Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State

“You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.” Matt 5:14-16 CEV

The name “Ijebu-Ode” is a combination of the names of two persons namely, Ajebu and Olode who were conspicuous as leaders of the original settlers and founders of the town.

Imagine a bustling marketplace in the heart of Ijebu-Ode. The air is thick with the scent of spices and frying food, as traders hawk their wares and customers haggle over prices. This is the lifeblood of Ijebu-Ode, a city that has thrived on commerce for centuries. Its strategic location near the highway, just a comfortable journey of few hours by road from the bustling port city of Lagos and a short breeze away from the Atlantic Ocean, made Ijebu-Ode a natural crossroads for trade. People of different culture and religion flocked to Ijebu-Ode to exchange goods and strike deals. This legacy lives on today in the city’s vibrant markets, where you can find everything from colourful fabrics and handcrafted sculptures to delicious local delicacies like Ikokore, a rich stew made from water yam.

But Ijebu-Ode is more than just a market town. It’s a place where faith and commerce intertwine. The people of Ijebu-Ode are deeply religious, and their faith is evident in everything they do. From the towering ramparts of Sungbo Eredo, one of the largest man-made structures in West Africa, to the annual Ojude Oba festival. The echoes of harmonious calls to prayer from mosques at different corners in the city, to rhythms of hymns from churches, Ijebu-Ode’s spiritual tapestry is rich and complex. Over time, the influx of Muslim Northerners drawn by business opportunities in this commercial hub has added a new layer to Ijebu-Ode’s spiritual landscape. The peoples’s openness has become a beacon, fostering a growing community of Muslim faithfuls who coexist alongside their Christian counterparts.

Meet the Onasiles, a captivating family blend of four Muslims and three Christians. The man of the house, Alhaji Onasile faithfully attends the mosque, while his wife, a teacher is a dedicated member of a local church about 20miles to their home. Their five children, embodying the fusion of their parents’ beliefs- three Muslims and two Christians, mirrors the Ijebu-Ode’s larger reality.

Please Pray

• Pray that Christians in this city will shine as light and be beacons of hope to the lost.
• Pray for creative evangelistic strategies that resonate with the entrepreneurial spirit of Ijebu-Ode, integrating messages of faith with the city’s strong commercial foundation.
• Pray for a renewed sense of community spirit in Ijebu-Ode, where faith becomes a bridge between tradition and progress.