Introduction to Kano State

Kano State (Hausa: Jihar Kano جِهَرْ كَنُوَ; Fula: romanized: Leydi Kano) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the northern region of the country. According to the national census done in 2006, Kano State is the most populous state 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 out of the former Northern Region, Kano State borders on Katsina State to the northwest 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 to the southwest for 255 km.

The state’s capital and largest city is the city of Kano, the second most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos. The incumbent governor of the state is Abba Kabir Yusuf. He was sworn in on 29 May 2023. Modern day Kano State was the site of a number of prior kingdoms and empires, including the Kingdom of Kano, which was centered in Dala 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.

In 1903, the British Empire conquered the Kano Emirate, incorporating it region into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The major ethnic groups in pre-colonial Kano City were the Hausa, Fulani, Barebari (Kanuri), Tuareg, Arab, Nupe and some tribes from the southern Nigeria. Most of the 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, and Islamic banking. The Hausa and Fulani make up the majority of Kano State’s population. The Hausa language is the dominant language in the state, as it is in most of Northern Nigeria.

Challenges faced by Kano State in the 21st century include attacks by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, inter-religious violence, and extreme poverty. A Muslim-majority state, Kano State is one of the twelve states in Nigeria to operate under Sharia law within the legal framework of the Nigerian Constitution.

History

An important early center of commerce in the region was Kurmi Market, founded by the Habe Emir of Kano Muhammadu Rumfa in 1463 CE. Subsequent leaders made contributions to the emergence of Kano as a leading commercial centre in Sudanic Africa. During the time of the Kano Emirate, Emir Ibrahim Dabo made a number of administrative reforms, seeking to increase commerce in the region.

Leaders during this time encouraged traders to move from Katsina, capitalising on raids from the Hausa Sultanate of Maradi. The 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 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 conditions. Between the 90s and the year 2015, the moisture 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 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 textiles or grain.

Agriculture

Subsistence and commercial agriculture is mostly practised in the outlying districts of the state. Some of the food crops cultivated are millet, cowpeas, sorghum, maize and rice for local consumption while groundnuts and cotton are produced for export and industrial purposes. During the colonial period and several years after the country’s independence, the groundnuts produced in the state constituted one of the major sources revenue of the country.

Kano State is a major producer of hides and skins, sesame, soybean, cotton, garlic, gum arabic and chili pepper.
A 2018 study of Tudun Wada found that both temperature and rainfall were likely to increase with climate change, causing increased stress on crops, and would require increased climate change adaptation for agricultural practices.

Industry

Kano State is the second-largest industrial Centre after Lagos State in Nigeria and the largest in Northern Nigeria with textile, tanning, footwear, cosmetics, plastics, enamelware, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, furniture and other industries. 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

The 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
  • Gemstone
  • Glass-sand
  • Lead/Zinc
  • Pyrochinre & Tantalite

Transport

Federal Highways
  •  A2 (part of the African Unity Road or Trans-Sahara Highway or Trans Africa 2: TAH2) north from Kaduna State 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 Kaduna State at Murai,
  •  the Kiru-Rurum Rd north from A2 at Kafin Maiyaki via Yako and Karaye to Gwarzo as the Kafi-Jamaa Kosa Rd,
  •  Murtala Mohammed Rd west from Kano to Katsina State at Gangara,
  •  the Gwarzo-Shanono Rd north via Bagawi to A9 at Bichi.
Railways
  • Kano is on the 1067 mm Cape Gauge Western Railway Line from Lagos via Kaduna to Jigawa State (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 states universities, and one private university.

  • Bayero University Kano (BUK), founded in 1977.
  • Kano State University of Technology (KUST), founded in 2001.
  • Nigeria Police Academy Wudil, founded as the 37th federal university in 2011.
  • 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.

Demographics

Population

According to the 2006 PON census figures from Nigeria 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 Lagos State. 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

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 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.

Conclusion

Kano State remains a vital economic, cultural, and political hub in Nigeria. As the most populous state in the country, it plays a significant role in commerce, agriculture, and industry, earning its nickname as the “Centre of Commerce.” With a rich historical background dating back to the ancient Kingdom and Sultanate of Kano, the state has maintained its significance through centuries of trade, governance, and cultural development.

Despite challenges such as climate change, security concerns, and economic fluctuations, Kano State continues to thrive, leveraging its resources, industries, and educational institutions to sustain growth. As it moves forward, effective governance, infrastructure development, and investment in education and industry will be key to ensuring a prosperous future for the state and its people.