Bauchi State

Bauchi State
State
Nickname(s):  Pearl of Tourism
Location of Bauchi State in Nigeria
Coordinates: 10°30′N 10°00′E / 10.500°N 10.000°E / 10.500; 10.000Coordinates: 10°30′N 10°00′E / 10.500°N 10.000°E / 10.500; 10.000
Country	Nigeria
Date created	3 February 1976
Capital	Bauchi
Government
• Governor[3]	Bala Mohammed (PDP)
• Deputy Governor	Baba Tela[1]
• Senators	Jika Dauda Halliru Bulkachuwa Adamu Muhammad Lawal Yahaya Gumau [2]
• Representatives	List
Area
• Total	49,119 km2 (18,965 sq mi)
Area rank	5th of 36
Population  (2006 census)
• Total	4,676,465
• Rank	7th of 36
• Density	95/km2 (250/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
• Year	2007
• Total	$4.71 billion[4]
• Per capita	$983[4]
Time zone	UTC+01 (WAT)
Postal code	740001
Dialing Code	+234
ISO 3166 code	NG-BA
HDI (2018)	0.426[5] low · 31st of 37
Website	www.bauchistate.gov.ng

Bauchi State (Hausa: Jihar Bauchi) takes its name from the historic town of Bauchi, which also serves as the capital city and is located in the North East of Nigeria. The state was formed in 1976 when the former North-Eastern State was broken up. It originally included the area now in Gombe State, which became a distinct state in 1996.

Name[]

According to tradition, it was named for a hunter known as Baushe, who settled in the region before the arrival of Yakubu, the first traditional ruler of Bauchi emirate (founded 1800–10).^[6] Bauchi and Adamawa were the two main sources of freedom and tourism for the Fulani empire of Sokoto.^[7]

History[]

What is now known as Bauchi was until 1976 a province in the then North-Eastern State of Nigeria. According to the 2006 census, the state has a population of 4,653,066.

Bauchi State has gone through tremendous transformation over the years. The Ajawa language was spoken in Bauchi State, but became extinct between 1920 and 1940 as speakers switched to Hausa.^[8]

During the colonial era up to independence, it formed part of the Bauchi Plateau of the then Northern Region, until the 1967 state creation exercise, when the Bauchi, Borno, and Adamawa provinces constituted the former North-Eastern State.

With the creation of Bauchi State in 1976, then comprising present Bauchi and Gombe State, it included 16 local government areas. The number of local government areas in the then Bauchi State was increased to 20 and later to 23. However, in 1997 when Gombe State was created out of Bauchi and additional local governments were created in the country, Bauchi State was left with 20 local government areas as shown below.

Sharia law was adopted in June 2001.^[9]

Local Government Areas[]

Bauchi State consists of twenty Local Government Areas (LGAs). They are:

LGA	Area (km2)	Census 2006 population	Administrative capital	Postal code
Bauchi	3,687	493,810	Bauchi	740
Tafawa Balewa	2,515	219,988		740
Dass	535	89,943	Dass	740
Toro	6,932	350,404	Toro	740
Bogoro	894	84,215	Bogoro	741
Ningi	4,625	387,192	Ningi	742
Warji	625	114,720	Warji	742
Ganjuwa	5,059	280,468	Kafin Madaki	742
Kirfi	2,371	147,618	Kirfi	743
Alkaleri	5,918	329,424	Alkaleri	743
Southern region totals	33,161	2,497,782
Darazo	3,015	251,597	Darazo	750
Misau	1,226	263,487	Misau	750
Giade	668	156,969	Giade	750
Shira	1,321	234,014		750
Jama'are	493	117,883	Jama'are	751
Katagum	1,436	295,970	Azare	751
Itas/Gadau	1,398	229,996	Itas	751
Zaki	1,476	191,457	Katagum	752
Gamawa	2,925	286,388	Gamawa	752
Damban	1,077	150,922	Damban	752
Northern region totals	15,035	2,178,683

Geography[]

Bauchi State occupies a total land area of 49,119 km² (18,965 sq mi) representing about 5.3% of Nigeria's total land mass and is located between latitudes 9° 3' and 12° 3' north and longitudes 8° 50' and 11° east.

The state is bordered by seven states, Kano and Jigawa to the north, Taraba and Plateau to the south, Gombe and Yobe to the east and Kaduna to the west.

Bauchi state is one of the states in the northern part of Nigeria that span two distinctive vegetation zones, namely, the Sudan savannah and the Sahel savannah. The Sudan savannah type of vegetation covers the southern part of the state. Here, the vegetation gets richer and richer towards the south, especially along water sources or rivers, but generally the vegetation is less uniform and grasses are shorter than what grows even farther south, that is, in the forest zone of the middle belt.

The Sahel type of savannah, also known as semi-desert vegetation, becomes manifest from the middle of the state as one moves from the state's south to its north. This type of vegetation comprises isolated stands of thorny shrubs.

On the other hand, the southwestern part of the state is mountainous as a result of the continuation of the Jos Plateau, while the northern part is generally sandy.

The vegetation types as described above are conditioned by the climatic factors, which in turn determine the amount of rainfall received in the area. For instance, the rainfall in Bauchi state ranges between 1,300 millimetres (51 in) per annum in the south and only 700 millimetres (28 in) per annum in the extreme north. This pattern is because in the West Africa sub-region, rains generally come from the south as they are carried by the southwesterlies. There is therefore a progressive dryness towards the north, culminating in the desert condition in the far north. So also is the case in Bauchi state.

Consequently, rains start earlier in the southern part of the state, where rain is heaviest and lasts longer. Here the rains start in April with the highest record amount of 1,300 millimetres (51 in) per annum. In contrast, the northern part of the state receives the rains late, usually around June or July, and records the highest amount of 700 millimetres (28 in) per annum.

In the same vein, the weather experienced in the south and the north varies considerably. While it is humidly hot during the early part of the rainy season in the south, the hot, dry and dusty weather lingers up north.

In addition to rainfall, Bauchi state is watered by a number of rivers. They include the Gongola and Jama'are rivers.

The Gongola River crosses Bauchi state in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area in the south and in Kirfi and Alkaleri Local Government Areas in the eastern part of the state, while the Jama’are River cuts across a number of Local Government Areas in the northern part of the state. Moreover, a substantial part of the Hadeja-Jama'are River basin lies in Bauchi state, which along with various fadama (floodplain) areas in the state provides suitable land for agricultural activities. These are further supported by the number of dams meant for irrigation and other purposes. These include the and dams. There also lakes such as the in Misau Local Government Area that further provide the necessary conditions to support Agriculture.

Population[]

Bauchi State has a total of 55 tribal groups in which , , Jarawa, Kirfawa, Turawa Bolewa, , Kanuri, , , , Zulawa, . Fulani are the main tribes. This means that they have backgrounds, occupational patterns, beliefs and many other things that form part of the existence of the people of the state.

There are cultural similarities in the people's language, occupational practices, festivals, dress and there is a high degree of ethnic interaction especially in marriage and economic existence. Some of the ethnic groups have joking relationships that exist between them, e.g. Fulani and Kanuri, Jarawa and , etc.

The Durbar Festival is a major annual attraction.^[10]

Education[]

The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University^[11] is located in the capital city Bauchi. Other educational institutions located in the state include Bauchi State University,^[12] Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic^[13] and Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.^[14]

Languages[]

West Chadic language groups spoken in Bauchi State:^[15]

• North Bauchi languages
• South Bauchi languages

Languages of Bauchi State listed by LGA:^[16]

LGA	Languages
Alkaleri	Dass; Bole; Duguri; Giiwo; Guruntum-Mbaaru; Labir; Tangale
Bauchi	Bankal; Duguri; Dulbu; Galambu; Gera; Geruma; Giiwo; Guruntum-Mbaaru; Ju; Kir-Balar; Labir; Luri; Mangas; Mbat; Pa'a; Polci; Shiki; Tala; Zangwal
Bogoro	Saya
Darazo	Bole; Deno; Diri; Giiwo; Mburku; Ngamo; Zumbun
Dass	Bankal; Dass; Gwak; Polci; Saya; Shall-Zwall; Zari
Dukku	Bole
Gamawa	Karekare
Ganjuwa	Ciwogai; Gera; Geruma; Jimi; Kariya; Kubi; Miya
Kirfi	Bure
Misau	Fulato/Borno; Shuwa; Kanuri; Hausa; Fulani
Ningi	Diri; Gamo-Ningi; Kudu-Camo; Pa'a; Siri; Warji; Geruma
Tafawa Balewa	Sur; Vaghat-Ya-Bijim-Legeri; Zari; Bankal; Gwak; Izere; Saya
Toro	Bankal; Dass; Geji; Geruma; Gwa; Gyem; Iguta; Izere; Jere; Lame; Lemoro; Mawa; Panawa; Polci; Sanga; Saya; Shau; Tunzuii; Zari; Zeem; Ziriya
Zaki	Bade

Other languages of Bauchi State are Ajawa, Beele, Berom, Kanuri, Kwaami, Manga, Pero, and Piya-Kwonci.^[16]

Notable people[]

• Jude Rabo, vice-chancellor of Federal University, Wukari

See also[]

• Bauchi Light Railway

References[]

External links[]

• Official website