Oyo

Town in Oyo State, Nigeria, about 200 km/124 mi north of Lagos, on the border of the forest and savannah zones; population (1992) 237,400. Oyo is a centre of craft industry, local trade, and commerce. Local industries also include brewing.

The original settlement was at Old Oyo, 65 km/40 mi to the north; this was one of the early Yoruba towns, settled by immigrants between the 7th and 10th centuries. The present site of Oyo was settled in the early 19th century by refugees from the wars and disturbances in Yorubaland, precipitated by the tensions of slave raiding and pressure from Fulani groups to the north.