Ile lfe : a cultural phenomenon in the Throes of transformation

Abstract

Every city has its own history which expresses an identity, a symbol and an image. The ancient city of Ile-Ife, in south-western Nigeria, presents several paradoxes. Till date, its significance vis-à-vis the totality of the culture of the Yoruba race, continues to conflict with many of the requirements of a modernizing city. The traditional city centre is atypical in its development as, rather than epitomizing urban city-centre rejuvenation, it has steadily ceded commercializing activities to another part of the town. Also, the recent internecine war between Ifes and neighbouring Modakekes has created environmental scarification, schisms in physical alignments and influenced aberrations in both the process and actual fabric of the city’s urbanization. Three main foci have been identified as virile urbanizing-activity zones: the city centre, the Sabo-Mayfair commercial spine and the Obafemi Awolowo University campus. These areas are critiqued in the light of their history, peculiarities and ‘re-sourcing’ potentials.