Kano
Encyclopedia
Kano is a city in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and the capital of Kano State
Kano State
Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. Created on May 27, 1967 from part of the Northern Region, Kano state borders Katsina State to the north-west, Jigawa State to the north-east, Bauchi State to the south-east and Kaduna State to the south-west...
in Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria is a geographical region of Nigeria. It is more arid and less densely populated than the south. The people are largely Muslim, and many are Hausa...
. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area (LGAs)
Local Government Areas in Nigeria
||Nigeria has 774 Local Government Areas .Each local government area is administered by a Local Government Council consisting of a chairman who is the Chief Executive of the LGA, and other elected members who are referred to as Councillors....
- Kano Municipal
Kano Municipal
Kano Municipal is a Local Government Area within the Kano Urban Area in Kano State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in Kofar Kudu, in the south of the city of Kano.It has an area of 17 km² and a population of 365,525 at the 2006 census....
, Fagge
Fagge
Fagge is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria, within the greater Kano area. Its headquarters are in the suburb of Waje.It has an area of 21 km² and a population of 198,828 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 700....
, Dala
Dala
Dala may refer to:*Dala , a Canadian acoustic-folk music duo*Dala, Angola*Dala, Bhutan*Dalahäst, traditional Swedish wooden horse statuettes*Dala Fur sheep, a Swedish breed of sheep...
, Gwale
Gwale
Gwale is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria within Greater Kano city. Its headquarters are in the suburb of Gwale.It has an area of 18 km² and a population of 362,059 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 700....
, Tarauni
Tarauni
Tarauni is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the locality of Ungwa Uku within the city of Kano.It has an area of 28 km² and a population of 221,367 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 700....
and Nassarawa - with a population of 2,163,225 at the 2006 Nigerian census. The Metropolitan Area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
covers 499 sq.km and comprises eight LGAs - the six mentioned above plus Ungogo
Ungogo
Ungogo is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the locality of Ungogo to the north of the city of Kano.It has an area of 204 km² and a population of 369,657 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 700....
and Kumbotso
Kumbotso
Kumbotso is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kumbotso.It has an area of 158 km² and a population of 295,979 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 700....
- with a population of 2,828,861 at the 2006 Nigerian census.
The principal inhabitants of the city are of the Hausa people
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
. As in most parts of Northern Nigeria, the Hausa Language
Hausa language
Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 25 million people, and as a second language by about 18 million more, an approximate total of 43 million people...
is widely spoken in Kano. The city is the capital of the Kano Emirate
Kano Emirate
The Kano Emirate is a traditional state in Northern Nigeria with headquarters in the city of Kano, capital of the modern Kano State.The Emirate was formed in 1805 during the Fulani jihad, when the old Hausa Kingdom of Kano became subject to the Sokoto Caliphate.During and after the colonial period...
, and the current Emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
, Ado Bayero, has been on the throne since 1963. The city is home to the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is located in Kano, a city in the Kano State of Nigeria. It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after Nigerian politician Aminu Kano. The airport consists of an international and a domestic terminal. Both terminals share the same...
, the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after Nigerian politician Aminu Kano
Aminu Kano
Aminu Kano was a Muslim politician from Nigeria. In the 1940s he led an Islamic movement in the north of the country in opposition to British rule...
.
History
In the 7th century, Dala Hill, a hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
in Kano, was the site of a community that engaged in iron-working; it is unknown whether these were Hausa people or speakers of Niger–Congo languages
Niger–Congo languages
The Niger–Congo languages constitute one of the world's major language families, and Africa's largest in terms of geographical area, number of speakers, and number of distinct languages. They may constitute the world's largest language family in terms of distinct languages, although this question...
. Kano was originally known as Dala, after the hill, and was referred to as such as late as the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th by Bornoan
Bornu Empire
The Bornu Empire was an African state of Nigeria from 1396 to 1893. It was a continuation of the great Kanem Empire founded centuries earlier by the Sayfawa Dynasty...
sources.
The Kano Chronicle
Kano Chronicle
The Kano Chronicle is a written account of the history of the Hausa people who inhabit northern Nigeria. Although it relates only to Kano, it is typically drawn upon to explain the early history of the Hausa as a whole...
identifies Barbushe, a priest of a Dala Hill spirit, as the city's first settler. (Elizabeth Isichei notes that the description of Barbushe is similar to those of Sao people
Sao civilisation
The Sao were an African civilisation that flourished from ca. the 6th century to as late as the 15th century. The Sao lived by the Chari River south of Lake Chad in territory that would later be part of Cameroon and Chad. They are the earliest people to have left clear traces of their presence in...
.) While small chiefdoms were previously present in the area, according to the Kano Chronicle, Bagauda
Bagauda
Bagauda is a village development committee in Chitwan District in the Narayani Zone of southern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 9621 people living in 1649 individual households....
, a grandson of the mythical hero Bayajidda
Bayajidda
Bayajidda is a character from the tradional history of the Hausa people of Nigeria and the central figure of the Bayajidda Legend. The various versions of the legend differ on major points, but generally agree that early immigrants came to the western region of Lake Chad from the Near East.Most...
, became the first king of Kano in 999, reigning until 1063. His grandson Gijimasu (1095–1134), the third king, began building city walls at the foot of Dalla Hill, and his own son, Tsaraki (1136–1194), the fifth king, completed them during his reign.
Muhammad Rumfa
Muhammad Rumfa was Emir of the Hausa city-state Kano, located in modern-day Kano State, northern Nigeria. He reigned from 1463 until 1499. Among Rumfa's accomplishments were extending the city walls, building a large palace, the Gidan Rumfa, promoting slaves to governmental positions and...
ascended to the throne in 1463 and reigned until 1499. During his reign, he reformed the city, expanded the Sahelian Gidan Rumfa
Gidan Rumfa
The Gidan Rumfa is the palace of the Emir of Kano. Located in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria, the complex underwent a major expansion by Muhammad Rumfa in the late fifteenth century. It currently has an area of ....
(Emir's Palace), and played a role in the further Islamization of the city, as he urged prominent residents to convert. The Kano Chronicle attributes a total of twelve "innovations" to Rumfa.
According to the Kano Chronicle, the thirty-seventh Sarkin Kano (King of Kano) was Mohammed Sharef (1703–1731). His successor, Kumbari dan Sharefa
Kumbari dan Sharefa
Kumbari dan Sharefa was a Hausa King of Kano. He succeeded Mohammed Sharef and is remembered for his high taxation on the Kurmi Market....
(1731–1743), engaged in major battles with Sokoto
Sokoto
Sokoto is a city located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of 427,760...
.
Fulani conquest and rule
At the beginning of the 19 century, FulaniFula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
Islamic leader Usman dan Fodio
Usman dan Fodio
Shaihu Usman dan Fodio , born Usuman ɓii Foduye, was the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1809, a religious teacher, writer and Islamic promoter. Dan Fodio was one of a class of urbanized ethnic Fulani living in the Hausa States in what is today northern Nigeria...
led a jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
affecting much of northern Nigeria, leading to the emergence of the Sokoto Caliphate. Kano was the largest and most prosperous province of the empire. This was one of the last major slave societies, with high percentages of enslaved population long after the Atlantic slave trade
Atlantic slave trade
The Atlantic slave trade, also known as the trans-atlantic slave trade, refers to the trade in slaves that took place across the Atlantic ocean from the sixteenth through to the nineteenth centuries...
had been cut off. Heinrich Barth
Heinrich Barth
Heinrich Barth was a German explorer of Africa and scholar.Barth is one of the greatest of the European explorers of Africa, not necessarily because of the length of his travels or the time he spent alone without European company in Africa, but because of his singular character.-Biography:Barth...
, a German scholar who spent several years in northern Nigeria in the 1850s, estimated the percentage of slaves in Kano to be at least 50%, most of whom lived in slave villages.
The city suffered famines from 1807–10, in the 1830s, 1847, 1855, 1863, 1873, 1884, and from 1889 until 1890.
From 1893 until 1895, two rival claimants for the throne fought a civil war, or Basasa. With the help of royal slaves, Yusufu was victorious over Tukur, and claimed the title of emir.
British colonization and rule
British forces captured Kano in 1903 and made it the administrative centre of Northern NigeriaNorthern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria is a geographical region of Nigeria. It is more arid and less densely populated than the south. The people are largely Muslim, and many are Hausa...
. It was replaced as the centre of government by Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
, and only regained administrative significance with the creation of Kano State following Nigerian independence.
From 1913 to 1914, as the groundnut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
business was expanding, Kano suffered a major drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
, which caused a famine. Other famines during British rule occurred in 1908, 1920, 1927, 1943, 1951, 1956, and 1958.
By 1922, groundnut trader Alhassan Dantata had become the richest businessman in Kano, surpassing fellow merchants Umaru Sharubutu Koki and Maikano Agogo.
In May 1953, an inter-ethnic riot arose due to southern newspapers misreporting on the nature of a disagreement between northern and southern politicians in the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Nigeria
The House of Representatives of Nigeria is the lower house of the country's bicameral National Assembly. The Senate of Nigeria is the upper house....
. Thousands of Nigerians of southern origin died as a result of the riot.
Post-independence history
Ado Bayero became Emir of Kano in 1963.Kano state was created in 1967 from the then Northern nigeria by the Federal military government. The first military Police commisioner Audu Bako is credited to building a solid foundation for the progress of a modern society. Most of the social amenities in the state are credited to him.
The first civilian governor, Alhaji muhammadu Abubakar Rimi brought his dynamism to leadership
In December 1980, radical preacher Mohammed Marwa Maitatsine
Mohammed Marwa Maitatsine
Mohammed Marwa , best known by his nickname Maitatsine, was a controversial Islamic scholar in Nigeria. Maitatsine is a Hausa word meaning "the one who damns" and refers to his curse-laden public speeches against the Nigerian state....
led riots in Kano. He was killed by security forces, but his followers later started uprisings in other northern cities.
After the introduction of sharia in Kano State in 2000, many Christians left the city. 100 people were killed in riots over the sharia issue during October 2001.
In November 2007, political violence broke out in the city after the People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP) accused the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) of rigging the November 17, 2007 local government elections. (The ANPP won in 36 of the state's 44 Local Government Areas.) Hundreds of youths took to the streets, over 300 of whom were arrested; at least 25 people were killed. Buildings set on fire include a sharia police station, an Islamic centre, and a council secretariat. 280 federal soldiers were deployed around the city.
Climate
The region features savanna vegetationSavanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
and a hot, semi-arid climate. Kano sees on average about 873 mm of precipitation per year, the bulk of which falls from June through September. Kano is typically very hot throughout the year, though from December through February, the city is noticeably cooler. Nighttime temperatures are cool during the months of December, January and February, with average low temperatures ranging from 11°-14°C.
Demographics
Kano is largely Muslim. The majority of Kano Muslims are Sunni, though a minority adhere to the Shia branch (see Shia in NigeriaShia in Nigeria
Though the majority of the Nigerian Muslim population is Sunni , there is a significant Shia minority , particularly in the northern states of Kano and Sokoto.-Introduction of Shi'ism in Nigeria:...
). Christians and followers of other non-Muslim religions form a small part of the population, and traditionally lived in the Sabon Gari
Sabon Gari
A Sabon Gari is a section of cities and town in Northern Nigeria and south central Niger whose residents are not indigenous to Hausa lands.-History:...
, or Foreign Quarter.
Transportation
Kabo AirKabo Air
Kabo Air is an airline headquartered in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. It originally operated special charter services for corporate bodies, executives and government officials. However, in 2009 the airline received approval to start international scheduled services. The airline operated scheduled...
, an airline, has its head office on the grounds of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is located in Kano, a city in the Kano State of Nigeria. It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after Nigerian politician Aminu Kano. The airport consists of an international and a domestic terminal. Both terminals share the same...
in Kano.
Economy
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s. Kano houses the Bayero University
Bayero University
Bayero University Kano is a university situated in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. It was founded in 1977, when it was renamed from Bayero University College and upgraded from university college to university; in 1980 it ceased functioning as a faculty of the Ahmadu Bello University...
and a railway station with trains to Lagos routed through Kaduna, while Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is located in Kano, a city in the Kano State of Nigeria. It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after Nigerian politician Aminu Kano. The airport consists of an international and a domestic terminal. Both terminals share the same...
lies nearby. Because Kano is north of the rail junction at Kaduna, it has equal access to the seaports at Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Formerly walled, most of the gates to the Old City survive. The Old City houses the vast Kurmi Market
Kurmi Market
The Kurmi Market is a large market in the city of Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. Founded by Muhammad Rumfa, a King of Kano, in the 15th century, it is still in use in the 21st century. As of 2003, Sale Ayagi was chairman of the market's unions....
, known for its crafts, while old dye pits – still in use – lie nearby. Also in the Old City are the Emir's Palace, the Great Mosque
Great Mosque of Kano
The Great Mosque of Kano is a mosque in Kano, the capital of Kano State and second most populous city in Nigeria.-History:The great mosque was built for Muhammad Rumfa in the 15th century. It was made of mud, and was of the soro, or tower, variety. It was moved to a new site by Muhammad Zaki in...
, and the Gidan Makama Mosque. Kano has six districts. They are the Old City, Bompai, Fagge
Fagge
Fagge is a Local Government Area in Kano State, Nigeria, within the greater Kano area. Its headquarters are in the suburb of Waje.It has an area of 21 km² and a population of 198,828 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 700....
, Sabon Gari, Syrian Quarter, and Nassarawa. The city also contains the Gidan Makama Museum Kano
Gidan Makama Museum Kano
Gidan Makama Museum Kano or Kano Museum is a museum in Kano, Nigeria. The museum has a significant collections of arts, crafts and items of historic interest related to the Kano area.Located in a 15th century historical building, which is recognised as a National Monument by the Government of...
, housed in a 15th century building that is a National Monument.
As of November 2007, there are plans to establish an information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
park in the city.
The city is supplied with water by the nearby Challawa Gorge Dam
Challawa Gorge Dam
The Challawa Gorge Dam is in Kano State in the Northeast of Nigeria, about 90 km southwest of Kano city. It is a major reservoir on the Challawa River, a tributary of the Kano River, which is the main tributary of the Hadejia River.-Construction:...
, which is also being considered as a source of hydro power.
The airline Kabo Air
Kabo Air
Kabo Air is an airline headquartered in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. It originally operated special charter services for corporate bodies, executives and government officials. However, in 2009 the airline received approval to start international scheduled services. The airline operated scheduled...
has its head office in the city.
Durbar Festival
The Emir of Kano hosts a Durbar to mark and celebrate the two annual Muslim festivals and Eid-ul-Fitr (to mark the end of the Holy Month of RamadanRamadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
) and Eid al-Adha (to mark the Hajj Holy Pilgrimage). The Durbar culminates in a procession of highly elaborately dressed horsemen who pass through the city to the Emir's palace. Once assembled near the palace, groups of horsemen, each group representing a nearby village, take it in turns to charge towards the Emir, pulling up just feet in front of the seated dignitaries to offer their respect and allegiance.