Andy Still in America: Osun State

This week was a bit tough with preparation for 2009 and visitors to our office. So this week's bit with be another in a state in Nigeria. I have to learn more about the states so it helps me. There are so many states. Nigeria is much bigger than the other African countries I've been to.
On Tuesday, I will visit a site in Osun State. We will fly from Abuja to Lagos. There we will drive 2 hours to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital in Ile Ife. I will return the same day. That will be a long one. So about Osun...

Osun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who was elected in 2003 along with his Deputy Governor, Erelu Olusola Obada.

Osun State is home to several of Nigeria's most famous landmarks, including the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria's pre-eminent institution of higher learning. The university is also located in the ancient town of Ile-If?, an important early center of political and religious development for Yoruba culture. Other important cities and towns include the ancient kingdom-capitals of Oke-Ila Orangun, Ila Orangun, Ede, and Ilesa.

The modern Osun State was created in 1991 from part of the old Oyo State.The state's name is derived from the River Osun, the venerated natural spring that is the manifestation of the Yoruba goddess of the same name. Oyinlola recently launched and laid the foundation for the groundbreaking of Osun State University with six campuses (Osogbo, Okuku, Ikire, Ejigbo, Ifetedo, and Ipetu-Ijesha) strategically located across the state.

Every year, adherents and non-adherents of Osun, one of the Orisa (the traditional deities of the Yoruba people), travel from all over the world to attend the annual Osun-Osogbo festival in August. Visitors include nationals of Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad, Grenada, and other nations in the Americas with a significant Yoruba cultural heritage. Annual traditional festivities and invocations of the Osun goddess are held along the banks of the river bearing her name into which she transformed.

Osun-Osogbo Grove, the shrine of the annual rites of the deity and an important artistic center, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2005.

So I will include pictures next week.

This weekend I just want to relax. I think I am going to borrow a bicycle and hang out at the pool if it actually doesn't rain for a few mins. ,I think I want to get satellite TV. There is too much funny national news which, includes Kwame Kilpatrick, that I am missing out on.

Ok, here are some random pictures:

I have been really tired!