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| The popular Bower's Tower |
Maiden online TV company - Hello Oduduwa founded in June, 2017 by ace Nigerian photographer, Ginikah Okafor Emmanuel to cover the rich history and monumental structures of the Yorubas has covered a historical and pre-colonial structure in the ancient city of Ibadan, Oyo State regarded as the Bower's Tower.
The structure which is one of its kind was commissioned in 1936 in honour of the first British resident in Ibadan and the traveling commissioner of the Yorubaland, south- western region of Nigeria, between 1893 and 1879 - Captain Robert Lister Bower.
Mr Bower is fondly regarded as the 'Ajele' of Ibadan due to his contribution to the development of the ancient city.
The Bower’s Tower, located at the peak of Oke- Are, the highest hill in Ibadan, is one of the historical monuments that Ibadan could be proud of. It is 60 feet high and 11 feet with two entrances and a long spiral stairs. From the top of the monument, the altitude of Ibadan would be seen as a vast sheet of brown roofs.
The structure which is one of its kind was commissioned in 1936 in honour of the first British resident in Ibadan and the traveling commissioner of the Yorubaland, south- western region of Nigeria, between 1893 and 1879 - Captain Robert Lister Bower.
Mr Bower is fondly regarded as the 'Ajele' of Ibadan due to his contribution to the development of the ancient city.
The Bower’s Tower, located at the peak of Oke- Are, the highest hill in Ibadan, is one of the historical monuments that Ibadan could be proud of. It is 60 feet high and 11 feet with two entrances and a long spiral stairs. From the top of the monument, the altitude of Ibadan would be seen as a vast sheet of brown roofs.
The building was nicknamed ‘Layipo’ because of its long spiral staircase which some claim to make them dizzy after climbing. It served as one of the most visited tourist center in the city of Ibadan.
The memorial tower symbolizes a plethora of meanings. On one hand, it is perceived that the peoples reflection of the footprints of Bower in the annals of their history necessitated the erection of that historic monument as a memorial of his relatively peaceful era, socio-economic development as well as his general administrative acumen in the course of his service among them which remain indelible.
As a rider to this, the monument serves as a reminder to the Ibadan people in particular and the Yoruba in general, of the man who firmly established the loyalty of their forebears to the British imperial crown. (S. Ademola Ajayi, 2008.)
Mounting the tower gives one the cherished advantage of enjoying an aerial view of Ibadan and seeing the expansive area of land - a total area of 3,080 square kilometres.
According to the anchor of the short documentary named Wole Adejumo, climbing the long stairs helps one to sight the Lekan Salami Stadium, University College hospital, Broken House (Femi Johnson) at Dugbe as well as other buildings of interest.
Follow the indigenous online TV on 'Hellooduduwa' on Instagram and Facebook as it celebrates the beauty of the Yoruba culture in its next journalistic adventure.
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