History of Nigeria city-states. A state council (the "Oyo Mesi") named the "Alaafin" (king) and acted as a check on his authority. Their capital city was situated about 100 km north of present-day Oyo. Unlike the forest-bound Yoruba kingdoms, Oyo was in the savanna and drew its military strength from its cavalry forces, which established hegemony over the adjacent Nupe and the Borgu kingdoms and thereby developed trade routes farther to the north. The Benin Empire (1440–1897; called "Bini" by locals) was a pre-colonial African state in what is now modern Nigeria. It should not be confused with the modern-day country called Benin,
Yoruba Academy Yoruba Academy The Yoruba Academy is a multi-disciplinary institution that brings together scholars, politicians, businessemen and experts in Yoruba language, culture, economics, law, science and technology, and governance. It was founded in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria in October 2007 following a retreat of young Yoruba professionals, and it is currently operated by the Afenifere Renewal Group. Its main mission is to ensure the preservation of the Yoruba language, as well as the socio-cultural and economic development of the Yoruba peoples worldwide, that is both in its South-West homeland in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. In its language mission, a dictionary