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.[7] In 1349, the
Sultanate of Kano was established with
Yaji I as its first Sultan.[8] In the 15th century,
Kurmi Market was opened, which helped
Kano become a center of
commercial activity in
Hausaland;[9] the market remains open in the 21st century and its historic importance is reflected in the state's nickname, the Centre of Commerce.[10] During the 16th and 17th centuries, the
Sultanate of Kano established itself as the most powerful of the
Hausa Kingdoms.[11] In 1903, the
British Empireconquered the
Kano Emirate, incorporating it region into the
Northern Nigeria Protectorate.[12] 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.[13]
An important early center of
commerce in the region was
Kurmi Market, founded by the
Emir of KanoMuhammadu Rumfa in 1463 CE.[15] Subsequent leaders made contributions to the emergence of Kano as a leading commercial centre in Sudanic Africa.[27] During the time of the
Kano Emirate, Emir
Ibrahim Dabo made a number of administrative reforms, seeking to increase commerce in the region.[28]
Leaders during this time encouraged traders to move from
Katsina, capitalising on raids from the
HausaSultanate of
Maradi.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]Craft industries also evolved in the pre-colonial period contributing to the prosperity of the province.[citation needed]
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.[30] 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.[31] Based on the report of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the amount of rainfall varies between years with a mean value of 897.7mm.[32]
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.[33]
Temperature
The
temperature of Kano has been on the rise since the 60s and this is highly remarkable[34] The annual temperature of the state is between 260C to 300C of dumal temperature, which is high, and measurable between the range of 13.1%, with the
relative humidity of between 17% and 90% respectively.[35][36]
Economy
Many large markets exist within Kano today, such as
Kurmi Market, Kantin Kwari Market,[37]Sabon Gari Market, Dawanau Market [38] Kofar Wanbai Market, Galadima Market, Yankura Market and Bata Market.[15] Many of these markets specialize in a certain product, such as
textiles or
grain.[15]
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.[39]
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.[40]
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,
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,
Kano State is home to five universities: one federal university, one regimented federal university, two states universities, and one private university.
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.,[62] Kano State is the most populous state in the country followed by
Lagos State.[63] The state is mostly populated by the
Hausa and
Fulani people.[17]
Ibrahim Shekarau (born 1955), former Governor and former Minister of Education (2003-2011).
Yusuf Babangida Suleiman (born 1976), politician in the 7th, 8th and 9th Kano State House of Assembly
Abba Kabir Yusuf (born 1963). Kano State Governor since may 2023.
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.[75]
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.[75]
^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.
^"CAPTURE OF KANO". West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic. : 1898 – 1930). 19 May 1903. p. 6.
Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
^Buba, L. F. (2010). Spatio-temporal rainfall and temperature variation in northern Nigeria. A Ph.D. Thesis submitted to the Geography Department, Bayero University, Kano.
^Badamasi, M.M. (2014). Vegetation and Forestry in Tank, A.I. & Morale, S.B. (Eds.) Kano Government, Society and Development. London & Abuja: Adonis and Abbey Publishers.
^"Kano my state". www.kanodashboard.ng. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
^Badamosi, M.M. (2014). Vegetation and Forestry in Tank A.I., Momale, S.B. (eds.) Kano Government, Society and Development. London & Abuja: Adonis and Abbey Publishers.
^Kowal & Knabe, J.M. & D.T. (1972). An agroclimatological atlas of northern states of Nigeria with explanatory notes. Zaria: ABU Press.
^Olofin, E.A. (1987). Some aspects of the physical geographies of the Kano region and related human responses: Departmental lecture notes. Kano, Nigeria: Denis Standaerd Printers.
^Garba, J.I. (2018). "AWARENESS AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN TUDUN WADA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KANO STATE". Zaria Geographer. 25 (1): 63–75.
ISSN2782-7739.
^"Archived copy"(PDF).
Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link)