Kano State (

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

: ''Jihar Kano''جىِهَر كَنوُ) (Fula: Leydi Kano 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞤲𞤮𞥅 ) is one of the 36 states of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, located in the northern region of the country. According to the national census done in 2006, Kano State is the most populous in Nigeria. 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 from the former Northern Region, Kano State borders

Katsina State Katsina State ''(Hausa: Jihar Katsina) (Fula: Leydi Katsina 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞥁𞤭𞤲𞤢)'' is a state in the northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Katsina State was created in 1987, when it split from Kaduna State. Today, K ...

to the northwest, Jigawa State to the northeast,

Bauchi State Bauchi State (Fula: ''Leydi Bauchi'' 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤦𞤢𞤵𞤷𞥅𞤭) is a state in the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Kano and Jigawa to the north, Taraba and Plateau to the south, Gombe and Yobe to the e ...

to the southeast, and

Kaduna State Kaduna State ( ha, Jihar Kaduna جىِهَر كَدُنا; ff, Leydi Kaduna, script=Latn, ; kcg, Sitet Kaduna) is a state in northern Nigeria. The state capital is its namesake, the city of Kaduna which happened to be the 8th largest city in ...

to the southwest. The state's capital and largest city is the city of

Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria * Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State **Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries **Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...

, the second most populous city in Nigeria after

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

. The incumbent governor of the state is

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Abdullahi Umar Ganduje OFR (born 25 December 1949) is a Nigerian politician who is currently serving as the Governor of Kano State. He took over office in 2015. He previously served as Rabiu Kwankwaso's deputy governor twice, between 1999 to ...

. He was sworn in on May 29, 2015. Modern day Kano State was the site of numerous kingdoms and empires, including the

Kingdom of Kano The Kingdom of Kano was a Hausa kingdom in the north of what is now Northern Nigeria that dates back before 1000 AD, and lasted until the proclamation of the Sultanate of Kano by King Ali Yaji Dan Tsamiya in 1349. The kingdom was then replaced by ...

, which was centered in Dalla Hill and existed from prior to 1000 AD to

1349 Year 1349 ( MCCCXLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 22 – An earthquake affects L'Aquila in southern Italy with a maximum Me ...

. In 1349, the

Sultanate of Kano The Sultanate of Kano was a Hausa kingdom in the north of what is now Nigeria that dates back to 1349, when the contemporary king of Kano, Ali Yaji (1349–1385), dissolved the cult of Tsumbubra and proclaimed Kano a sultanate. Before 1000 AD, ...

would be established with

Yaji I Ali Dan Tsamiya known as Yaji I or Ali Yaji Dan Tsamiya was a king and later the first Sultan of Kano, a state in what is now Northern Nigeria. Yaji I ruled from 1359 to 1385 CE. A prominent figure in the state's history, Yaji used a religious re ...

as its first Sultan. In the 15th century, Kurmi Market was opened, which helped

become a center of commercial activity in

Hausaland The Hausa ( autonyms for singular: Bahaushe ( m), Bahaushiya ( f); plural: Hausawa and general: Hausa; exonyms: Ausa; Ajami: ) are the largest native ethnic group in Africa. They speak the Hausa language, which is the second most spoken languag ...

; 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

would establish itself as the most powerful of the

Hausa Kingdoms The Hausa Kingdoms, also known as Hausa Kingdom or Hausaland, was a collection of states started by the Hausa people, situated between the Niger River and Lake Chad (modern day northern Nigeria). Hausaland lay between the Western Sudanic kingdom ...

. In 1903, the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

conquer the

Kano Emirate The Kano Emirate was a Muslim state in Northern Nigeria formed in 1349 during the reign of Sarkin Kano Ali Yaji when Wangarawa brought Islam into Kano and Sarki Ali made Islam as State religion (www.rumburilmi.com.ng). Sarki Muhammadu Rumfa ( ...

, incorporating the region into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The major ethnic groups in pre-colonial Kano City were the

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...

, Beriberi ( Kanuri), Tuareg,

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

Nupe Nupe may refer to: *Nupe people, of Nigeria *Nupe language, their language *The Bida Emirate, also known as the Nupe Kingdom, their former state *A member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African Amer ...

, and some tribes from the southern Nigeria. Most people in Kano city have come to use the Hausa language 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 or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

, and Islamic banking. The

and

make up a majority of Kano State's population. The Hausa language is the dominant language in the state, as it is in most of

Northern Nigeria Northern Nigeria 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 the territory of the British Nort ...

. Challenges faced by Kano State in the 21st century include attacks by

Islamist terrorist Islamic terrorism (also known as Islamist terrorism or radical Islamic terrorism) refers to terrorist acts with religious motivations carried out by fundamentalist militant Islamists and Islamic extremists. Incidents and fatalities ...

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

History

An important early center of

commerce Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...

in the region was Kurmi Market, founded by the

Emir of Kano Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...

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 Katsina, likely from "Tamashek" eaning son or bloodor mazza enwith "inna" otheris a Local Government Area and the capital city of Katsina State, in northern Nigeria.

, capitalising on raids from the

Sultanate This article includes a list of successive Islamic states and Muslim dynasties beginning with the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE) and the early Muslim conquests that spread Islam outside of the Arabian Peninsula, and continuin ...

of Maradi. The Jihad leaders of the Caliphate encouraged 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 pro ...

industries also evolved in the pre-colonial period contributing to the prosperity of the province. After a

British occupation The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

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 May 27, 1967. In 1991, part of Kano State was separated to form Jigawa State.

Climate Change

The climate of Kano state is characterised by variability in rainfall between the 70s and 80s, with drought and near

drought A drought is defined as 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, an ...

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

moisture Moisture is the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts. Small amounts of water may be found, for example, in the air (humidity), in foods, and in some commercial products. Moisture also refers to the amount of water vapo ...

conditions have improved considerably but for the fluctuation of the 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 26⁰C to 3⁰0C 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, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...

of between 17% and 90% respectively.

Economy

Many large markets exist within Kano today, such as Kurmi Market, Kantin Kwari Market, Sabon Gari Market, Kofar Wanbai Market, Galadima Market, Kurumi Market, Yankura Market and Dawanau Market. Many of these markets specialize in a certain product, such as

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

s or grain.

Agriculture

Subsistence A subsistence economy is an economy directed to basic subsistence (the provision of food, clothing, shelter) rather than to the market. Henceforth, "subsistence" is understood as supporting oneself at a minimum level. Often, the subsistence econo ...

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

cowpeas The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few input ...

, 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 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, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu a ...

, cotton, garlic,

gum arabic Gum arabic, also known as gum sudani, acacia gum, Arabic gum, gum acacia, acacia, Senegal gum, Indian gum, and by other names, is a natural gum originally consisting of the hardened sap of two species of the ''Acacia'' tree, '' Senegalia se ...

and

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

. 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 current or expected effects of climate change.IPCC, 2022Annex II: Glossary öller, V., R. van Diemen, J.B.R. Matthews, C. Méndez, S. Semenov, J.S. Fuglestvedt, A. Reisinger (eds.) InClimat ...

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.https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Kano-Metropolis-Kano-metropolis-is-the-second-largest-industrial-and-commercial-centre-in_fig6_308576260#:~:text=Murtala%20Uba%20Mohammed-,Kano%20Metropolis%20Kano%20metropolis%20is%20the%20second%20largest%20industrial%20and,1.6million%20(Maiwada%202000) . Others include agricultural implements, soft drinks, food and beverages, dairy products, vegetable oil, animal feeds etc. Kano is also the center of a growing Islamic banking industry in Nigeria.

Tourism

Gate to the Gidan Rumfa (2009) in Kano, Nigeria

The tourist attractions in the state include: *Kurmi Market established in the 15th century *Kano's centuries-old city wall *

Gidan Rumfa The Gidan Rumfa, sometimes called the Gidan Sarki ("Emir's house"), is the palace of the Emir of Kano. Located in the city of Kano, Kano State, Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, ...

(Emir's Palace, the oldest continuous site of authority in Nigeria) *Kano Zoo *Dala and Gwauron Dutse *Gidan makama (Kano Museum)

Natural Resources in Kano State

Kano State has the following minerals Resources * Gassiterite * Copper * Gemstone * Glass-sand * Lead/Zinc * Pyrochinre & Tantalite

Education

High school

* Dawakin Tofa Science College *

Rumfa College, Kano Rumfa College is a High school located in the Northern part of Nigeria in Kano State, Founded in 1927 as a Kano Middle School then changed to Kano Province School, it later was renamed to Government College Kano, and is now named Rumfa College, K ...

Government Technical College Ungogo A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

* Government Technical College Wudil * Governors College Kano * Hassana Sufi Government Girls Secondary School * Maryam Aloma Government Girls Secondary School * Mero Tijjani Science Secondary School, Kano * Rogo Community Tahfizul Qur'an College * Science Secondary School, Dawakin Kudu

Universities

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

Bayero University Kano The Bayero University Kano (BUK) is a university situated in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. It was founded in 1975, when it was renamed from Bayero University College and upgraded from University College to University. It is the first university in ...

(BUK), founded in 1977. * Kano State University of Technology (KUST), founded in 2001. * Skyline University Nigeria (SUN), founded in 2018. * Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano (YUSMUK), founded in 2012. * Nigeria Police Academy Wudil, founded as the 37th federal university in 2011.

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 * Aminu Dabo School of Health Sciences & Technology * College of Arts, Sciences and Remedial Studies, Kano (CAS), * Emirate College of Science and Health Technology, Kano *

Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology, Kano Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

* Federal College of Education, Technical Bichi * Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso College of Advance and Remedial Studies, Tudun Wada (RMK CARS) * Sa'adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso * School of Health Technology, Kano * School of Hygiene, Kano * School of Midwifery, Dambatta * School of Midwifery, Gwarzo * School of Nursing, Kano * School of Nursing, Madobi * School of Post Basic Midwifery, Gezawa

Research Centres

The following is a list of research centres and institutes in the state of Kano: * Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research & Training * Centre For Research and Documentation, Kano * Digital Bridge Institute, Kano * Hydraulic Equipment Development Institute, Kano * Institute for Agricultural Research, Kano * International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics, Kano * International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Kano

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 phrase i ...

(LGAs). They are:

Demographics

Population

According to the 2006 PON census figures from Nigeria Kano State had a population totaling 9,401,288. Officially, Kano State is the second most populous state in the country behind Lagos State.
The state is mostly populated by the Hausa and Fulani people.

Languages

The official language of Kano State is Hausa and Fulfulde language.

Notable people

Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...

(1943-1998), 10th Head of State of Nigeria *

Ja'afar Mahmud Adam Ja'afar Mahmud Adam (February 12, 1960 – April 13, 2007) was a Nigerianbr>Salafist Islamic scholarand member of Nigeria's Jama’at Izalat al Bid’a Wa Iqamat as Sunna, a religio-political organisation with headquarters in Abuja. He lived prim ...

(1960-2007), popular Islamic scholar * Aminu Ala (born 1973),

musician, author. * Mubarak Bala (born 1984), blasphemer, atheist, president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria *

Aliko Dangote ''For people with the given name, see Aliko (given name).'' Aliko ( sq-definite, Alikoi; ) is a village and a former commune in Vlorë County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Fini ...

(born 1957), Nigerian business magnate and philanthropist * Aminu Dantata (born 1931), Nigerian business magnate and philanthropist *

Rabiu Kwankwaso 200px, Nigeria.html"_;"title="Kano_State_in_Nigeria">Kano_State_in_Nigeria_ Rabi'u_Musa_Kwankwaso,_Nigerian_Society_of_Engineers.html" ;"title="Nigeria_.html" ;"title="Nigeria.html" ;"title="Kano State in Nigeria">Kano State in Nigeria ">Nigeri ...

(born 1956), former minister of defence of Nigeria, * Murtala Muhammed from 1975 to 1976, 4th Military head of state of Nigeria * Abdul Samad Rabiu (was born 4 August 1960), Nigerian business magnate and philanthropist *

Ibrahim Shekarau Ibrahim Shekarau (born 5 November 1955) was a former Nigerian minister of education and two-term Governor of Kano State in Nigeria. He was elected in April 2003 and reelected in April 2007. He is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). H ...

(born 1955), former Governor (2003-2011). *

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (Ajami: سنوسي لاميط سنوسي, ''Muhammadu Sanusi na biyu''; born 31 July 1961), known by the religious title Khalifa Sanusi II (Ajami: خليفة السنوسي), is a spiritual leader in the Tijanniyah Sufi ord ...

(born 1961), former CBN Governor,

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