Eleyele Lake: Ibadan’s Living Waterway of Memory, Movement and Meaning.
Eleyele Lake stands quietly in western Ibadan, yet its influence runs deep through the city’s history, daily rhythms, and cultural landscape. Created in 1939 by damming the Ona River, the lake was originally conceived as an engineering solution—designed to control flooding and provide water for a growing colonial city. Over time, it has evolved into something far more profound: a living waterway that connects communities, sustains livelihoods, and reflects Ibadan’s enduring relationship with nature. Fed by an intricate network of streams—Otaru, Awba, Yemoja, and Alapo—Eleyele Lake thrives as a natural ecosystem, particularly during the rainy season. These tributaries do more than replenish the lake; they shape the lives and environments of surrounding communities such as Ijokodo, Apete, Awotan, and the Polytechnic of Ibadan. Here, water is not just a resource, but a shared heritage that links people, land, and history. In present-day Ibadan, Eleyele Lake has assumed an unexpected yet e...