Igbo-Ora, a town in the heart of Oyo State, 80 Kilometers from Lagos, earning a global title (The Twin capital of the world), is made up of mostly farmers and traders.
A visit to Igbo-Ora means seeing double is the norm, not the exception. The town boasts an extraordinarily high rate of twin births, nearly 1 in every 22 births results in twins resulting to 45 to 50 sets of twins per 1000 births. This figure is nearly four times the global average, which sits at around 12 twin births per 1,000. It is so common that walking through the town might make you feel like you are seeing double, nearly every family in the community is connected to a set of twins (fraternal or Identical), and the town celebrates this unique identity with an annual World Twins Festival.
Scientists have studied Igbo-Ora’s twin phenomenon for decades. While no single factor fully explains it, genetics, diet, and environment appear to play interconnected roles. Some researchers suggest that the Yoruba ethnic group, to which Igbo-Ora belongs, naturally has a genetic predisposition for hyper-ovulation, the release of multiple eggs during ovulation.
Although, when the residents are asked about the mystery, and they’ll point to the staple diet. The people of Igbo-Ora attribute their twin boom to a yam-rich diet, particularly “amala” madefrom cassava flour and the abundant consumption of Ilasa Soup made from Okro leaves. Some even believe that the high estrogen levels in these foods stimulate hyper-ovulation, thereby increasing twin births.
In Yoruba tradition, twins (Ibeji) are considered sacred, believed to bring wealth, health, and happiness to their families. Parents of twins often give them special names such as Taiwo (“the first to taste life”) and Kehinde (“the one who comes last”), embedding them deeply in cultural identity.
Whether explained by genetics, yam porridge, or spiritual blessings, Igbo-Ora remains a global wonder, with the annual festival drawing thousands of twins from Nigeria and the diaspora, providing a vibrant, visible showcase of its status as the unique ‘Twin Capital of the World.
By: Idris Olayinka