Areas in Ibadan: Full List by Local Government Area

Ibadan is made up of 11 local government areas: five urban ones — Ibadan North, North-East, North-West, South-East and South-West — and six outer ones — Akinyele, Egbeda, Ido, Lagelu, Oluyole and Ona Ara. The main residential areas are Bodija, Agodi GRA, Samonda, Agbowo and Mokola (Ibadan North); Jericho and Onireke (North-West); Ring Road, Oluyole Estate, Challenge and Iyaganku (South-West); Iwo Road (North-East); Akobo (Lagelu); Apete and Ologuneru (Ido); Moniya and Ojoo (Akinyele); and Alakia and Olodo (Egbeda). This guide lists them council by council and says what each is like; for a ranked shortlist, see best areas to rent in Ibadan.

Areas in the five urban local governments

Ibadan North

Ibadan North, with its secretariat at Agodi Gate, holds more of the sought-after addresses than any other council. Bodija — Old Bodija beside the market and New Bodija, the later extension — is leafy, professional and the most active rental market in the city. Agodi GRA, beside the State Secretariat and Government House, is low-density and quiet, and suits senior civil servants and business owners. Samonda, Agbowo and Sango ring the University of Ibadan: Samonda is the smarter side, with newer flats and eateries, while Agbowo and Sango are the student belt of self-contains and mini flats. Mokola is older, central and commercial, close to the University College Hospital, and Ikolaba is a small, quiet estate near the secretariat.

Ibadan North-West

Jericho is the most prestigious address in Ibadan: a Government Reserved Area of large plots, mature trees and detached houses, where vacancies are few. Onireke, another old GRA, sits beside the Dugbe business district, where the council has its headquarters, and mixes offices with houses. Idi-Ishin adjoins Jericho and is a little cheaper, and Eleyele, further out, is a mixed, affordable area. The council suits senior professionals and families who want quiet close to the centre.

Ibadan South-West

Ring Road is the central commercial and residential artery, with malls, banks and flats along it and quieter streets behind. Oluyole Estate is a planned estate of family houses, terraces and flats with its own road network, popular with civil servants and families arriving from Lagos — and, despite the name, it is in this council, not in Oluyole Local Government Area. Challenge is a busy junction district on the Lagos side of town; Oke-Ado and Oke-Bola are older and denser; and Iyaganku GRA is a small, quiet reserved area favoured by lawyers and officials. Apata, on the western edge, runs across the boundary into Ido.

Ibadan North-East and Ibadan South-East

These two councils cover the old city. North-East, with its secretariat at Iwo Road, takes in the Iwo Road interchange, Oje and Agugu; South-East, with its headquarters at Mapo, takes in Molete and Felele. Housing is mostly traditional family compounds and older storey buildings on family land, rents are the lowest in the city, and little of it reaches agents. Iwo Road is the exception: it is a major transport and commercial hub, and the newer layouts around it let readily.

Areas in the six outer local governments

Lagelu

Akobo is the best-known area in Lagelu and one of the fastest-growing parts of Ibadan: newer flats, bungalows and small estates at mid-range rents, popular with young families and civil servants. Beyond it, Olorunda, Iyana Offa (the council headquarters) and Lalupon are semi-rural and bought mainly for land. Browse properties in Akobo.

Ido

Apete, close to The Polytechnic, Ibadan, is a student and young-family area; Ologuneru, on the Eleyele–Eruwa road, is a fast-developing district of new houses and estates; and Omi-Adio and Ido town are further out and largely agricultural. The council suits buyers who want a plot and renters who want a new house for less than Bodija or Jericho.

Akinyele

Akinyele covers the northern approach to the city on the Oyo road. Ojoo is a busy transport junction with low-cost housing; Moniya, the council headquarters, has grown with the rail station and the road north; and Sasa and Ajibode, near the back of the University of Ibadan, draw students, staff and land buyers.

Egbeda, Oluyole and Ona Ara

Egbeda covers the eastern side along the Ife road — Alakia, Adegbayi, Olodo and Egbeda town — with affordable housing and a good deal of new building. Oluyole, headquartered at Idi-Ayunre, covers the southern outskirts towards the Ogun State boundary, including Odo-Ona Elewe, and is mainly a land and industrial market. Ona Ara, headquartered at Akanran, with Amuloko on its city side, is the most rural of the eleven and the cheapest for land.

Popular areas that straddle council boundaries

Basorun and Idi-Ape, between Iwo Road and Akobo, are established middle-income areas with good road access and a mix of older houses and new flats. Kolapo Ishola GRA, on the Akobo side, and Alalubosa GRA, on the western side of the centre, are newer low-density reserved areas with larger houses. Elebu and the Akala Expressway corridor, on the south-western side, are newer estate areas where much of the stock is still being built. For any of these, the council named on the land document matters more than the one in the advert.

Indicative annual rents by area

These are indicative asking ranges for a full year for a 2-bedroom flat. Newer buildings with a borehole and prepaid meter sit at the top; older compounds sit at the bottom.

• Jericho: ₦600,000 – ₦1,800,000 per annum
• Bodija: ₦500,000 – ₦1,500,000 per annum
• New Bodija: ₦400,000 – ₦1,200,000 per annum
• Oluyole Estate: ₦400,000 – ₦1,000,000 per annum
• Akobo: ₦400,000 – ₦800,000 per annum
• Agbowo and Sango: ₦200,000 – ₦700,000 per annum
• Ring Road: ₦200,000 – ₦600,000 per annum

The move-in calculation is in renting in Ibadan; sale figures are in Ibadan property prices and land prices in Ibadan, area by area. To see what is on the market now, browse properties in Ibadan, flats for rent in Ibadan or houses for rent in Ibadan. Landlords and agents can list an Ibadan property on Cabans free.

What to check before choosing an area in Ibadan

• Flooding: Ibadan is hilly, and the valleys of the Ogunpa, Kudeti and Ona rivers flood. Ask about the specific street, whichever council it is in.
• The journey, not the distance: the choke points are Iwo Road, Ojoo, Challenge, Mokola and Dugbe. Test the route at the time you would travel.
• Water and power: most houses rely on a well or borehole; confirm it works in the dry season and whether the meter is prepaid.
• Family land: in the old city and the outer councils, much land is family-owned. Every principal member must consent to a sale; see buying property in Ibadan.

Frequently asked questions

How many local government areas are in Ibadan?

Ibadan is made up of 11 local government areas. Five are urban: Ibadan North, Ibadan North-East, Ibadan North-West, Ibadan South-East and Ibadan South-West. Six are the outer ring: Akinyele, Egbeda, Ido, Lagelu, Oluyole and Ona Ara.

What are the best areas to live in Ibadan?

Jericho, Bodija, Agodi GRA, Iyaganku GRA and Oluyole Estate are the established upmarket and family addresses. Akobo, Basorun, Samonda, Apete and Ologuneru are the popular mid-range and newer areas. The best one depends on your budget and on where in the city you work or study.

Which local government is Bodija in?

Bodija is in Ibadan North Local Government Area, together with Agodi GRA, Samonda, Agbowo, Sango, Mokola and the University of Ibadan.

Which local government is Akobo in?

Akobo is in Lagelu Local Government Area, on the north-eastern side of the city. Lagelu is one of the six outer local governments, and its headquarters is at Iyana Offa.

Is Oluyole Estate in Oluyole Local Government Area?

No. Oluyole Estate is in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area, with Ring Road and Challenge. Oluyole Local Government Area is a separate, outer council with its headquarters at Idi-Ayunre.

What are the cheapest areas to rent in Ibadan?

The old-city wards of Ibadan North-East and South-East, the Ring Road and Eleta side, the student belt around Agbowo and Sango, and the outer local governments have the lowest rents. Around Ring Road a 2-bedroom flat is indicatively ₦200,000–₦600,000 a year.

How much is rent in Ibadan?

Indicatively, a 2-bedroom flat rents for ₦600,000–₦1,800,000 a year in Jericho, ₦500,000–₦1,500,000 in Bodija and ₦400,000–₦800,000 in Akobo. Landlords usually ask for one to two years in advance, plus agency and legal fees.

Related guides: Bodija, Akobo, Oluyole Estate, Best areas to rent in Ibadan, Renting in Ibadan, Ibadan property prices. Area pages: Ibadan, Bodija, Ring Road, Akobo.