This study examines the changing role of women in the agricultural economy of Okunland occasioned by the transition from the pre-colonial arrangement to colonisation. Opinions are divided in the ...literature on the gendered processes in relation to colonial agricultural economy in most of Africa. The first thinking is that women lost power and economic autonomy as a result of discriminatory colonial policies. The second thinking suggests that the residual role of women in the agricultural economy was a product of choice rather than a deliberate colonial policy. The third maintains that women were economically active and productive but were unable to claim the proceeds of their labour. In Okunland, while women were prominently involved in the agricultural economy in the pre-colonial period, they appeared to be relegated to playing a residual role during the colonial period, leading to disempowerment. The data for this study were generated using the primary and secondary sources. While the primary sources involved the use of interviews, the secondary method involved the use of archival and documented materials. The data were analysed using thematic descriptive analysis. The study finds that the residual role played by women in the agricultural economy of colonial Okunland could be attributed to British colonial economic policies which generally favoured the men.
This work examined the production and processing of cotton in Okunland during the colonial period with a focus on the role of women. The work is intended to document the major efforts involved in the ...production and processing of cotton in Okunland during the colonial period focusing specifically on cotton procedures/processing, cloth dyeing, weaving, and the categorisation of Okun woven cloths. The study adopted the qualitative research design. The primary and secondary sources were explored for the purpose of data generation. Six (6) key-informants were selected across Okunland for in-depth interview through purposive sampling. A prime consideration for selecting the key-informants was their knowledge of the subject of discussion. The secondary sources of data were books, journal articles, archival materials and reports. For the purpose of data analysis, the study adopted thematic content analysis. The study found that cotton production and processing formed a major component of the agricultural economy of Okunland during the colonial period, and women were at the heart of these efforts.
Ilorin is blessed with many Islamic scholars engaged in da'wah activities, earning the town the proverbial title of Ilu Alfa (the seat of erudite Muslim scholars). Islamic scholars face significant ...challenges in adhering to Islamic principles and religious proselytization. Sheikh Alfanla Okutagidi's da'wah activities in Ilorin were noticeable in Islamic propagation in Ilorin Emirate. The study aims to examine the role of Sheikh Alfanla Okutagidi in spreading Islam in the Ilorin Emirate, Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria. A qualitative methodology was adopted to achieve this objective, which relied on primary and secondary sources, including observation, oral interviews, and literature. The study revealed that he started Islamic propagation using the Qur'an and hadith to pass the message of Islam. He was strictly against western education. To keep Islam in the entire Ilorin Emirate, he waged war against paganists, foodstuff sellers, and alcohol sellers. Therefore, Sheikh Alfanla Okutagidi made significant contributions to the growth and, to a large extent, eradication of paganism in the Ilorin Emirate with fanaticism. Thus, fanaticism and radicality should be omitted from the da'wah activities since Islam has no compulsion, so it will not threaten the community's peace.
Although mosques worldwide serve the same spiritual purposes, they are significantly different in structure from one area to another within and among localities, countries and continents of the ...world. Muslims used whatever was available to them in their environment and their limited experience in building mosques resulted in structural differences in mosques until the age of globalisation, when some world-class mosque structures were popularised among Muslims. This paper is an attempt to produce a historical survey of the architectural designs of mosques in Ilorin in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Through exploratory research, the paper gives a thematic history of Ilorin mosques' architecture that started as a simple structure in the nineteenth century reflecting the immediate cultural setting, to become edifices in the twentieth century reflecting outside cultural influences, for the purpose of meeting the spiritual, social, physical and psychological needs of Muslims.
