Kano State


Kano State
is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the northern region of the country. According to the national census done in 2006, Kano State was the states by population|most populous] state in Nigeria., its population is rivalled only by Lagos State, which does not have clear reporting due to the rate of growth of Lagos, its largest city. Created in 1967 out of the former Northern Region, Kano State borders Katsina State to the northwest for about 210 km, Jigawa State to the northeast for 355 km, Bauchi State to the southeast for 131 km, and Kaduna State to the southwest for 255 km. The state's capital and largest city is Kano, the [List of Nigerian cities by population|second most populous city] in Nigeria after Lagos. The incumbent governor of the state is Abba Kabir Yusuf. He was sworn in on 29 May 2023.
Modern-day Kano State was the site of a number of prior kingdoms and empires, including the Kingdom of Kano, which was centred on Dalla Hill and existed from to 1000 to 1349 CE. In 1349, the Sultanate of Kano was established with Yaji I as its first Sultan. In the 15th century, Kurmi Market was opened, which helped the city of Kano become a centre of commercial activity in Hausaland. The market remains open today and its historic importance is reflected in the state's nickname, the Centre of Commerce.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sultanate of Kano established itself as the most powerful of the Hausa Kingdoms. In 1903, the British Empire conquered the Kano Emirate, incorporating it into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The major ethnic groups in pre-colonial Kano were the Hausa, Fulani, Barebari, Tuareg, Arab, Nupe as well as certain tribes from southern Nigeria. Most people in Kano have come to use Hausa as a first language while some identify as ethnically Hausa.
Since Nigerian independence, Kano State has developed a diverse economy, establishing itself as a centre for industry, agriculture, and Islamic banking. The Hausa and Fulani make up the majority of Kano State's population. The Hausa language is the dominant language in the state, as it is in most of Northern Nigeria. Challenges faced by Kano State in the 21st century include attacks by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, inter-religious violence, and extreme poverty. A Muslim-majority state, Kano State is one of the twelve states in Nigeria to operate under Sharia law within the legal framework of the Nigerian Constitution.
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History

An important early centre of commerce in the region was Kurmi Market, founded by the Hausa people under Emir of Kano Muhammadu Rumfa in 1463 CE. Subsequent leaders made contributions to the emergence of Kano as a leading commercial centre in Sudanic Africa. During the time of the Kano Emirate, Emir Ibrahim Dabo made a number of administrative reforms, seeking to increase commerce in the region.
Leaders during this time encouraged traders to move from Katsina, capitalising on raids from the Hausa Sultanate of Maradi. The leaders of the Caliphate encouraged the Kola nut trade, and Kano was the greatest beneficiary with an annual turnover of about $30 million. Craft industries also evolved in the pre-colonial period contributing to the prosperity of the province.
After a British occupation of the region, culminating in the Battle of Kano in February 1903, the region became a part of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. Kano later became a part of the Northern Region of Nigeria. Kano state was created on 27 May 1967. In 1991, part of Kano State was separated to form Jigawa State.

Geography

Climate

The climate of Kano state is characterised by a variability in rainfall between the 1970s and 1980s, with drought and near-drought conditions. Between the 1990s and the year 2015, the moisture conditions improved considerably but for fluctuations in rainfall in the state. However, since 2015 there has been a considerable increase in rainfall. Based on a report of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, the amount of rainfall varies between years with a mean value of.
In the first quarter of 2022, NIMET sounded an early warning for floods in some states, including Kano. The agency asserted that their warning was based on the amount and distribution of rainfall that had been observed in the nation during the rainy season. According to the Kano State Emergency Management Agency, 25 local government districts experienced flooding as a result of the extreme rain's aftermath.

Temperature

The temperature of Kano has been on the rise since the 1960s and this is highly remarkable. The annual temperature of the state is between 26 °C to 30 °C for the diurnal temperature, which is high, and measurable between the range of 13.1%, with the relative humidity of between 17% and 90% respectively.

Economy

Many large markets exist within Kano today, such as Kurmi Market, Kantin Kwari Market, Sabon Gari Market, Dawanau Market, Kofar Wanbai Market, Galadima Market, Yankura Market and Bata Market. Many of these markets specialise in certain products, such as textiles or grain.

Agriculture

Subsistence and commercial agriculture are mostly practised in the outlying districts of the state. Some of the food crops cultivated are millet, cowpeas, sorghum, maize and rice for local consumption while groundnuts and cotton are produced for export and industrial purposes. During the colonial period and several years after the country's independence, the groundnuts produced in the state constituted one of the major sources of revenue of the country. Kano State is a major producer of hides and skins, sesame, soybeans, cotton, garlic, gum arabic and chili peppers.
A 2018 study of Tudun Wada found that both temperature and rainfall were likely to increase with climate change, causing increased stress on crops, and would require increased climate change adaptation for agricultural practices.

Industry

Kano State is the second-largest industrial centre after Lagos State in Nigeria and the largest in northern Nigeria with textile, tanning, footwear, cosmetics, plastics, enamelware, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, furniture and other industries, including agricultural implements, soft drinks, food and beverages, dairy products, vegetable oil, and animal feed. Kano is also the centre of a growing Islamic banking industry in Nigeria.

Tourism

Tourist attractions in the state include:

Natural resources

Kano State has various natural resources in abundance, including:

Mineral raw materials

Transport

Federal highways

Other major roads

  • The Kunya-Mutum road northeast from A2 to Jigawa State at Duma,
  • The Kano-Gumel road northeast via Dosai, Gezawa, Kirazare and Dadin Diniya to Jigawa State near Magama,
  • The Kano-Ringim road east from Dosai via Gwandu, Wangara, Zugachi and Zakirai to Jigawa State at Gorshinsi,
  • south from Gwandu via Gogel to A237 at Zogarava,
  • the Gaya-Wudil Rd east from A237 to Jigawa at Dundubis as the Gaya-Azare Rd,
  • south from A2 at Karfi Ruga as the Kano-Kumbotso-Rano or Rano-Karfin Ruga Rd via Bunkure, Rano, Kibiya, Tarai, Burunburum, Sitti and Masu to Bauchi State at Gwanda as the Sabon Gari-Gwanda-Kafin-Birgi Rd,
  • the Kafin Maiyaki-Sabin Bimi Rd south from A2 via Arna, Tudun Wada, Falgore Game Reserve, Tagwaye and Dadin Kowa to Kaduna State at Murai,
  • the Kiru-Rurum Rd north from A2 at Kafin Maiyaki via Yako and Karaye to Gwarzo as the Kafi-Jamaa Kosa Rd,
  • Murtala Mohammed Rd west from Kano to Katsina State at Gangara,
  • the Gwarzo-Shanono Rd north via Bagawi to A9 at Bichi.

Railways

Kano is on the 1067 mm Cape Gauge Western Railway Line from Lagos via Kaduna to Jigawa State, with a new double track standard gauge line under construction.

Airports

Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, HQ of Kabo Air, Azman Airlines and Max Air.

Education

Secondary schools

Universities

Kano State is home to five universities: one federal university, one regimented federal university, two state universities, and one private university.

Polytechnics and colleges

The following is a list of the approved polytechnic schools and colleges in the state of Kano:

Local government areas

Kano State consists of 44 local government areas :
NameArea Census 2006
population		Administrative capitalPostal
code
Fagge21200,095Waje700
Dala19418,759Gwanmaja700
Gwale18357,827Gwale700
Kano Municipal17371,243Kofar Kudu700
Tarauni28221,844Unguwa Uku700
Nassarawa34596,411Bompai700
Kumbotso158294,391Kumbotso700
Ungogo204365,737Ungogo700
Kano Metropolitan Area4992,828,861700
Dawakin Tofa479246,197Dawakin Tofa701
Tofa20298,603Tofa701
Rimin Gado225103,371Rimin Gado701
Bagwai405161,533Bagwai701
Gezawa340282,328Gezawa702
Gabasawa605211,204Zakirai702
Minjibir416219,611Minjibir702
Dambatta732210,474Dambatta702
Makoda441220,094Makoda702
Kunchi671110,170Kunchi703
Bichi612278,309Bichi703
Tsanyawa492157,730Tsanyawa703
Shanono697139,128Shanono704
Gwarzo393183,624Gwarzo704
Karaye479144,045Karaye704
Rogo802227,607Rogo704
Kabo341153,158Kabo704
Northern Kano State8,3323,143,899701 to 704
Bunkure487174,467Bunkure710
Kibiya404138,618Kibiya710
Rano520148,276Rano710
Tudun Wada1,204228,658Tudun Wada710
Doguwa1,473150,645Riruwai710
Madobi273137,685Madobi711
Kura206143,094Kura711
Garun Mallam214118,622Garun Mallam711
Bebeji717191,916Bebeji711
Kiru927267,168Kiru711
Sumaila1,250250,379Sumaila712
Garko450161,966Garko712
Takai598202,639Takai712
Albasu398187,639Albasu712
Gaya613207,419Gaya713
Ajingi714172,610Ajingi713
Wudil362188,639Wudil713
Warawa360131,858Warawa713
Dawakin Kudu384225,497Dawakin Kudu713
Southern Kano State11,5543,410,922710 to 713

Demographics

Population

According to the 2006 PON census figures, Kano State had a population totalling 9,401,288. Based on the official data by the National Bureau of Statistics, Kano is the most populous state in the country followed by Lagos State. The state is mostly populated by the Hausa and Fulani people.

Languages

The official language of Kano State are Hausa and Fulfulde. Several Kainji languages, namely Moro, Kurama, and Map, are also spoken in the Doguwa local government area.

Notable people

Politics

The state government is led by a democratically elected governor who works closely with the state House of Assembly. The capital city of the state is Kano.

Electoral system

The governor of each state is selected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of the state's LGAs. If no candidate passes the threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of LGAs.