Osun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria, bounded to the east by Ekiti and Ondo states, to the north by Kwara State, to the south by Ogun State and to the west by Oyo State. Of the 36 states in Nigeria, Osun is the ninth smallest in area and nineteenth most populous with an estimated population of about 4.7 million as of 2016.

The name "Osun" came from a river that flows through the state. It is symbolic because it serves both spiritual and tourist purposes in the state. The river is worshipped annually by devotees. It is also a tourist spot as people from different parts of the country visit the Osun Groove in Osogbo. In addition, the river supports the state's thriving agricultural industry with water for irrigation.

Economically, Osun State is largely based around agriculture, mainly of cocoa, cassava, millet, maize, Potato and yams crops.

The state's tourist attractions are: The Mbari Mbayo Arts Centre at Osogbo, The Residential Palaces of Yoruba rulers in llesha and Ile-Ife, and The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a forest that contains several shrines and artwork in honour of the Yoruba deity Osun (designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005).

Osun State is additionally noted for having the second highest literacy rate in the country.