A Glimpse of Ibadan in the 1970s

In the 1970s, Ibadan, the present Capital of Oyo State, was always alive. On weekends, hardly would one walk from a street to another without seeing people partying, drinking and vibing to Sunny Ade, Sonny Okosun, Ebenezer Obey, Fela Kuti and the rest.

Both day and night, the streets were always animated with sound systems blaring music, vehicle noise, pedestrians and owners of the streets, hawkers.

“Ibadan was never for once silent, even till midnight everywhere was always still rocking”, Pa Bade Osoba whom OldNaija interviewed said. He continued, “you’d find almost every tribe in our lively city simply because they are glued to its way and life in every aspect.”

The emergence of Afrobeat by Fela Anikulapo Kuti added to the liveliness of the city. Afrobeats had people storming clubs and shows to see live performances.

There were tourist and recreational centers too such as Bowers Tower, Queen Cinema, UI Zoological garden and others. In the 70, Ibadan was already a home to Cocoa House, the tallest building in tropical Africa.

Ibadan was not left behind in fashion. Fashionistas rocked Afro hairstyle, Oxford bells and the curved-mouth shoe called “I swear to God”.

Thanks for reading, OldNaija.