Ibadan [key], city (1991 est. pop. 1,263,000), SW Nigeria. The second largest city in Nigeria, it is a major commercial center. Manufactures include metal products, furniture, soap, and handicrafts. It is also an important market for cacao, which, along with cotton, is produced in the region. Ibadan was founded in the 1830s as a military camp during the Yoruba civil wars and developed into the most powerful Yoruba city-state. In 1840, Ibadan forces defeated Fulani invaders from the north at the battle of Oshogbo, thus protecting S Yorubaland from attack. The city came under British protection in 1893, and was the capital of Nigeria's former Western Region. It contains some mosques and is the site of the Univ. of Ibadan (1962). The city also has numerous parks as well as botanical and zoological gardens.
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