Kebbi State

Kebbi State
—  State  —
Nickname(s): Land of Equity
Location of Kebbi State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 11°30′N 4°00′E / 11.5°N 4°E / 11.5; 4Coordinates: 11°30′N 4°00′E / 11.5°N 4°E / 11.5; 4
Country	Nigeria
Date created	27 August 1991
Capital	Birnin Kebbi
Government
– Governor (List)	Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari (PDP)
– Senators
– Representatives
Area
– Total	36,800 km2 (14,208.6 sq mi)
Area rank	10th of 36
Population (1991 census)
– Total	2,062,226
– Estimate (2005)	3,630,931
– Rank	22nd of 36
– Density	56/km2 (145.1/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
– Year	2007
– Total	$3.29 billion[1]
– Per capita	$993[1]
Time zone	WAT (UTC+01)
ISO 3166 code	NG-KE

Kebbi State is a state in north-western Nigeria with its capital at Birnin Kebbi. The state was formed from part of Sokoto State in 1991. Kebbi State is bordered by Sokoto State, Niger State, Dosso Region in the Republic of Niger and the nation of Benin. It has a total area of 36,800 km².

History

Kebbi is traditionally considered to belong to the Banza bakwai states of Hausaland. 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 Songhay in the second half of the fifteenth century CE.^[2]

Subdivisions

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. Islam is the dominant religion 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.

Kebbi State is divided into 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs), four emirate councils (Gwandu, Argungu, Yauri and Zuru), and 35 districts. The Local Government Areas are as follows:

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• Aleiro
• Arewa Dandi
• Argungu
• Augie
• Bagudo
• Birnin Kebbi
• Bunza
• Dandi
• Fakai
• Gwandu
• Jega
• Kalgo
• Koko/Besse
• Maiyama
• Ngaski
• Sakaba
• Shanga
• Suru
• Wasagu/Danko
• Yauri
• Zuru

Demographics

Kebbi State is mainly populated by Hausa people, with some members of Bussawa, Dukawa, Kambari and Kamuku ethnic communities.

Bibliography

• Harris, P. G.: Sokoto Provincial Gazetteer, Sokoto 1938 [Cyclostyled].
• Hogben, S. J. and A. Kirk-Greene: The Emirates of Northern Nigeria, London 1966.
• Lange, Dierk: An "An Assyrian successor state in West Africa: The ancestral kings of Kebbi as ancient Near Eastern rulers", Anthropos, 104, 2 (2009), 359-382.

See also

• Kebbi Emirate
• States of Nigeria
• Argungu Fishing Festival

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "C-GIDD (Canback Global Income Distribution Database)". Canback Dangel. http://www.cgidd.com. Retrieved 2008-08-20. 
2. ^ D. Lange, "Successor state", Anthropos, 104, 2 (2009), 366-380.

External links

• KebbiState.com
• Ethnic distribution in Nigeria