The ancient town of Igboora, the headquarters of Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State is one community famous for multiple births, in fact, hardly a household exists without at least a twin.
Indeed, medical research conducted years back confirmed that for every 1000 live births in Igboora, which is one of the seven principal towns in Ibarapaland, over 70% are twins and this gave the town the appellation of “World Capital Of Twins”. This, therefore, informed the decision by the community to hold an annual World Twins Festival.
This year’s event, held on Saturday, 9 October 2021, at the playground of Methodist Grammar School had in attendance over 2,000 sets of twins and attracted dignitaries from within and outside the country including the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.
The week-long celebration was spiced with various programmes that included academic and sporting competitions and was rounded off with the acrobatic display, cultural dance and presentation of prizes to best-performing twins. Twins from babies to infants, youths and adults, dressed in the same attire, added colour and glamour to the celebration.
Governor Seyi Makinde, represented by Mr Adejumobi Adebowale, while speaking at the event, assured the people of Igboora of his continued support in ensuring rapid socio-economic development of the community, promising that the cultural and tourism sector would be well taken care of in the year 2022 budget to take the 2022 edition of Igboora World Twins Festival to a higher level.
The Olu of Igboora, Oba Olajide Titiloye, speaking with Rulers’ World, said God graciously blessed the community with multiple births and that out of every 1000 live births, Igboora would have a larger proportion of twins, stating that the people of the community always nourish twins and probably that is why multiple births keep on coming to the town.
Also, the Olu-Aso of Iberekodo, Oba Jamiu Adedamola Badmus (JP), implored the government at all levels to support and fund the yearly Igboora World Twins celebration so that the community would become a tourist centre that could eventually become a revenue generation centre.
In their separate messages, the Baba-Aso of Iberekodo, Igbole-Igboora, Apostle Olusanjo Ojo (JP) and the Onisagan-un of Sagan-un, Oba Adekunle Fasasi Jinadu, said Igboora people are enjoying from the past glory of their ancestors, adding that breathing in the air of the community, drinking its water and eating of Ilasa vegetable, would make one be blessed with twins. They then urged the Oyo State government to give more support to the annual celebration to propagate the divine blessing the town possesses.
The Chairman, Igboora Community Foundation (ICF), Mr Adebisi Adeniran, while going down memory lane on the significance of the celebration for the benefit of the younger generation who might not have witnessed the celebration because of modernization, cultural interference and industrialization that has redistributed populations across the globe, maintained that Igboora has continued to be blessed with multiple births, disclosing that some households in the community have been named that of triplets.
He added that the event should not be seen as fetish or idolatry but rather a way of thanking God for what He has done and still doing for the community through multiple births.
Other dignitaries present at the event include the Okere of Saki; Alado of Ado-Awaye; Are of Ofiki; Onidofin of Idofin; a member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa North/Ibarapa Central Federal Constituency, Hon. Ajibola Muraina; Hon. Anthony Adepoju; Chief (Mrs.) Justina Ogundoyin and Hon. Lateef Lawal Akorede, to mention but a few.
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