EFFON-ALAIYE

also spelled Efon-Alaye town, Ondo State, southwestern Nigeria, in the Yoruba Hills, at the intersection of roads from Ilesha, Ondo, and Ado-Ekiti. It was probably founded in the late 19th century, when both the Ilesha and Effon belonged to the EkitiParapo, a Yoruba confederation that fought against the town of Ibadan, 68 mi (109 km) west-southwest, for control of the trade routes to the coast. Now a collecting point for cocoa, cotton, and palm oil and kernels, Effon-Alaiye also serves as an agricultural trade centre (yams, cassava, corn , palm produce, fruits, pumpkins, okra) for the local branches of the Yoruba people (the Ilesha and Effon). The town has a teacher-training college, secondary schools, and a hospital. Pop. (1983 est.) 110,600.