Traditionally, the Yorubas organised themselves into networks of related villages, towns, and kingdoms; with most of them headed by an Oba (King) or Baale (a nobleman or mayor).
The main Yoruba cities and towns are Ile-Ife, Ibadan, Lagos, Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta, Akure, Ilorin, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogbomosho, Ondo, Badagri, Ado-Ekiti, Osogbo, Ilesa, Oyo, Owo, Kabba, Offa, Ilesa, Ilobu, Ede, etc. There are other Yoruba cities and towns such as Ketu, Sabe, Dassa, and others in the Republic of Benin.
There are other towns and cities with historical affiliation with Yoruba people as they share one or more similarities together. Some of these cities and towns are Benin city, Warri, Auchi, Okene, etc.
Lagos State
Lagos State (Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó, Gun: Ayìmátẹ̀n Awọnlìn tọ̀n) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the northeast making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.
Ogun State
Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. Ogun State borders Lagos State to the south, Oyo State and Osun State to the north, Ondo State to the east, and the Republic of Benin to the west. Abeokuta is both Ogun State's capital and most populous city; other important cities in the state include Ijebu-Ode, the capital of the Ijebu Kingdom, and Sagamu, Nigeria's leading kola nut grower. Ogun state is covered predominantly by rain forest and has wooden savanna in the northwest.
Ondo State
Ondo State (Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Oǹdó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State. It borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast, Edo State to the east, Delta State to the southeast, Ogun State to the southwest, Osun State to the northwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state's capital is Akure, the former capital of the ancient Akure Kingdom.
Osun State
Osun State (/ˈoʊʃuːn/; Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Ọ̀ṣun), occasionally known as the State of Osun by the state government, is a state in southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states, to the north by Kwara State, to the south by Ogun State and to the west by Oyo State. Named for the River Osun—a vital river which flows through the state—the state was formed from the southeast of Oyo State on 27 August 1991 and has its capital as the city of Osogbo.
Ekiti State
Ekiti State (Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkìtì) is a state in southwestern Nigeria, bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the northeast by Kogi State, to the south and southeast by Ondo State, and to the west by Osun State. Named for the Ekiti people—the Yoruba subgroup that make up the majority of the state's population—Ekiti State was formed from a part of Ondo State in 1996 and has its capital as the city of Ado-Ekiti.
Oyo State
Oyo State is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun State, and to the southwest by Ogun State and the Republic of Benin.
The Oyo Empire was a powerful Yoruba empire that ruled in much of the area from c. 1300 to 1896. Built in the 1830s, modern city of Oyo is considered a remnant of the imperial era, being referred to as "New Ọyọ" (Ọ̀yọ́ Àtìbà) to distinguish itself from the former capital to the north, 'Old Oyo' (Ọ̀yọ́-Ilé).
Kwara State
Kwara State (Yoruba: Ìpínlẹ̀ Kwárà) is a state in North Central Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger state, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the international border with Benin Republic. Its capital is the city of Ilorin and the state has 16 local government areas.
