The popular Bower's Tower
This
brief documentary as shot by buzzing online TV, Hello Oduduwa focuses
on the popular Bower's Tower in the largest city in Nigeria, Ibadan.
Maiden online TV company - Hello Oduduwa founded in June, 2017 by
ace Nigerian photographer, Ginikah Okafor Emmanuel to cover the rich
history and monumental structures of the Yorubas has covered a
historical and pre-colonial structure in the ancient city of Ibadan, Oyo
State regarded as the Bower's Tower.
The structure which is one of its kind was commissioned in 1936 in
honour of the first British resident in Ibadan and the traveling
commissioner of the Yorubaland, south- western region of Nigeria,
between 1893 and 1879 - Captain Robert Lister Bower.
Mr Bower is fondly regarded as the 'Ajele' of Ibadan due to his contribution to the development of the ancient city.
The Bower’s Tower, located at the peak of Oke- Are, the highest
hill in Ibadan, is one of the historical monuments that Ibadan could be
proud of. It is 60 feet high and 11 feet with two entrances and a long
spiral stairs. From the top of the monument, the altitude of Ibadan
would be seen as a vast sheet of brown roofs.
Aerial shots taken from the Bower's Tower
The building was nicknamed ‘Layipo’ because of its long spiral
staircase which some claim to make them dizzy after climbing. It served
as one of the most visited tourist center in the city of Ibadan.
The memorial tower symbolizes a plethora of meanings. On one hand,
it is perceived that the peoples reflection of the footprints of Bower
in the annals of their history necessitated the erection of that
historic monument as a memorial of his relatively peaceful era,
socio-economic development as well as his general administrative acumen
in the course of his service among them which remain indelible.
As a rider to this, the monument serves as a reminder to the Ibadan
people in particular and the Yoruba in general, of the man who firmly
established the loyalty of their forebears to the British imperial
crown. (S. Ademola Ajayi, 2008.)
Mounting the tower gives one the cherished advantage of enjoying an
aerial view of Ibadan and seeing the expansive area of land - a total
area of 3,080 square kilometres.
According to the anchor of the short documentary named Wole
Adejumo, climbing the long stairs helps one to sight the Lekan Salami
Stadium, University College hospital, Broken House (Femi Johnson) at
Dugbe as well as other buildings of interest.
Follow the indigenous online TV on 'Hellooduduwa' on Instagram and
Facebook as it celebrates the beauty of the Yoruba culture in its next
journalistic adventure.
Watch the documentary below:
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