Nasarawa State

Nasarawa is a state in north central geopolitical zone in Nigeria. Its capital is Lafia.

Nasarawa
State
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Home of Solid Minerals
Location of Nasarawa State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 8°32′N 8°18′E
Country Nigeria
Date created1 October 1996
CapitalLafia
Government
 • BodyGovernment of Nasarawa State
 • Governor[1]Abdullahi Sule (APC)
 • Deputy GovernorEmmanuel Akabe (APC)
 • LegislatureNasarawa State House of Assembly
 • SenatorsN: Godiya Akwashiki (APC)
S: Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (APC)
W: Abdullahi Adamu (APC)
 • RepresentativesList
Area
 • Total27,117 km2 (10,470 sq mi)
Population
 (2006)
 • Total1,869,377[2]
GDP (PPP)
 • Year2007
 • Total$3.02 billion[3]
 • Per capita$1,588[3]
Time zoneUTC+01 (WAT)
ISO 3166 codeNG-NA
HDI (2018)0.574[4]
medium · 19th of 37
Websitewww.nasarawastate.gov.ng

History

Nasarawa was created on 1 October 1996 by the Abacha government from the today neighboring Plateau State.

Geography

Nasarawa State is bounded in the north by Kaduna State, in the west by the Federal Capital Territory, in the south by Kogi and Benue States and in the east by Taraba and Plateau States.

A network of roads exist within the state, linking all rural areas and major towns. The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) operates train services from Kuru, Gombe and Maiduguri.

Government

See also: list of governors of Nasarawa State

The Governor of Nasarawa State is the executive. The state legislature, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, is located in Lafia.

Local Government Areas
See also: List of villages in Nasarawa State

The State has three National Senatorial Districts (South, North and West).

Nasarawa State consists of thirteen (13) Local Government Areas (shown with 2006 population figures[5]):

Nasarawa West Senatorial District716,802
Karu205,477
Keffi92,664
Kokona109,749
Nasarawa189,835
Toto119,077
Nasarawa North Senatorial District335,453
Akwanga113,430
Eggon149,129
Wamba72,894
Nasarawa South Senatorial District811,020
Awe112,574
Doma139,607
Keana79,253
Lafia330,712
Obi148,874

List of current Local Government Area Chairmen.[6]

Languages

There are twenty nine different languages in Nasarawa State.

Languages of Nasarawa State listed by LGA:[7]

LGALanguages
AkwangaDuhwa; Eggon; Fulani; Gwandara; Hausa; Mada; Mama; Ninzo; Numana; Nungu
AweHausa; Fulani; Gwandara; Eggon; Goemai; Lijili; Tiv; Wapan
DomaAlago; Eggon; Tiv; Agatu; Fulani; Hausa;
KaruAshe; Duya;mada: Eggon; Grade; Nyankpa
mAlago; Gwandara;Eggon; Tiv; Fulani KeffiHausa; Fulani; :madaGadeEggon;Gbagyi; Gwandara; Koro Wachi
KokonaGwandara;mada Fulani; Hausa; Eggon
LafiaBare-Bari; Hausa; Fulani; Ake;mada: Alago; Agatu; Eggon; Goemai; Gwandara; Kofyar; Lijili; Tiv; Wapan
NasarawaHausa; Fulani; Agatu; Alago; Basa; Egbura; Eloyi; Gade; Gbagyi; Gwandara; Eggon; Tiv
Nasarawa-EggonEggon; Mada; Nungu; Fulani; Hausa
ObiAlago; Hausa; Fulani; Eggon; Tiv
TotoEgbura Agatu; Eggon; Gade; Fulani; Hausa
WambaAlumu-Tesu;ninzo:mada;rindre Bu; Eggon; Hasha; Fulani; Kantana; Nungu; Toro

In Nasarawa State,there are 25 different ethnic groups.The major ones are Miligi(Koro),Alago, Gwandara,Kunari,Hausa Fulani, Mara,Gwari,Rindre, Afo, Egbon and Ebina[8]

Religion

The dominant religions in Nasarawa State are Islam and Christianity although a certain amount of traditional religion is still practiced.[9]

Economy
Concrete block factory in Nasarawa State.

Nasarawa State has agriculture as the mainstay of its economy with the production of varieties of cash crops throughout the year. It also contains various minerals such as salt, baryte, and bauxite, which are mostly mined by artisanal miners.

Education

The state has a College of Education in Akwanga,[10] Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa,[11] College of Agriculture in Lafia, Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic Lafia, Nasarawa State University[12] Faculty of Agriculture Lafia Camous, a newly established Federal University of Lafia,[13] Mewar International University at Masaka, Bingham University at Karu, NACAP polytechnic Akwanga, Command secondary school Lafia, Command secondary school Rinze, Vocational And Relevant technology board, and many primary and secondary schools.

Tourism

Nasarawa State is home to the Farin Ruwa Falls in Wamba Local Government area of the state. Farin Ruwa falls is reputed to be one of the highest falls in Africa.[14]

There is also the Salt Village in Keana Local Government Area of the State. It produces naturally iodized salt from the lake located near it. The town is also one of the cradles of Alago civilization, one of the major ethnic groups in the state. Also notable is the Eggon hills of the Eggon people which is situated around Nasarawa Eggon. This was the hills which the Eggon people had settled and established as an ancestral heritage as well. Tourists love to go hiking on this beautiful and high hill overlooking the Nasarawa Eggon local government and surrounding areas.

Another tourist site in Nasarawa State is the Maloney Hill.[15]

Keffi Town from the top of Maloney Hill
Sunset on Maloney Hill

Notable people
  • Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim – Director-General of [[National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons|NAPTIP

References
  1. See List of Governors of Nasarawa State for a list of prior governors
  2. "2006 PHC Priority Tables – National Population Commission". population.gov.ng. Archived from the original on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  3. "C-GIDD (Canback Global Income Distribution Database)". Canback Dangel. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
  4. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  5. 2006 Population Census, Federal Republic of Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 2009-03-25.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-01-18. Retrieved 2015-01-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Nigeria". Ethnologue (22 ed.). Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  8. "Nasarawa Massacre: 'Barbarians' on rampage, By Dele Agekameh | Premium Times Nigeria". 2013-05-22. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  9. "Nasarawa Massacre: 'Barbarians' on rampage, By Dele Agekameh | Premium Times Nigeria". 2013-05-22. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  10. Admin, I. J. N. (2020-11-03). "Full List of Courses Offered In College Of Education, Akwanga (COEAKWANGA)". ITSJAMBNEWS. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  11. "Official List of Courses Offered in Federal polytechnic, Nasarawa (NASARAWAPOLY) - Myschool". myschool.ng. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  12. "Official List of Courses Offered in Nasarawa State University (NSUK) - Myschool". myschool.ng. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  13. "List Of Courses Offered at FULAFIA with Admission Requirements". www.myschoolgist.com. 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  14. Dreaming of Farin Ruwa | GlobalPost
  15. "Mission to Maloney Hill". The Nation Newspaper. The Nation. The Nation. 8 November 2012.
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