Which powerful kingdoms were associated with the Yoruba peoples?

The Yoruba people, who historically inhabited the region of western Africa now known as southwestern Nigeria, were never a single political unit but instead formed numerous autonomous kingdoms centered on capital cities or towns.12

The most prominent and powerful of these kingdoms included:

• Oyo Empire: Emerging in the 14th century, Oyo became the most authoritative and largest of the Yoruba states. By the 17th century, it utilized a powerful cavalry to dominate a vast territory between the Volta and Niger rivers.324
• Ile-Ife: Considered the oldest town and the spiritual heart of the Yoruba people, Ile-Ife was a major power between the 11th and 15th centuries. It served as a religious and cultural center, and all other Yoruba monarchies traditionally claimed descent from it to establish their legitimacy.45

Other significant towns that functioned as centers for Yoruba kingdoms included Ilesha, Ibadan, Ilorin, Ijebu-Ode, and Ikere-Ekiti. While these kingdoms were internally autonomous, they were often linked by interlocking administrative arrangements and a shared cultural and religious heritage.21