Mapo Hall

Mapo Hall is one of Ibadan's most recognisable colonial-era buildings, sitting prominently on Mapo Hill in the older part of the city. Built in 1929 as the main town hall, it has a Neoclassical facade with seven columns that local tradition links to the seven hills of ancient Ibadan.

The hall continues to serve as a venue for official functions and is surrounded by one of the busier neighbourhood markets in this part of the city. The view from the hill is good, if less dramatic than that from Bower Tower. The combination of the colonial-era building, the surrounding traditional architecture, and the market activity below makes this a good place to observe the layering of Ibadan's history in a single spot.

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A story
Mapo Hall was built in 1929 by the British colonial administration as Ibadan's town hall. The architect chose a design with seven columns across the facade — one for each of the original seven hills on which Ibadan was traditionally said to be built. Whether the symbolism was deliberate or a coincidence later seized upon by local history, the columns have become inseparable from the building's identity in the city's memory.

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