Photo: Baale of Ibadan in 1900s circa:The City of Warriors and TradeIbadan’s history is rooted in war, resilience, and commerce. Founded around 1829 as a war camp by soldiers fleeing the chaos of the collapsing Oyo Empire, Ibadan quickly grew into one of the most powerful cities in 19th-century Yorubaland. Nicknamed “The London of Negroland”, the city flourished, boasting a population of over 200,000 by the 1890s. Its military strength was unmatched, with its warrior-chiefs controlling vast territories, and its economy thriving through farming, crafts, and trade. Strategically located, Ibadan became a commercial hub where local textiles, yams, kola nuts, and palm oil were exchanged for firearms, European cloth, and livestock from the north and south. Despite being constantly at war, the city’s farming system, worked largely by enslaved labor, ensured its survival. As the Yoruba saying goes:"Ibadan, ilu jagunjagun- Ibadan, city of warriors Awon to so o d’ilu nla -They who made it into a great city, Awa omo re ko ni je K’ola ti ogo won run- We its children will not allow the honour and glory perish" This captures Ibadan’s warrior spirit, where survival and dominance were the only options.