Maiduguri
Encyclopedia
Maiduguri, also fondly called Yerwa by its locals, is the capital and the largest city of Borno State
in north-eastern Nigeria
. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River
which disappears into the Firki swamps in the areas around Lake Chad
. Maiduguri was founded in 1907 as a military outpost by the British
and has since grown rapidly with a population exceeding 1 million by 2007.
including Kanuri
, Shuwa, Bura
, and Fulani ethnic groups. There is also a considerable Christian
population.
s, a museum
and is served by the Maiduguri International Airport
. Maiduguri has one of the best-equipped universities and hospitals in Nigeria, the University of Maiduguri
. It is home to the El-Kanemi Warriors
, a football team.
Maiduguri is the principal trading hub for northeastern Nigeria. Its economy is largely based on services and trade with a small share of manufacturing. The city lies at the end of a railway line
connecting Port Harcourt, Enugu
, Kafanchan
, Kuru
, Bauchi
, and finally Maiduguri.
. Ethnic and political rivalries caused rioting between rival political supporters in 1966 and 1974, while members of religious sects led intercomunal violence in 1982 and 2001. On 18 February 2006, riot
s related to the Prophet Muhammad cartoons
published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
left at least 15 people dead, and resulted in the destruction of approximately 12 churches. Soldiers and police quelled the riots, and the government temporarily imposed a curfew.
Maiduguri was also a scene of major religious violence throughout Northeast Nigeria committed by an Islamist group, Boko Haram
, in July 2009, leaving over 700 people dead.
Borno State
Borno State is a state in north-eastern Nigeria. Its capital is Maiduguri. The state was formed in 1976 from the split of the North-Eastern State...
in north-eastern 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...
. The city sits along the seasonal Ngadda River
Ngadda River
The Ngadda River is a river in Nigeria that flows into Lake Chad and the Chad Basin. The Alau dam built on the river has interfered with fertile seasonal floodplains in the region of Maiduguri....
which disappears into the Firki swamps in the areas around Lake Chad
Lake Chad
Lake Chad is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Africa, whose size has varied over the centuries. According to the Global Resource Information Database of the United Nations Environment Programme, it shrank as much as 95% from about 1963 to 1998; yet it also states that "the 2007 ...
. Maiduguri was founded in 1907 as a military outpost by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and has since grown rapidly with a population exceeding 1 million by 2007.
History
The region was home to the Kanem-Bornu Empire for centuries. Maiduguri actually consists of two cities: Yerwa to the West and Old Maiduwuri to the east. Old Maiduwuri was selected by the British as their military headquarters while Yerwa was selected at approximately the same time by Shehu Abubakar Garbai of Borno to replace Kukawa as the new traditional capital of the Kanuri people.Demographics
Maiduguri is estimated to have a population of 1,197,497 by 2009 as of 2007.. Its residents are mostly MuslimIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
including Kanuri
Kanuri
The Kanuri people are an African ethnic group living largely in the lands of the former Bornu Empire: Bornu state in northeastern Nigeria, southeast Niger, western Chad and northern Cameroon...
, Shuwa, Bura
Bura
Bura may refer to several different things:* Bura , a genus of beetles* Boura , a city of Achaea, Greece* Bura , a figure in Greek mythology* Bura , a wind in the northern Mediterranean...
, and Fulani ethnic groups. There is also a considerable Christian
Christianity in Africa
Christianity is now one of the two most widely practised religions in Africa and is the largest religion in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most adherents outside Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea are Roman Catholic or Protestant. The presence of Christianity in Africa began in the middle of the 1st century in...
population.
Economy
Maiduguri is home to two marketMarket
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
s, a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and is served by the Maiduguri International Airport
Maiduguri International Airport
Maiduguri International Airport is an airport serving Maiduguri, a city in the Borno State of Nigeria.-Airlines and destinations:...
. Maiduguri has one of the best-equipped universities and hospitals in Nigeria, the University of Maiduguri
University of Maiduguri
The University of Maiduguri is located in Maiduguri, a city in Borno State in northeast Nigeria. The university was created by the federal government in 1975, with the intention of its becoming one of the country's principal higher-education institutions...
. It is home to the El-Kanemi Warriors
El-Kanemi Warriors
El-Kanemi Warriors is a soccer team based in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. They play at El-Kanemi Stadium. They ended their 2005 season in the lower half of the Nigeria Premier League.They were relegated to the Nigeria Division 1 in 2007.-Achievements:...
, a football team.
Maiduguri is the principal trading hub for northeastern Nigeria. Its economy is largely based on services and trade with a small share of manufacturing. The city lies at the end of a railway line
Transport in Nigeria
Decaying infrastructure is one of the deficiencies that Nigeria’s National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy seeks to address. The government has begun to repair the country’s poorly maintained road network. Because Nigeria’s railways are in a parlous condition, the government is trying...
connecting Port Harcourt, Enugu
Enugu
Enugu is the capital of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in the southeastern area of Nigeria and is largely populated by members of the Igbo ethnic group. The city has a population of 722,664 according to the 2006 Nigerian census. The name Enugu is derived from the two Igbo words Enu Ugwu...
, Kafanchan
Kafanchan
Kafanchan is a town in southern Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. It is the location of a junction station of the Nigerian Railway Corporation,and it sits on the line connecting Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kafanchan, Kuru, Bauchi, and finally Maiduguri....
, Kuru
Kuru, Nigeria
Kuru is located on the Jos Plateau in north-central Nigeria commonly referred as the middle belt region of Nigeria. Located about 20 km to Jos on the Jos-Abuja highway in Plateau State...
, Bauchi
Bauchi
Bauchi is a city in northeast Nigeria, the capital of Bauchi State, of the Bauchi Local Government Area within that State, and of the traditional Bauchi Emirate. The city has a population of 316,173...
, and finally Maiduguri.
Communal violence
Several times since the mid 1960s, Maidugri has witnessed outbreaks of large scale ethnic or religious violenceReligious violence
Religious violence is a term that covers all phenomena where religion, in any of its forms, is either the subject or object of violent behaviour. Religious violence is, specifically, violence that is motivated by or in reaction to religious precepts, texts or doctrines...
. Ethnic and political rivalries caused rioting between rival political supporters in 1966 and 1974, while members of religious sects led intercomunal violence in 1982 and 2001. On 18 February 2006, riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s related to the Prophet Muhammad cartoons
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
Jyllands-Posten
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten , commonly shortened to Jyllands-Posten or JP, is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Viby, a suburb of Århus, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies, it is among the largest-selling newspaper in Denmark...
left at least 15 people dead, and resulted in the destruction of approximately 12 churches. Soldiers and police quelled the riots, and the government temporarily imposed a curfew.
Maiduguri was also a scene of major religious violence throughout Northeast Nigeria committed by an Islamist group, Boko Haram
Boko Haram
Boko Haram is a Nigerian Islamist group that seeks the imposition of Shariah law throughout the whole of Nigeria. The group presently has an undefined structure and chain of command...
, in July 2009, leaving over 700 people dead.