Adamawa is a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

in the North-East geopolitical zone 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, ...

, bordered by Borno to the northwest, Gombe to the west, and

Taraba Taraba is a state in north-eastern Nigeria, named after the Taraba River, which traverses the southern part of the state. It is known as "Nature's Gift to the Nation". Its capital is Jalingo. The state's main ethnic groups are the Fulani, Mu ...

to the southwest while its eastern border forms part of the national border with

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

. It takes its name from the historic emirate of Adamawa, with the emirate's old capital of Yola serving as the capital city of Adamawa State. The state was formed in 1991 when the former

Gongola State Gongola State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the Adamawa and Sardauna Provinces of North State, together with the Wukari Division of the then Benue-Plateau State. It existed until 27 Aug ...

was broken up into Adamawa and

states. The state is one of the most heterogeneous in Nigeria, having over 100 indigenous ethnic groups. Of the 36 states, Adamawa is the eighth largest in the area, but the thirteenth least populous with an estimated population of about 4.25 million as of 2016. Geographically, the state is mainly composed of highlands and mountains (the

Atlantika ''Atlantika'' is a Philippine television drama fantasy series broadcast by GMA Network. Directed by Mark A. Reyes and Zoren Legaspi, it stars Dingdong Dantes. It premiered on October 2, 2006 on the network's Telebabad line up. The series conc ...

, Mandara, and the Shebshi ranges) and the

Adamawa Plateau The Adamawa Plateau () is a plateau region in west-central Africa stretching from south-eastern Nigeria through north-central Cameroon ( Adamawa and North Provinces) to the Central African Republic. The part of the plateau that lies in Nigeria i ...

crossed by valleys and rivers, most notably the Benue and

Gongola Gongola State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the Adamawa and Sardauna Provinces of North State, together with the Wukari Division of the then Benue-Plateau State. It existed until 27 Augu ...

rivers. The lowlands of Adamawa are all part of the

West Sudanian savanna The West Sudanian savanna is a tropical savanna ecoregion that extends across West Africa. Geography The ecoregion stretches east and west across West Africa, from the Atlantic coast of Senegal to the Mandara Mountains on Nigeria's eastern bor ...

in the north and the wetter

Guinean forest-savanna mosaic Demographics of Guinea describes the condition and overview of Guinea's peoples. Demographic topics include basic education, health, and population statistics as well as identified racial and religious affiliations. Population According to t ...

in parts of the south, while elevated areas are parts of the Mandara Plateau mosaic and

Cameroonian Highlands forests The Cameroonian Highlands forests, also known as the Cameroon Highlands forests, is a montane tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion located on the range of mountains that runs inland from the Gulf of Guinea and forms the border between Camer ...

ecoregions An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecology, ecological and Geography, geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of la ...

. In the extreme south of the state is part of the

Gashaka Gumti National Park Gashaka-Gumti National Park (GGNP) is a national park in Nigeria, It was gazetted from two game reserves in 1991 and is Nigeria's largest national park. It is located in the eastern provinces of Taraba Taraba is a state in north-eastern Ni ...

, a large wildlife park that contains large populations of

bushbuck Bushbuck is a common name that may refer to one of the following African antelopes: *Cape bushbuck The Cape bushbuck (''Tragelaphus sylvaticus''), also known as imbabala is a common, medium-sized bushland-dwelling, and a widespread species of ant ...

African buffalo The African buffalo (''Syncerus caffer)'' is a large sub-Saharan African bovine. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head, referred to ...

patas monkey The common patas monkey (''Erythrocebus patas''), also known as the hussar monkey, is a ground-dwelling monkey distributed over semi-arid areas of West Africa, and into East Africa. Taxonomy There is some confusion surrounding if there are v ...

black-and-white colobus Black-and-white colobuses (or colobi) are Old World monkeys of the genus ''Colobus'', native to Africa. They are closely related to the red colobus monkeys of genus '' Piliocolobus''. There are five species of this monkey, and at least eight subs ...

giant pangolin The giant pangolin (''Smutsia gigantea'') is a species of pangolin from genus '' Smutsia'' of subfamily Smutsiinae within the family Manidae. It is the largest living species of pangolins. Members of the species inhabit Africa with a range stret ...

, and

hippopotamus The hippopotamus (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Sahar ...

along with some of Nigeria's last remaining

Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes ellioti'') is a subspecies of the common chimpanzee which inhabits the rainforest along the border of Nigeria and Cameroon. Male Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees can weigh up to 70 kilos with a body ...

African leopard The African leopard (''Panthera pardus pardus'') is the nominate subspecies of the leopard, native to many countries in Africa. It is widely distributed in most of sub-Saharan Africa, but the historical range has been Habitat fragmentation, fragm ...

, and

African golden cat The African golden cat (''Caracal aurata'') is a wild cat endemic to the rainforests of West and Central Africa. It is threatened due to deforestation and bushmeat hunting and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is a close relative o ...

populations. What is now known as Adamawa state has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, including the Bwatiye (Bachama),

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

, Bata (Gbwata),

Gudu Gudu is a Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Balle. With an area of 3,478 km and a population of 95,544 at the 2006 census, with an estimated population of 139,000 in 2019. Gudu shares a boun ...

, Mbula-Bwazza, and Nungurab (Lunguda) in the central region; the Kamwe in the north and central region; the Jibu in the far south; the

Kilba The Kilba people (also called Həba) are an ethnic group in the Hong local government area of Adamawa State (formerly Gongola State) in Nigeria. History In the past, Həba lived in large clan-based mountain communities. These mountain commun ...

, Mafa,

Marghi Margi, also known as Marghi and Marghi Central, is a Chadic language (a Language family, branch of Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic) spoken in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad. It is perhaps the best described of the Biu–Mandara branch of that fami ...

, and Waga in the north, and the

Mumuye The Mumuye are people of the Taraba State, Nigeria. They speak the Mumuye language. They constitute the largest tribal group in Taraba State of Nigeria and form the predominant tribes found in Zing, Nigeria, Zing, Yorro, Jalingo, Ardo-Kola, Lau, ...

in the south while the

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...

live throughout the state — often as nomadic herders. Adamawa is also religiously diverse as about 50% of the population is

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

Muslim and 40% is Christian (mainly

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

, EYN, ECWA, and

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

), while the remaining 10% are adherents of traditional ethnic religions. As an agriculturally-based state, the Adamawa State economy mainly relies on

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

and crops, such as

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 ...

, groundnuts,

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, ...

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...

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

, and yams. Due to the

Boko Haram insurgency The Boko Haram insurgency also known as the Boke Haram Crisis began in July 2009, when the militant Islamist and jihadist rebel group Boko Haram started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. The conflict is taking place wit ...

affecting development in the state, Adamawa has the eleventh lowest

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

in the country but as the

insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare against a larger authority. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric warfare, asymmetric nature: small irregular forces ...

has abated since 2016 due to terrorist infighting, development has been renewed.

History

Before it became a state in Nigeria, Adamawa was a subordinate kingdom of the Sultanate of Sokoto, which also included much of northern

. The rulers bear the title of

emir Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...

("" in the local language,

Fulfulde Fula ( ),Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student's Handbook'', Edinburgh also known as Fulani ( ) or Fulah (, , ; Adlam: , , ; Ajami: , , ), is a Senegambian language spoken by around 36.8 million people as a set of various diale ...

). The name "Adamawa" came from the founder of the kingdom,

Modibo Adama Adama ɓii Ardo Hassana (1786 – 1847), more commonly known as Modibbo Adama (''Modibbo'' meaning "learned man"), was a Fulani scholar from the Yillaga (Yirlaɓe) clan. He led a jihad into the region of Fombina (in modern-day Cameroon and Niger ...

, a regional leader of the

Fulani Jihad The Jihad of Usman dan Fodio was a religio-military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman dan Fodio, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled from Gobir by King Yunfa, one of his former students. Us ...

organized by

Usman dan Fodio Shehu Usman dan Fodio (; full name; 15 December 1754 – 20 April 1817). (Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Saalih ibn Haarun ibn Muhammad Ghurdu ibn Muhammad Jubba ibn Muhammad Sambo ibn Maysiran ibn Ayyub ibn Buba Baba ibn Musa Jokolli ibn ...

of Sokoto in 1804.

came from the region of Gurin (now just a small village) and in 1806, received a green flag for leading the jihad in his native country. In the following years, Adama conquered many lands and tribes. In 1838, he moved his capital to Ribadu, and in 1839, to Joboliwo. In 1841, he founded Yola, where he died in 1848. After the

European colonization The phenomenon of colonization is one that stretches around the globe and across time. Ancient and medieval colonialism was practiced by various civilizations such as the Phoenicians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Han Chinese, and A ...

(first by

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and then by

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

), the rulers remained as emirs and the line of succession has continued to the present day. Adamawa state contingent 1

In the early 1800s, the

Fulani jihad The Jihad of Usman dan Fodio was a religio-military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman dan Fodio, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled from Gobir by King Yunfa, one of his former students. Us ...

seized much of modern-day Adamawa State and formed the

Adamawa Emirate The Adamawa Emirate (Fula language, Fula: ''Laamorde Adamaawa'', ; ; ; ) is a Nigerian traditional states, traditional state located in Fombina, an area which now roughly corresponds to areas of Adamawa State and Taraba state in Nigeria, and pre ...

under the

Sokoto Caliphate The Sokoto Caliphate (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fula jihads, Fulani jihads ...

. About 90 years later, forces from

and 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 ...

defeated the Emirate in the

Adamawa Wars The Adamawa Wars (1899–1907) were initially a series of military expeditions and border conflicts between the German Schutztruppe in Kamerun and the Fulani, Fula Sunni Muslim states and tribes that were a part of the Sokoto Caliphate, Sokoto Empi ...

and split the area. The British-controlled area (much of the west of modern-day Adamawa) was incorporated into the

Northern Nigeria Protectorate Northern Nigeria ( Hausa: ''Arewacin Najeriya'') was a British protectorate which lasted from 1900 until 1914, and covered the northern part of what is now Nigeria. The protectorate spanned and included the emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate ...

which later merged into

British Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1st of October 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. Britain annexed Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River Protectorate in 1884. British influen ...

before becoming independent as

in 1960. The German-controlled area formed a part of

German Kamerun Kamerun was an African colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1916 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon. Kamerun also included northern parts of Gabon and the Congo with western parts of the Central African Republic, southwestern ...

until allied forces invaded and occupied Kamerun during the

Kamerun campaign The Kamerun campaign took place in the German colony of Kamerun in the African theatre of the First World War when the British, French and Belgians invaded the German colony from August 1914 to March 1916. Most of the campaign took place in ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After the war, what is now eastern Adamawa State became most of the Northern Cameroons within the

British Cameroons British Cameroons or British Cameroon was a British Empire, British League of Nations mandate, mandate territory in British West Africa, formed of the Northern Cameroons and Southern Cameroons. Today, the Northern Cameroons forms parts of the Bor ...

until 1961, when a

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

led to a merger with

. Originally, modern-day Adamawa State was a part of the post-independence Northern Region until 1967 when the area became part of the

North-Eastern State North-Eastern State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 27 May 1967 from parts of the Northern Region, Nigeria, Northern Region. Its capital was the city of Maiduguri. On 3 February 1976, two states were carved out ...

. After the North-Eastern State was split in 1976,

was formed on 3 February 1976 alongside ten other states. Fifteen years after statehood, Gongola was split with the state's south becoming

Taraba State Taraba is a States of Nigeria, state in north-eastern Nigeria, named after the Taraba River, which traverses the southern part of the state. It is known as "Nature's Gift to the Nation". Its capital is Jalingo. The state's main Demographics ...

while its north became Adamawa State. A

measles Measles (probably from Middle Dutch or Middle High German ''masel(e)'', meaning "blemish, blood blister") is a highly contagious, Vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine-preventable infectious disease caused by Measles morbillivirus, measles v ...

outbreak was reported in an

internally displaced person An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee. I ...

s camp, in January 2015.

Lamibe of Adamawa

Lamibe (Emirs) of Adamawa have included:

Boko Haram insurgency

Adamawa State has been badly impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency. In January 2012, Boko Haram attacked Gombi,

Mubi Mubi (; stylized as MUBI; the Auteurs before 2010) is a global streaming platform, production company and film distributor. MUBI produces and theatrically distributes films by emerging and established filmmakers, which are exclusively available ...

and Yola. By 2014, the state became home to camps housing an estimated 35,000 internally displaced people, fleeing violence from Boko Haram in locations including Mubi,

Madagali Madagali or Madagli is a town and local government area in Adamawa State, Nigeria, adjacent to the border with Cameroon. History The name comes from a spear ('gali') of a Marghi named Madu. The Local Government Area was created in 1991 when ...

, Askira Uba,

Bama Bama or BAMA may refer to: Places * Bama, shortened form of Alabama, a state of the United States of America ** The University of Alabama, a public university serving the state, often known as simply ''Bama'' * Bama, one of the colloquial Burmes ...

and

Gwoza Gwoza is a local government area of Borno State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Gwoza, a border town "about 135 kilometres South-East of Maiduguri." The postal code of the area is 610. The terrain is rocky and hilly. The Gwoza H ...

in the states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe. In 2014, an estimate placed the number of IDPs around Yola at 400,000. An attack occurred in Chakawa in 2014. A

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

bombing A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

in Yola in 2015 killed over 30 people. A double suicide bombing in

in 2016 killed over 50 people. Mubi is the worst affected place in Adamawa State, suffering major attacks in 2012,

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

and 2018. Organizations serving the community include the Adamawa Peace Initiative (API) - a group of business, religious, and community leaders - and the Adamawa Muslim Council. The

United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 1961 and reorganized in 1998 ...

has pledged to provide continuing humanitarian assistance. On 21–22 February 2020, Boko Haram

terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

s launched an attack on homes and churches in Garkida, killing three soldiers and wounding

civilian A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is war crime, illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civi ...

Geography

Adamawa is one of the largest states of

and occupies about 36,917 square kilometers. It is bordered by the states of Borno to the northwest, Gombe to the west and

to the southwest. Its eastern border forms the national eastern border with

. Topographically, it is a mountainous land crossed by large river valleys – Benue,

, and Yedsarem. The valleys of the

Mount Cameroon Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in the Southwest Region of Cameroon next to the city of Buea near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako (the name of the higher of its two peaks) or by its indigenous ...

Mandara Mountains The Mandara Mountains are a volcanic range extending about 190 km (about 120 mi) along the northern part of the Cameroon–Nigeria border, from the Benue River in the south () to the north-west of Maroua in the north (). The highest ...

, and

form part of the landscape.

Climate

Climate change

A study conducted on climate in 2012 in Nigeria's Adamawa state revealed monthly mean temperature rise in Gyawana, Yola, and Mubi, while annual rainfall declined. Delays in rainfall and reduced length of fall were observed in these areas. Contrarily, in recent times, the

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 ...

and temperature of Adamawa state, especially during the dry season, begin to rise in November, which is usually very hot. The

harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into th ...

period is experienced between December and February every year. In recent years, the effect of

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

has begun to be more evident.

Tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

wet and dry weather prevails in Adamawa State. The wet season lasts from April to October, whereas the dry season lasts for at least five months (November to March) yearly. An upsurge in rainfall in September in recent years is usually accompanied by floods. According to

Dr. Sulieman Muhammad, Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...

the Executive Secretary of th
Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency
( ADSEMA), 25 people died in September 2022 due to floods brought on by both the overflow of water from the Lagdo Dam in

due to severe rainfall. In October 2022, an additional flood claimed 37 lives and submerged 89,000 thousand hectares of farmlands with 58 others sustaining various degrees of injuries. Flooding in September 2023 killed 5 people. Flooding the next month across 14 out of 21 LGAs in Adamawa caused 33 deaths and displaced 51,043 people. 11 temporary settlements across the LGAs of Yola South, Yola North, Lamude,

, and Demsa were set up to house the

internally displaced An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee. I ...

Economy

Adamawa has vast arable land for agriculture, waterfalls and landscape, and solid minerals like

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

tantalite The mineral group tantalite manganese.html" ;"title="iron.html" ;"title="iron">Fe, manganese">Mn)Tantalum">Ta2oxygen">O6is the primary source of the chemical element tantalum, a corrosion (heat and acid) resistant metal. It is chemically simil ...

and kaoline. The

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance o ...

of the state is estimated to be ₦2.66 trillion. It has the 18th largest economy among the 36

states of Nigeria Nigeria is a federation of 36 states, each of which is a semi-autonomous political unit that shares power with the federal government as enumerated under the Constitution of Nigeria, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In additi ...

and the largest in the

North-East The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...

region. The total

revenue In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of product (business), goods and services related to the primary operations of a business. Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some compan ...

of the state experienced a growth of 9.93% from around ₦700.602 billion in 2020 to ₦777.62 billion in 2021. However, the state heavily depends on federally distributed revenues, with 77.52% of its total revenue bein
Gross FAAC
in 2021. Adamawa had an IGR of ₦8.65 billion in 2021. The state imported $25.02 million worth of goods between 2019 and 2021. It has a debt stock of ₦132.68 billion as of December 2021, ranking the 19th most indebted state in Nigeria and 2nd most indebted in the

. The

Dangote group The Dangote Group is a Nigerian multinational industrial conglomerate, founded by Aliko Dangote. It is the largest conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest on the African continent. The group employs more than 30,000 people, generat ...

operates a sugar production factory in Numan which has a sugar refining capacity of 3,000 tonnes of cane per day. The company announced plans to expand to factory to a capacity of 6,000tcd, 9,800tcd and to 15,000 tcd. They also plan to increase the size of the factory from 8,700 hectares in 2022 to about 24,200 hectares within seven years. The markets found in the state are incredibly important to its economic activity and to its inhabitants. These markets, especially its cattle markets, enhanced the development of economic activities in the state,

cash crop A cash crop, also called profit crop, is an Agriculture, agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate a marketed crop from a staple crop ("subsi ...

s like groundnut and

bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

s are grown and crops like

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 ...

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

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 ...

are grown as food crops. Around River Yedseram and its tributaries, vegetable gardening in the dry season is practised. Fishing is also very popular in the riverine areas. The breeds of cattle found in Adamawa are; Adamawa Gudali, Sokoto Gudali,

White Fulani White Fulani cattle are an important beef breed of cattle throughout the area traversed by the Fulani people and beyond in the Sahel zone of Africa. They are mostly Zebu but of Sanga cattle origin. Characterized by high lyre shaped horns, they h ...

, Ambala, Red Sokoto and

Red Fulani The Red Fulani is an African breed of cattle found from Mali across Niger and northern Nigeria to Chad and Cameroon. Characteristics They are reddish-brown in colour with long lyre-shaped horns, and of the Sanga type, intermediate between Zebu an ...

. The state has around 1.5 million cattle and 64 grazing reserves of which 30 are gazetted. Adamawa state has a thriving

industry especially cattle-rearing. It has 2.5 million heads of cattle. Traders come from all over the country and West Africa to buy and sell cattle in its markets, such as the Mubi International cattle market in Mubi South. Despite the state's high level of cattle production, the markets are poorly developed without essential services like meat processing. Meaning, live animals have to be transported in trucks for 4 days before they reach cities with high demand to regions like the

South-West 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—each ...

, South-South or South-East Nigeria. The development of many communities in the state can be traced to the colonial era when the Germans ruled a swath of territory known as the Northern and Southern

Kamerun Kamerun was an African colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1916 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon. Kamerun also included northern parts of Gabon and the Congo with western parts of the Central African Republic, southwestern ...

s from Dikwa in the North to Victoria ( Limbe) on the Atlantic coast in the 19th century. These were, however, handed over as United Nations Trust Territories to the British at the end of the

with the signing of the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...

. After a series of referendums, the Northern Kameruns joined Nigeria to form the then Sardauna Province and the Southern Kameruns formed a Confederation with French-speaking Cameroon.

Natural resources

* Kaoline *

Bentonite Bentonite ( ) is an Absorption (chemistry), absorbent swelling clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite (a type of smectite) which can either be Na-montmorillonite or Ca-montmorillonite. Na-montmorillonite has a considerably greater swelli ...

Magnesite Magnesite is a mineral with the chemical formula ( magnesium carbonate). Iron, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may occur as admixtures, but only in small amounts. Occurrence Magnesite occurs as veins in and an alteration product of ultramafic r ...

Gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate Hydrate, dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk ...

Source:

Transport

Federal Highways are: * A4 north from

at Mayo Lane via Numan and Shellen to

Borno State Borno is a States of Nigeria, state in the North East (Nigeria), North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It is bordered by Yobe State, Yobe to the west, Gombe State, Gombe to the southwest, and Adamawa State, Adamawa to the south while its ea ...

at Mada, * A8 Numan Rd east from A4 at Numan 61 km to A13 at

Yola Airport Yola Airport is an airport serving Yola, the capital of the Adamawa State of Nigeria. It is northwest of Yola. The airport has night landing capabilities, but for most flights in non-international designated airports, the Federal Airports Aut ...

, and * A13 north from A8 at

Jimeta Jimeta is a town in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The town's population was 73,080 in 1991. The elevation of Jimeta is 135 m, and it lies along the Benue River. Jimeta and nearby Yola, the state capital of Adamawa have interconnected histories ...

across the

Benue River Benue River (), previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, is a major tributary of the Niger River. The size of its catchment basin is 319,000 km2 (123,000 sq mi). Almost its entire length of Approximation, approximately is navigable dur ...

via Song, Wuro Hesso, Marraraba, Mubi, Amjawa, Gulak and Mararaba to

near Wagga Lugere. Other major roads include * The Gombe-Yola Rd northwest from A4 at Ngbalang via Giwano, Boskeri and Lafia to

Gombe State Gombe State (; ) is a States of Nigeria, state in North East (Nigeria), northeastern Nigeria, bordered to the north and northeast by the states of Borno State, Borno in the vicinity of Gongola River and Lake Dadin Kowa Dam, Dadin Kowa and Yobe S ...

at Yolde, * The Bambuka-Lafia Rd east from

near Sarkin Baka and northeast via Lamurde, * The Visik-Marraraba-Sangere-Manga Rd north from Marraraba to

at Hildi Hills, * northeast from A13 at Jiberu via Yolde to Belel, * The Mubi-Maiha-Bungel Rd north from Belel to A13 at Mubi, * The Ngurore-Ganye Rd south from Wuro Yanka to Mayo Belwa, and * the Zaridi-Mayo Belwa Rd west to

at Bisa oogle Maps Five roads to

: * south from Mayo Belwa via Jada and Tungo at Kontcha, * at Kojoli to Poli via Tchamba, * east from Jimeta at Touruoa to Ngong, * east from Belel via Demsa to Gaschiga on P1 north of Garoua, and * from Mubi to Boukoula oogle Maps Airports: Yola International near Jimeta.

Religion

Adamawa is a Muslim-majority state in Nigeria, with a substantial Christian population. Historically, Adamawa is home to the major happenings of the Islamic Jihad, led by the

Sokoto Sokoto (Hausa language, Hausa: ; Fulfulde, Fula: , ''Leydi Sokoto'') is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the extreme northwest of the country. It is bounded by Niger, Republic of the Niger to the north and west for 363 km (226 m ...

Caliphate A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

in the early 1800s. Adamawa is also home to the

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

of two

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

churches, the

Church of the Brethren in Nigeria The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria ( (EYN), literally "Church of Children of the Same Mother of Nigeria") is an Anabaptist Christian denomination from Nigeria with close to 1,000,000 members. It has hundreds of pastors and hundreds of parishes. ...

(EYN Church) with its headquarters in Mubi in the northern zone of the state, and the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN Church) with headquarters in Numan in the southern zone of the state. The Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN church) was founded in Garkida, Gombi Local Government of the state, in March 1923 by American missionaries. The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN Church) was founded in Numan by Dutch missionaries in 1913. 4.5% Catholic with 192,767 followers (2020) in the Diocese of Yola (1950) with 39 parishes under Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza (2011
Yola (Diocese) Catholic-Hierarchy. The Anglican Diocese of Yola (1990) with 39 parishes is led by Bishop Markus Ibrahim (2020), also the Archbishop of the Province of Jos Anglican Diocese of Yola
.

Education

Tertiary institutions in Adamawa state include: * Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola * Adamawa State University * American University of Nigeria, Yola * Federal College of Education Yola, Federal College of Education, Yola * Federal Polytechnic, Mubi * Modibbo Adama Federal University of Technology, Yola, Modibbo Adama University, Yola

Healthcare

Adamawa state has many healthcare sectors that are of different levels, these levels are federal, state and local (grassroot) levels, these include:

Primary Healthcare

* Basha Health Clinic *Dowaya Health Post *Gweda Malam Primary Health Care Center *Numan maternal and child primary health care *Sabon Fegi Primary Health Care Center *Wayam primary health clinic * Gbalapun primary health clinic * Vulpi Primary Health Care Center * Wisdom Primary Health Care * Bakta Primary Health Care Center

State Healthcare

* General Hospital Numan

Sites of interest

* Sukur, Sukur World Heritage Site in

at Nigeria-Cameroon border in Maiha * Kiri Dam in Shelleng * Ruwan Zafi Spring in

Lamurde Lamurde is a town and Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria inhabited predominantly by the Bwatiye people, Bwatiye (Bachama) people. History The Lamurde Local Government was established on December 14 ...

* Lamido Muhammadu Barkindo's Palace in Yola *

Mambilla Plateau The Mambilla Plateau is a plateau in the Taraba State of Nigeria. The Mambilla Plateau has an average elevation of about above sea level, making it the highest plateau in Nigeria. Some of its villages are situated on hills that are at least abov ...

at the Adamawa-Taraba border in Toungo *

in Toungo *

Shebshi Mountains Shebshi Mountains () is a mountain range in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria extending in a north-south direction near the Cameroon border and between the Benue and Taraba rivers. The peak altitude is reach with Mount Dimlang (formerly Vogel) ...

and

Mount Dimlang Mount Dimlang (formerly Vogel peak) is found in the Shebshi mountains in Adamawa State Adamawa is a States of Nigeria, state in the North East (Nigeria), North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered by Borno State, Borno to the northwest ...

at the Adamawa-Taraba border in Ganye * Kamale Mountain Peak in Michika * Three Sisters Rock in

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

* Sassa Waterfalls in Sassa Village, Toungo * Yadim Waterfalls in Yadim Village,

Fufore Fufore is a town and local government area in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Geography The Bagale and Shaffa Jauole lakes, two well-known lakes located inside the borders of Fufore LGA, with an average temperature of 34 °C. In Fufore LGA, there ...

* Fombina Palace Museum in Yola * The confluence of Rivers Benue and

in Numan Uba under

(Valanyi)

Local Government Areas

Adamawa State consists of twenty-one

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): * Demsa *

* Ganye *

Girei Girei is a town and local government area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. It lies on the Benue River. The dominant tribe in the area are the Fulɓe or Fulani; however, a substantial number of Bwatiye also dwell in villages such as Greng, Notable, and ...

* Gombi * Guyuk * Hong *

Jada Jada can refer to: People * Jada (given name), a feminine given name derived from ''Jade'' * Jada (biblical figure), a figure in the first ''Book of Chronicles'' of the Old Testament * Ja'da bint al-Ash'at, wife of Hasan bin Ali Places * Jada, A ...

* Maiha * Mayo-Belwa * Michika * Mubi North * Mubi South * Numan * Shelleng *

* Toungo * Yola North (State capital) * Yola South

Languages

Adamawa state is home to many languages due to the state's ethnic diversity. Inter-ethnic communication is mostly done using

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 ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

. Many of the state's languages are at danger of extinction due to economic, social, political, religious, and contextual factors. Fewer and fewer people are using their ethnic languages in homes. Languages of Adamawa State listed by LGA:

Politics

The Governor of Adamawa State which acts as the Executive, the State Legislature, and the Adamawa State House of Assembly are located in Yola, the state capital.

Electoral system

The electoral system 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 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.

Notable people

Atiku Abubakar Atiku Abubakar (; born 25 November 1946) is a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as the vice president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 during the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo. He ran for the office of governor of Adamawa State i ...

(born 26 November 1946) a Nigerian politician and businessman who served as the Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007. *

Iya Abubakar Iya Abubakar (born 14 December 1934) is a Nigerian politician and mathematician who held multiple cabinet level appointments (Defence Minister of Nigeria, Minister of Defence and Ministry of Interior (Nigeria)#List of Ministers, Minister of Inte ...

* Jibril Aminu * Alex Badeh *

Mohammed Barkindo Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo (20 April 1959 – 5 July 2022) was a Nigerian politician. From 1 August 2016 until his death, he was the secretary general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. He helped to create the OPEC+ alli ...

* Mohammed Bello *

Aisha Buhari Aisha Halilu Buhari (; born 17 February 1971) is a professional beauty therapist who served as the First Lady of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. Early life and family Aisha Halilu was born on 17 February 1971, in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria ...

* Done P. Dabale * Aisha Dahiru Binani *

Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (born 27 October 1967) is a Nigerian politician and currently elected governor of Adamawa State. Fintiri has served as governor of Adamawa State since 2019. He was a member of the Adamawa State House of Assembly and served ...

* Binta Masi Garba *

Boni Haruna Boni Haruna (born 12 June 1957) is a Nigerian politician who served as Minister for Youth Development of Nigeria from 2014 to 2015. He previously served as governor of Adamawa State from 1999 to 2007 and was a member of the Peoples Democratic Pa ...

* Bindow Jibrilla *

Muhammadu Gambo Jimeta Muhammadu Gambo Jimeta (15 April 1937 - 21 January 2021) was a former Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force. He was appointed in 1986 to succeed Etim Inyang and was succeeded by Aliyu Attah in 1990. He was later Coordinator of Nationa ...

Ahmed Joda Ahmed Joda Order of the Federal Republic, OFR, Order of the Niger, CON, Order of the Federal Republic, CFR (13 February 1930 – 13 August 2021) was a Nigerian administrator who rose through the administrative cadre of the Northern regional gover ...

* Aliyu Kama *

Ibrahim Lamorde Ibrahim Abdullahi Lamorde (20 December 1962 – 25 May 2024) was a Nigerian police officer who was appointed Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 23 November 2011 after chairman Farida Waziri had been dismis ...

* Babachir Lawal *

Aliyu Mai-Bornu Mallam Aliyu Mai-Bornu (1919 – 23 February 1970) was a Nigerian economist, and the first indigenous Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Life Early life and education Mai-Bornu was born in the town of Yola to parents of Kanuri heritage. ...

Tahir Mamman Tahir Mamman (born 7 July 1954) is a Nigerian lawyer, professor, academic, and a former minister of education of Nigeria. Tahir Mamman (born 7 July 1954) is a Nigerian lawyer, professor and academic who is a current minister of education ...

* Buba Marwa * Abubakar Saleh Michika *

Boss Mustapha Boss Mustapha (born 1956) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) of Nigeria from 2017 to 2023, and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. He was previously managing ...

Murtala Nyako Murtala Hamman-Yero Nyako, (born 27 August 1942) is a Nigerian politician and retired military officer who served as governor of Adamawa State from 2007 to 2008, and from 2008 to 2014.SPPU Adamawa State Government, " ww.adamawastatesppu.org ...

Muhammadu Ribadu Muhammadu Ribadu (1909 – 1 May 1965) was a Nigerian politician, who was the first Minister of Defence after independence. The son of a district head from Adamawa's Balala district, he was educated at a Qur'anic school before proceeding to th ...

Nuhu Ribadu Nuhu Ribadu mni (born 21 November 1960) is a Nigerian politician, barrister and retired police officer who is currently serving as the National Security Adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. Ribadu ran unsuccessfully for office of the P ...

Bamanga Tukur Bamanga Tukur ( CON) (born 15 September 1935) is a Nigerian businessman and politician who served aMinister for Industriesin the administration of General Sani Abacha during the 1990s. He is one of the high-profile civil servants and military ...

Mahmud Tukur Mahmud Tukur (1939 - 2021) was a Nigerian politician and former Minister for Commerce and Industry during the military administration of Muhammadu Buhari, General Muhammadu Buhari. He was the first indigenous Director of the Institute of Administ ...

Mahmud Modibbo Tukur Mahmud Modibbo Tukur (1944–1988) was a Nigerian historian, scholar and the 4th National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Tukur was the Head of the Department of History and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sci ...

* Kwada Joseph Ayuba

References

External links

Adamawa.com
- Articles, photographs, and art from Adamawa State {{Portal bar, Nigeria Adamawa State 1991 establishments in Nigeria States and territories established in 1991 States of Nigeria Nigeria Airways Hausa people Green flags