Kebbi State
Kebbi | |
---|---|
Nickname(s): | |
![]() Location of Kebbi State in Nigeria | |
Coordinates: 11°30′N 4°00′E / 11.500°N 4.000°ECoordinates: 11°30′N 4°00′E / 11.500°N 4.000°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Date created | 27 August 1991 |
Capital | Birnin Kebbi |
Government | |
• Body | Government of Kebbi State |
• Governor (List) | Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (APC) |
• Deputy Governor | Samaila Yombe Dabai (APC) |
• Legislature | Kebbi State House of Assembly |
• Senators | C: Adamu Aliero (APC) N: Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (APC) S: Bala Ibn Na'Allah (APC) |
• Representatives | List |
Area | |
• Total | 36,800 km2 (14,200 sq mi) |
• Rank | 10th of 36 |
Population (2006 census) | |
• Total | 3,256,541[1] |
• Rank | 22nd of 36 |
Demonym(s) | Kebbian |
GDP (PPP) | |
• Year | 2007 |
• Total | $3.29 billion[2] |
• Per capita | $993[2] |
Time zone | UTC+01 (WAT) |
postal code | 860001 |
ISO 3166 code | NG-KE |
HDI (2018) | 0.339[3] low · 36th of 37 |
Website | kebbistate.gov.ng |
Kebbi State (Hausa: Jihar Kebbi) is a state in northwestern Nigeria, bordered to the east and north by the states of Sokoto and Zamfara, and to the south by Niger State while its western border forms part of the national borders with Benin Republic and Niger.[4] Named for the city of Birnin Kebbi—the state's capital and largest city—Kebbi State was formed from a part of Sokoto State on 27 August 1991.[5] Of the 36 states of Nigeria, Kebbi is the tenth largest in area and 22nd most populous with an estimated population of about 4.4 million as of 2016.[6] The state is known as land of equity.[4]
Geographically, the state is within the tropical West Sudanian savanna ecoregion. Important geographic features include the Sokoto River which flows through Kebbi into the River Niger which continues south before reaching Kainji Lake, half of which is in Kebbi. Among the state's nature are a number of fish species exhibited during the massive Argungu Fishing Festival along with hippopotamus, West African manatee, and transient African bush elephant populations.[7]
Ethnically, Kebbi is inhabited by various ethnic groups with the Fulani, Hausa, and Zarma peoples living throughout the state while the Achipa (Achipawa), Boko-Bala, Dendi, Dukawa, Kambari, Kamuku, Lela, Puku, and Shanga peoples live along the state's diverse western and southern borders. Religiously, the majority of the state's population (~80%) are Muslim with smaller Christian and traditionalist minorities at about 10% each, respectively.
In the pre-colonial period, the area that is now Kebbi State was mainly controlled by the Kebbi Kingdom, a Hausa Banza bakwai state, until the early 1800s, the Fulani jihad seized part of the area and attempted to incorporate it into the Gwandu Emirate under the Sokoto Caliphate. Over the next century, Kebbi rulers fought Sokoto on-and-off until the 1900s and 1910s, when the British seized control of the area as a part of the Northern Nigeria Protectorate which later merged into British Nigeria before becoming independent as Nigeria in 1960.[8] Originally, modern-day Kebbi State was a part of the post-independence Northern Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the North-Western State. After the North-Eastern State was split, Sokoto State was formed in 1976 alongside ten other states. Twenty years afterward, a group of LGAs in Sokoto State's west and south was broken off to form the new Kebbi State.
Economically, Kebbi State is largely based around fishing and agriculture, mainly of sorghum, groundnuts, millet, onion, and rice crops.[9] Other key industries are trading, especially in the city of Birnin Kebbi, and the livestock herding of camels, cattle, goats, and sheep. Kebbi has the lowest Human Development Index and sixth lowest GDP in the country.[10]
History[edit]
Kebbi is traditionally considered by Sarki mythology as the homeland of the Banza bakwai states and Hausa Kingdoms. According to recent research based on local oral traditions, king lists and on the Kebbi chronicle, the state of Kebbi was founded towards 600 BCE by refugees of the Assyrian empire conquered by Babylonian and Median forces in 612 BCE. A major local event was the conquest by Songhai in the second half of the fifteenth century CE.[11]
Kebbi resisted the Fulani jihad of the early 19th-century, but in the later 19th-century the area largely converted to Islam through peaceful means.[12]
History of Zuru[edit]
Zuru emirate is divided into five administrative chiefdom: Dabai, Danko, Fakai, Sakaba, and Wasagu. The third class chief who is also member of the Zuru town in Dabai chiefdom, where the emirate headquarters also is located, heads each. Zuru Emirate is located in the southern part of Kebbi State Nigeria, occupying an area of about 9000sq km. It is boarded by Gummi in Zamfara State in the North. To the south is Niger State, this borderline extends also arbitrarily on land to the west to a point where it ends a few kilometers to the west of large tributary of the Dan Zari River. Here a northwest ward protrusion of Yauri Emirate of Kebbi.
In fact, going by history, Zuru people being multi-ethic are grouped into categories. First category is of those that claim long term settlement and the second category is of the much more recent settlers who in fact regard themselves – and are also regarded by the others as recent immigrants or even as temporary strangers. In the first category are the Achifawa, Kambari, Dukkawa Fakkawa,'Dankawa, Worawa, Katsinawa and Lelna (Dakarkari' such as sindawa').
It is characteristic to find that some of them lay claim to origin from Hausa. Zuru as was said, is a result of upheaval resulting from events such as Kanta's breakaway from Songhai and Nupe-Kororofa control. Moreover, the Katsinawa, who in fact see themselves as immigrants from the old state of Katsina which had made political in road Zuru region, especially from the 16th century A.D. onward, and had enabled them to settle and to area's indigenous population.[13]
Subdivisions[edit]
Kebbi State was created out of the former Sokoto State on 17 August 1991. The State has a total population of 3,137,989 people as projected from the 1991 census, within 21 Local Government areas.
The state has Sudan and Sahel-savannah. The southern part is generally rocky with the Niger River traversing the state from Benin to Ngaski LGA. The northern part of the state is sandy with the Rima River passing through Argungu to Bagudo LGA where it empties into the Niger. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people especially in rural areas, Crops produced are mainly grains; animal rearing and fishing are also common. Christianity and Islam are the dominant religions of the people. There are 225 political wards, 3000 settlements and 1036 hard to reach settlements in the 21 Local Government Areas in the State.
Local Government Areas[edit]
Kebbi State consists of 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs), four emirate councils (Gwandu, Argungu, Yauri and Zuru), and 35 districts. The LGAs are as follows:
Demographics[edit]
Kebbi State is mainly populated by the Hausa people and Zarma people, with some members of Fulani, Lelna, Bussawa, Dukawa, Dakarkari, Kambari, Gungawa and Kamuku ethnic communities.
Most people who live in Kebbi are Muslims.
Languages[edit]
Languages of Kebbi State listed by LGA:[14]
LGA | Languages |
---|---|
Argungu | Dendi; Zarma |
Bagudo | Bisã; Boko; Dendi |
Birnin Kebbi | Zarma |
Bunza | Zarma |
Donko-Wasagu | C'Lela |
Dukku | us-Saare |
Jega | Gibanawa |
Ngaski | Lopa; Tsikimba; Tsishingini; Tsucuba; Tsuvadi |
Sakaba | Cicipu; C'Lela; Damakawa; ut-Ma'in |
Wasagu-Danko | us-Saare; Gwamhi-Wuri |
Yauri | Reshe; us-Saare |
Zuru | C'Lela; ut-Ma'in |
Other languages of Kebbi State are Cishingini, Kyanga, Shanga, and Sorko.[14]
Government[edit]
Like the majority of Nigerian states, it is governed by a Governor and a State House of Assembly, under the current administration of Abubakar Bagudu.[citation needed]
Agriculture[edit]
Kebbi State is one of the major producers of rice in Nigeria. The current participation of more than 70,000 farmers in the Anchor Borrowers Rice and wheat farming is heading towards making Kebbi a new destination and hub for agro based commodities of the country.
To reiterate his commitment to ensure that Kebbi state isn't only dependent on Federal allocation, the active Governor Atiku Bagudu paid a visit to Benin Republic last year and while on the trip, signed a number of bilateral trade protocols with the Government and Business Community of Benin Republic with a view to fostering trade, industrial and tourism relationships with the country.
Abubakar Bagudu is also the Chairman, National Task Force on Rice and Wheat Production in Nigeria.
Tertiary learning institutions[edit]
- Federal University, Birnin kebbi[15]
- Kebbi State University[16]
- Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic
- Adamu Augie Colledge of Education[17]
Major incidents[edit]
- Kebbi boat disaster on 26 May 2021
Bandit attacks[edit]
Kebbi is badly affected by the Nigerian bandit conflict. Attacks include the 2021 Kebbi massacre on 3 June, the Kebbi kidnapping on 24 June 2021, the Dankade massacre on 14-15 January 2022 and the 2022 Kebbi massacres on 8 March.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "2006 PHC Priority Tables – NATIONAL POPULATION COMMISSION". population.gov.ng. Archived from the original on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
- ^ a b "C-GIDD (Canback Global Income Distribution Database)". Canback Dangel. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ a b "Kebbi State". Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
- ^ "This is how the 36 states were created". Pulse.ng. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Population 2006-2016". National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ Ojo, Demola. "Family of Elephants Make Kebbi Their Home". ThisDay. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ George Steinmetz (1999). State/culture: state-formation after the cultural turn. Cornell University Press. p. 231. ISBN 0-8014-8533-9. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Ambassador Joins Kebbi Governor to Launch New Partnership with WACOT Rice to Improve Food Security". USAID. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "Human Development Indices". Global Data Lab. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ D. Lange, "Successor state", Anthropos, 104, 2 (2009), 366-380.
- ^ [copied Holden, J. J. "THE ZABARIMA CONQUEST OF NORTH-WEST GHANA PART I." Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana 8 (1965): 60-86. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41403569.]
- ^ "HISTORY OF ZURU". ZURUONLINE.COM. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
- ^ a b "Nigeria". Ethnologue (22 ed.). Retrieved 2020-01-10.
- ^ Academy, Samphina (2019-07-21). "Courses Offered in FUBK - Federal University, Birnin Kebbi". Samphina Academy. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
- ^ Academy, Samphina (2019-03-18). "Complete List of Courses Offered in Kebbi State University of Science and Technology (KSUSTA)". Samphina Academy. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
- ^ "Educational Institution in Kebbi | Nigeria Directory, A List of Nigerian Businesses, Organisations, Firms and Companies | Nigeria Yellow Pages". www.directory.org.ng. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
Bibliography[edit]
- Blench, Roger. 2020. Kebbi State: cultural briefing.
- Harris, P. G.: Sokoto Provincial Gazetteer, Sokoto 1938 [Cyclostyled].
- Hogben, S. J. and A. H. M. Kirk-Greene: The Emirates of Northern Nigeria, London 1966.
- Lange, Dierk: "An Assyrian successor state in West Africa: The ancestral kings of Kebbi as ancient Near Eastern rulers", Anthropos, 104, 2 (2009), 359–382.