Kano State

Kano State
Jihar Kano جِهَرْ كَنُوْ (Hausa)
Flag of Kano State
Seal of the Governor of Kano State
Nicknames: 
Centre of Commerce, Tumbin Giwa
Location of Kano State in Nigeria
Location of Kano State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 11°30′N 8°30′E / 11.500°N 8.500°E / 11.500; 8.500
Country Nigeria
Date created27 May 1967
CapitalKano
Government
 • BodyGovernment of Kano State
 • Governor[1]Abba Kabir Yusuf (NNPP)
 • Deputy GovernorAminu Abdussalam Gwarzo (NNPP)
 • LegislatureKano State House of Assembly
 • SenatorsC: Rufai Hanga (NNPP)
N: Barau Jibrin (APC)
S: Kawu Sumaila (NNPP)
 • RepresentativesList
Area
 • Total
20,131 km2 (7,773 sq mi)
 • Rank20th of 36
Population
 (2006 census)
 • Total
9,401,288
 • Estimate 
(2022)
15,462,200[2]
 • Rank1st of 36
 • Density470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
 • Year2021
 • Total$27.17 billion[3]
13th of 36
 • Per capita$1,761[3]
36th of 36
Time zoneUTC+01 (WAT)
postal code
700001
ISO 3166 codeNG-KN
HDI (2022)0.482[4]
low · 28th of 37
Websitewww.kanostate.gov.ng
^1 Preliminary results

Kano State (Hausa: Jihar Kano جِهَرْ كَنُوَ; Fula: 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞤲𞤮𞥅, romanized: Leydi Kano) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the northern region of the country.[5] 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.[6][7] 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.[5] The state's capital and largest city is the city of Kano, the second most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos.[5] The incumbent governor of the state is Abba Kabir Yusuf. He was sworn in on 29 May 2023.[8]

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.[9] In 1349, the Sultanate of Kano was established with Yaji I as its first Sultan.[10] In the 15th century, Kurmi Market was opened, which helped Kano become a center of commercial activity in Hausaland;[11] the market remains open in the 21st century and its historic importance is reflected in the state's nickname, the Centre of Commerce.[12] During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sultanate of Kano established itself as the most powerful of the Hausa Kingdoms.[13] In 1903, the British Empire conquered the Kano Emirate, incorporating it region into the Northern Nigeria Protectorate.[14] 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.[15]

Since independence, Kano State has developed a diverse economy, establishing itself as a center for industry,[16] agriculture,[17] and Islamic banking.[18] The Hausa and Fulani make up the majority of Kano State's population.[19] The Hausa language is the dominant language in the state, as it is in most of Northern Nigeria.[20][21] Challenges faced by Kano State in the 21st century include attacks by the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram,[22][23][24] inter-religious violence,[25][26] and extreme poverty.[27] 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.[28]

Photo of Kano in December 1930
  1. ^ See List of governors of Kano State for a list of prior governors
  2. ^ "Kano State: Subdivision". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b Okeowo, Gabriel; Fatoba, Iyanuoluwa, eds. (13 October 2022). "State of States 2022 Edition" (PDF). Budgit.org. BudgIT. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "About Kano". Kano State. 30 December 2017. Archived from the original on 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  6. ^ "2006 Census" (PDF). 19 May 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Nigeria Statistics". Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Kano/Katsina: Ganduje, Masari, Gaidam sworn-in – P.M. News". Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Kano State Government". 1 May 2010. Archived from the original on 1 May 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Hausa" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Kurmi: Kano's 600-year-old slave market now sanctuary for artifacts - Daily Trust". dailytrust.com. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  12. ^ Ujorha, Tadaferua (9 May 2003). "Kano's 500-year-old market". Daily Trust. Biafra Nigeria World. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
  13. ^ "Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – History". nigeriaembassyusa.org. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  14. ^ "The Fall of Kano | History Today". Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  15. ^ Paden. Religion and Political Culture in Kano. ISBN 0-520-01738-2.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ "Hausa Language Variation and Dialects". African Languages at UCLA. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  21. ^ Adoti, Olive (30 July 2020). "10 Top languages spoken in Nigeria (plus the states)". Legit.ng – Nigeria news. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  22. ^ Nossiter, Adam (19 March 2013). "Bombs Strike Bus Station in Nigeria (Published 2013)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 18 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Nigeria suicide bombers target Potiskum and Kano buses". BBC News. 24 February 2015. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  24. ^ "BBC News – Nigeria unrest: Kano mosque attack kills dozens". BBC News. 28 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  25. ^ Obasanjo Assesses Riot Damage in Kano – 2001-10-16 Archived 7 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Voice of America News.
  26. ^ "Kano: Nigeria's ancient city-state". BBC online. BBC. 20 May 2004. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2007.
  27. ^ "Geographies of poverty in Kano State: The role of GIS in identifying and mapping multidimensionally deprived households". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Nigerian singer sentenced to death for blasphemy in Kano state". BBC News. 10 August 2020. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.

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