language thus " Oburu ju aje Ota lo" meaning more wicked than the Ota witch) Ota today have grown from the ancient settlement founded by the Terrestrial mothers commonly known as witches-Eleye or Iyami Osoronga into an Industrial City, a thriving Economic hub in Ogun state and Nigeria. Ota began to grow into the industrial city it is today due to the economic development planning and lobbying by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and Chief Bisi Onabanjo, former governor of Ogun State. This led to the official designation of Ota as an industrial town, and the state government began to encourage industries to locate in and around the city. Education Traditionally, Ota only had a few schools, and all were sponsored by various Christian religious organizations. The Muslim community responded by forming a school operated by the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society. State schools began to be formed in the late 1970s, and there are now several private schools in the area. Iganmode Grammar School is the oldest, founded in 1960. Other notable schools include Ansar-Ud-deen Comprehensive College, Bells Comprehensive Secondary School and Faith Academy Secondary School. There are also two universities in Ota: Covenant University and Bells University of Technology. And a private polytechnic, Allover Central Polytechnic. The Nigerian Navy's School of Music is also located in Ota. Economy Sections of the town are dominated by industries including Lagos - Abeokuta road and Idi-iroko road. Beginning in the early 1970s, many businesses began building factories in Ota partly because it was less congested than the industrial estates in Lagos. Businesses with facilities in Ota include: Farmex Meyer Limited Nigerian Breweries De United Foods Industries Limited Unique Pharmaceuticals Intercontinental Distillers Limited. Honda Manufacturing (Nigeria),Ltd Veepee Industries Limited Demographics The indigenes are predominantly Yoruba of the Awori dialect group. They trace their ancestry down from Ile-Ife and consider Iganmode as their patriarch. Other Aworis are located in the neighboring Lagos State. The main occupation of Ota residents is trading and farming. The town's proximity to Lagos and proximity to the border town of Idiroko have led to the creation of two large markets: Kayero Market in Sango and Oba T.T. Dada Market along Idiroko Road. These markets are each so large that they blend together and are more commonly just referred to as Sango-Ota Market. See also Ota Traditional Chiefs References Populated places in Ogun State Yoruba history Towns in Yorubaland