This archive report was first published on 16 October 2019.
Nigeria town celebrates claim as 'twins capital' of world ¶
Located in southwest Nigeria, the town of Igbo-Ora is known for its high concentration of multiple births, earning it the title of 'twins capital of the world.'
According to a study by British gynaecologist Patrick Nylander between 1972 and 1982, the twin birth rate in the region is an average of 45 to 50 sets per 1,000 live births, significantly higher than the 33 per 1,000 births in the United States.
The town hosts an annual festival to celebrate its unique status, which draws hundreds of sets of twins from around the country. The festival, now in its second year, features traditional music and dance performances by the twins, as well as magic displays and masquerades.
Residents of Igbo-Ora say that almost every family has some twins, and traditional leader Jimoh Olajide Titiloye, who is a twin himself, believes that the town is the 'foremost twins tourism destination in the world.'
While twins are seen as a blessing by many today, this has not always been the case in parts of southern Nigeria. In pre-colonial times, twins were often regarded as evil and were either banished to the 'evil forest' or killed. However, thanks to the efforts of Scottish missionary Mary Slessor in the late 19th century, the practice has largely been eradicated.
Scientists have not definitively explained why Igbo-Ora has such a high number of twins, but local residents believe that it may be due to the diet of women in the town, which includes yams that are believed to contain gonadotropins, a chemical substance that helps women to produce multiple eggs.
However, fertility experts are sceptical of this theory, pointing out that the same food is consumed across the region and that there is no proven link between diet and the high birth rate. Instead, they believe that the high twin birth rate is due to a genetic factor, with the gene for multiple births being passed on from generation to generation.
