Kano ( Hausa: ) is one of the 36 states of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, located in the northern region of the country. According to the national

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

done in 2006, Kano State is the most populous state in

. The recent official estimates taken in 2016 by the National Bureau of Statistics found that Kano State was still the largest state by population in Nigeria. Created in 1967 out of the former Northern Region, Kano State borders on Katsina State to the

northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

for about 210 km (130 miles), Jigawa State to the northeast for 355 km (221 miles), Bauchi State to the southeast for 131 km (82 miles), and

Kaduna State Kaduna (, جىِهَر كَدُنا; مدينة كدونا; , ; ) is a States of Nigeria, state in the northwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The state capital is its namesake, the city of Kaduna (city), Kaduna, which was the List of Nigerian ...

to the

southwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

for 255 km. The state's capital and largest city is the city of Kano, the second most populous city in Nigeria after

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

. The incumbent

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

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 centered in Dalla Hill (Dutsen Dala) and existed from prior to 1000 AD to 1349. 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 Kano become a center of commercial activity in Hausaland; the market remains open in the 21st century 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 Hausa Kingdoms, also known as Hausa Kingdom or Hausaland, was a collection of states ruled by the Hausa people, before the Fulani jihads. It was situated between the Niger River and Lake Chad (modern day northern Nigeria). Hausaland lay betwe ...

. In 1903, the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

conquered the

Kano Emirate The Kano Emirate was a Muslim state in northern Nigeria formed in 1805 during the Fulani jihad when the Muslim Hausa people, Hausa-led Sultanate of Kano was deposed and replaced by a new emirate which became a vassal state of the Sokoto Caliph ...

, incorporating it into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The major ethnic groups in pre-colonial Kano City were the Hausa, Fulani, Barebari ( Kanuri), Tuareg,

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

, Nupe and some tribes from the southern Nigeria. Most of the people in Kano city have come to use the

Hausa language Hausa (; / ; Hausa Ajami, Ajami: ) is a Chadic language spoken primarily by the Hausa people in the northern parts of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern parts of Niger, and Chad, with significant minorities in Ivory Coas ...

as a first language and some have accepted Hausa as an ethnic identification. Since independence, Kano State has developed a diverse economy, establishing itself as a center for industry,

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, and Islamic banking. The Hausa and Fulani make up the majority of Kano State's population. The

is the dominant language in the state, as it is in most of

Northern Nigeria Northern Nigeria (or Arewa, Arewancin Nijeriya) was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962, it acquired t ...

. Challenges faced by Kano State in the 21st century include attacks by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, inter-religious violence, and

extreme poverty Extreme poverty is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations (UN) as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, ...

. A Muslim-majority state, Kano State is one of the twelve states in Nigeria to operate under

Sharia law Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, inta ...

within the legal framework of the Nigerian

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

History

An important early center of

commerce Commerce is the organized Complex system, system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions that directly or indirectly contribute to the smooth, unhindered large-scale exchange (distribution through Financial transaction, transactiona ...

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

, 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 Jihad leaders of the Caliphate encouraged the Kola nut trade, and Kano was the greatest beneficiary with an annual turnover of about $30 million.

Craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...

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 variability in rainfall between the 70s and 80s, with drought and near

drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D. Jiang, A. Khan, W. Pokam Mba, D. Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...

conditions. Between the 90s and the year 2015, the

moisture Moisture is the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts. Moisture is defined as water in the adsorbed or absorbed phase. Small amounts of water may be found, for example, in the air (humidity), in foods, and in some comme ...

conditions have improved considerably but for fluctuations in rainfall in the state. However, since 2015 till date, there has been an increase in rainfall in the state, which has helped increase agricultural production in this northern Nigerian state considerably. Based on the report of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the amount of rainfall varies between years with a mean value of 897.7mm. In the first quarter of 2022, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency sounded an early warning of floods in some states, including Kano state. 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 (SEMA), 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 60s and this is highly remarkable. The annual temperature of the state is between 26 °C to 30 °C of dumal temperature, which is high, and measurable between the range of 13.1%, with the

relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...

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 specialize in a certain product, such as

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

s or

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...

Agriculture

Subsistence and commercial agriculture are mostly practised in the outlying districts of the state. Some of the food crops cultivated are

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...

, cowpeas,

sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

and

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

for local consumption while groundnuts and

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

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,

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

, cotton, garlic, gum arabic and

chili pepper Chili peppers, also spelled chile or chilli ( ), are varieties of fruit#Berries, berry-fruit plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for their pungency. They are used as a spice to ...

. 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 Climate change adaptation is the process of adjusting to the effects of climate change, both current and anticipated.IPCC, 2022Annex II: Glossary[Möller, V., R. van Diemen, J.B.R. Matthews, C. Méndez, S. Semenov, J.S. Fuglestvedt, A. Reisinger ...

for agricultural practices.

Industry

Kano State is the second-largest industrial centre after

Lagos State Lagos State (, ) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West, Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, Nigerian states, Lagos is the second List of Nigerian states by population, most populous state but the List of Nigerian states by area, smallest ...

in Nigeria and the largest in Northern Nigeria with

, tanning,

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protective clothing, protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature. *Shoes and si ...

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

s, enamelware, pharmaceuticals,

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

furniture Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...

and other industries.. Others include agricultural implements,

soft drink A soft drink (see #Terminology, § Terminology for other names) is a class of non-alcoholic drink, usually (but not necessarily) Carbonated water, carbonated, and typically including added Sweetness, sweetener. Flavors used to be Natural flav ...

s, food and beverages,

dairy product Dairy products or milk products are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, goat, nanny goat, and Sheep, ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food around the world such as y ...

vegetable oil Vegetable oils, or vegetable fats, are oils extracted from seeds or from other parts of edible plants. Like animal fats, vegetable fats are ''mixtures'' of triglycerides. Soybean oil, grape seed oil, and cocoa butter are examples of seed ...

, animal feeds etc. Kano is also the center of a growing Islamic banking industry in Nigeria.

Tourism

Tourist attractions in the state include: * Kurmi Market established in the 15th century * Kano's centuries-old city wall * Gidan Rumfa (Emir's Palace, the oldest continuous site of authority in Nigeria) * Kano Zoo * Dala and Gwauron Dutse * Gidan Makama (Kano Museum) * Bashir Tofa Mosque * Gidan dan Hausa Museum

Natural resources

Kano State has different natural resources in abundant, these include

Mineral raw materials

* Cassiterite *

Copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

Gemstone A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewellery, jewelry or other adornments. Certain Rock (geology), rocks (such ...

* Glass-sand * Lead/Zinc * Pyrochinre & Tantalite

Agro raw materials

Transport

Federal highways

* A2 (part of the African Unity Road or Trans-Sahara Highway or Trans Africa 2: TAH2) north from

at Gidan Mallam Idi for 166 km as the Zaria Rd via Kura, Nassarawa, Kano, Bankaura, Kunya, Dambarta and Ajumawa to Jigawa State at Yanzaki, * A9 (part of the Dakar-Ndjamena Trans-Sahelian Highway or TAH 5) northwest from A2 at Bankaura (14 km north of Kano) for 71 km via Bichi, Dan Zabuwa and Tsanyawa as IBB Way to Katsina State at Yan Kamaye, * A237 continuing TAH5 east from A2 in Kano for 110 km across the Hadejia River at Wudil via Takai and Kachako to Jigawa State as the Kano Rd.

Other major roads

* the Kunya-Mutum Rd northeast from A2 to Jigawa State at Duma, * The Kano-Gumel Rd northeast via Dosai, Gezawa, Kirazare and Dadin Diniya to Jigawa State near Magama, * The Kano-Ringim Rd 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

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

via Kaduna to Jigawa State (rehabilitated 2013), with a new double track standard gauge line under construction. Rail transport in Nigeria

Airports

Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (1936), HQ of Kabo Air, Azman Airlines and Max Air.

Education

Secondary schools

* Dawakin Tofa Science College * Rumfa College, Kano

Universities

Kano State is home to five universities: one federal university, one regimented federal university, two state universities, and one private university. * Bayero University Kano (BUK), founded in 1977. * Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), founded in 2001. * Nigeria Police Academy Wudil, founded as the 37th federal university in 2011. * Skyline University, Kano. Founded in 2018 * Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano (YUSMUK), founded in 2012.

Polytechnics and colleges

The following is a list of the approved Polytechnics and Colleges in the state of Kano: * Aminu Kano College of Islamic Legal Studies, Kano * Audu Bako School of Agriculture, Dambatta * Federal College of Education, Kano * Kano State Polytechnic. * Sa'adatu Rimi College of Education.

Local government areas

Kano State consists of forty-four (44)

Local Government Areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The ph ...

(LGAs).

Demographics

Population

According to the 2006 PON census figures, Kano State had a population totaling 9,401,288. Based on the official data by the National Bureau of Statistics, Kano State is the most populous state in the country followed by

. The state is mostly populated by the Hausa and Fulani people.

Languages

The official language of Kano State are Hausa and Fulfulde. The Kainji languages Moro, Kurama and Map are also spoken in Doguwa LGA.

Notable people

* Sani Abacha (1943–1998), 10th Military Head of State of Nigeria * Ja'afar Mahmud Adam (1960–2007), a popular Islamic scholar * Nazifi Asnanic kannywood actor and musician. * Mubarak Bala, atheist and president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria; is currently imprisoned for comments he made on social media about Islam. * Aliko Dangote (born 1957), Nigerian business magnate and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

, Africa's richest person. * Aminu Dantata (born 1931), Nigerian business magnate and

* Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa Islamic preacher. * Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (born 1949), Nigerian politician and Kano State Governor from 2015 to 2023. * Ahmad Sulaiman Ibrahim Islamic preacher. * Nura M Inuwa Hausa Musician. * Ali Jita Hausa musician. * Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara Islamic preacher. * Qaribullah Nasiru Kabara Islamic preacher. * Aminu Kano (9 August 1920 — 17 April 1983) was a politician and teacher * Sheikh Ibrahim Khaleel Islamic preacher. * Rabiu Kwankwaso (born 1956), former Governor of Kano state and former minister of defence of Nigeria, * Murtala Muhammed, 4th Military head of state of Nigeria, 1975 to 1976 * Abdul Samad Rabiu (born 4 August 1960), Nigerian business magnate and

, Africa's 6th richest person. * Isyaku Rabiu, businessman * Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (born 1961), former CBN Governor, 14 & 16th (Current) Emir of Kano * Ibrahim Shekarau (born 1955), former Governor and former Minister of Education (2003–2011). * Barau Jibrin Senator Barau I. Jibrin CFR (born 19 June 1959) is a Nigerian politician who is the current deputy president of the Nigerian Senate since 2023. * Yusuf Babangida Suleiman (born 1976), politician in the 7th, 8th and 9th Kano State House of Assembly * Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila former Secretary to the Kano State Executive Council, rtd Permanent Secretary, former Principal Secretary to the Kano State Governor, former Board Chairman Hadejia-Jama'are River Basin Development Authority and Kano State Television Corporation. * Abba Kabir Yusuf (born 1963). Kano State Governor since May 2023.

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-third of the State local government Areas. 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 local government Areas.

References

External links

*
National Bureau of Statistics Maps of Kano State
{{Portal bar, Nigeria Sharia in Nigeria States of Nigeria States and territories established in 1967