A Brief History of Modakeke: The Land of the Akoraye
A Brief History of Modakeke: The Land of the Akoraye
Nestled in the heart of Osun State, southwestern Nigeria, Modakeke is a town with a proud legacy and a population approaching 300,000. Known also as Akoraye, a name echoing their ancestral connection to the land, the Modakekes are famed for their valor in warfare and their industrious spirit as farmers—a legacy born from resilience and necessity.
The story of Modakeke begins in the turbulent era following the fall of the Oyo Empire to the Fulani in the early 19th century. The once-mighty Yoruba kingdom splintered, and its people—particularly the Oyo—fled southward in search of safety and survival. In 1834, some of these displaced Oyo found refuge in Ife, a sacred land of the Yoruba. Stripped of possessions and home, these soldier-farmers began life anew, laboring with bare hands and resolute hearts. Under the reign of Ooni Akinmoyero, they were received with dignity and granted farmlands to till and homes to rebuild their lives.
Their strength soon became Ife’s strength. Recruited into the weak army of Ife, the Oyos—now Modakekes—fought valiantly, extending Ife’s boundary eastward to Alakowe, bordering Ilesa. Their military prowess not only fortified Ife but reshaped the geography and political structure of the region. Before their arrival, the territory of Ilesa reached as far as Enuwa, today the site of the Ooni’s palace, a testament to the shifting sands of history.
The name Modakeke itself is steeped in poetic origin. The land gifted to the new settlers was inhabited by a species of stork, called “Ako” in Yoruba. These birds made distinctive sounds— “Mo-da-ke-ke-ke-ke”—a melodic chant that rang through the trees and into the hearts of the people. In reverence and folklore, the settlement became known as Modakeke, and the people were given the name Akoraye, meaning “The stork has found a home.”
“We lost a kingdom, but we found a homeland.”
This is the spirit of Modakeke—a people forged by loss, sustained by courage, and bound by an unshakable sense of place.