Today a mid-sized city, Ife is home to the Obafemi Awolowo University popularly known as GREAT IFE. Ife people are of the Yoruba ethnic group, one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. Ife has a local television station called NTA Ife, and is home to various businesses. Ife is also the trade center for a farming region. Yams, cassava, grain, cacao, and tobacco are grown. Cotton is grown and used to weave cloth. Hotels in Ile-Ife include Hotel Diganga Hotel on Ife-Ibadan road, Mayfair Hotel, Obafemi Awolowo University Guest House etc.

            HISTORY OF ILE IFE

According to Yoruba legend, Ife is where the founding deities Oduduwa and Obatala began the creation of the world, as directed by the paramount deity Olodumare. Obatala created the first humans out of clay, while Oduduwa became the first divine king of the Yoruba.

Ile-Ife, the ancient city of the Yoruba is endowed with cultural and natural endowments. This is reflected in her rich spiritual and material culture as could be observed today in her discovered, undiscovered and untapped historical, archaeological and cultural resources.

The city is wrapped in myths and tales recorded in oral history. But series of researches and archaeological discoveries have thrown more light on history of the ancient city. Since myths are to convey important truth in a form that will appeal to young and untrained minds, any scholar working on the history and culture of Ife must count seriously on the myths and tales as recorded in our oral history.

There are different versions of the history of Ile-Ife, as dictated by oral tradition. One of it asserted that when Olodumare (God), Supreme Being and Creator who owns the heaven and universe and whose power spreads around the whole universe decided to create the world. Then Olodumare sent Obatala with `apo-iha’ (bag of wisdom) consisting of soil and six-toes cockerel to spread the soil over the marshy land. On the way Obatala met Ogun, god of iron, who gave him (Obatala) palm-wine to drink. Obatala got drunk and slept. Waiting impatiently, Olodumare then sent Oduduwa to go and inquire about what was happening to Obatala but Oduduwa met Obatala drunk. He then decided to take over the assignment. He (Oduduwa) carried out the assignment successfully. When Obatala woke up and realized what happened, he vowed never to rink palm-wine again. Till today, all the followers and family-members of the Obatala deity do not drink palm-wine. Instead, they drink raffia-palm wine (oguro).
After some time he sent chameleon to go and inspect the universe if the soil is dried. It was thereafter that Olodumare sent men to the world after Obatala had molded man and the lIfe given to him by Olodumare.

The other version states that, Oduduwa came from the east, probably from Mecca or Egypt. That on arrival, he met some aborigines. He overpowered these aborigines (13 communities in all) and established a central government with himself as the supreme head and ruler. The former `oba’ or rulers of these 13 communities were then subjugated and allotted religious role, Oduduwa haven taken from them political power and authority.
Recent archaeological discoveries have revealed that Oduduwa might have come from a hill along Ilesa-Ife road (which is in the eastern part of the city). That he descended from this hill to over-power the aborigines. Though, there is still much to do to confirm this, the discovery of a rockshelter, stone tools and implements on the top of this hill indicates that this theory should be given a serious thought.