokuta. My visit in March 2019 was solely to document the history and interesting facts about the rock for YOU! So I hope you enjoy watching this video and reading the short summary below too

 

Olumo Rock is a mountain in South-Western Nigeria. It is situated in Abeokuta, Ogun state. This rock (a build-up of granite rocks in existence for thousands of years) is 137m above the sea level and was historically used as a natural fortress during inter-tribal warfare in the 19th century.

Here are a few interesting facts you should know about OLUMO ROCK:

  1. Lisabi garden is the spot with two historical trees named based on their peculiarities (Dongoyaro and Panseke), and one major tree for relaxation.
  2. The Shrine is the unique place on the rock where  Olumo (a small god) is worshipped every 5th of August yearly, and sacrifices are offered by the “Alake of Egba land” for the safety of tourists. Initially, humans were used for the sacrifices but civilization has caused that to change. There has never been an accident or casualty recorded since the rock became a tourist centre!
  3. The Cave served as a hideout for Egba indigenes during the “Oyo Empire” war.
  4. There are man-made stairs carved into the rock, making the climb fairly easy for most visitors of the Olumo Tourist Complex.
  5. For those uninterested in climbing, the Complex is equipped with an elevator all the way to the top. (Not sure the elevator works anymore) So we used the stairs so as to get a fun-filled experience as well as to carry you along
  6. The first tour guide at Olumo Rock was buried on the rock

Olumo rock Abeokuta - Olamide Egbayelo

If you haven’t been to Olumo Rock, you should add it to your bucket list already BUT one of the few downsides to visiting the rock is not having nice food points, you need to travel all the way to Oke-ILewo and other interesting spots to grab a meal

Have you ever been to rock? I’d like to hear/read about your experience, please drop a comment below.