The history of present-day Ogun State is closely connected to the broader history of the Yoruba people. Before the creation of the modern Nigerian state, the area contained numerous kingdoms, towns and communities with their own political institutions, rulers and systems of administration.
The major historical groups in the region included the Egba, Ijebu, Remo and Yewa. Awori, Ketu, Ohori, Anago and Egun communities also contributed to the cultural and historical development of the territory. Each group maintained distinctive traditions while sharing the broader cultural heritage of Yorubaland.
The Egba became particularly associated with Abeokuta, which emerged as a major settlement in the nineteenth century after different Egba groups migrated to the area for security and political reasons. The Ijebu developed a powerful political and commercial system around Ijebu-Ode and surrounding settlements, while the Remo communities developed their own network of towns and traditional institutions.