Yobe State
Encyclopedia
Yobe State is a state
located in Northern Nigeria
. A mainly agricultural state, it was created on August 27, 1991. Yobe state was carved out of present-day Borno State
. The capital of Yobe state is Damaturu
.
, and Jigawa
. It borders the Diffa Region and the Zinder Region to the north in The Republic of Niger
. Because the state lies mainly in the dry savanna
belt, the state is dry and hot for most the year, except in the southern part of the state which has a milder climate.
by the Babangida
administration. Yobe State was created because the old Borno State was one of Nigeria's largest states in terms of land area and was therefore considered to be too large for easy administration and meaningful development. Ethnic rivalries within the old Borno State also contributed to the decision.
. The state's agricultural products include: gum arabic
, groundnuts, beans, cotton
. The state is also said to have one of the largest cattle
market
s in West Africa
located near Potiskum
.
, Bolewa, Ngizim
, Bade
, Hausa
, Ngamo and Shuwa.
States of Nigeria
Nigeria is currently divided into 36 states and Abuja, the federal capital territory. The states are further divided into 774 Local Government Areas....
located in Northern 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...
. A mainly agricultural state, it was created on August 27, 1991. Yobe state was carved out of present-day Borno State
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...
. The capital of Yobe state is Damaturu
Damaturu
Damaturu is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Damaturu, the State capital.The postal code of the area is 620....
.
Geography
The state borders the Nigerian states of Bauchi, Borno, GombeGombe State
Gombe State, located in the northeastern part of Nigeria, is one of the country's 36 states; its capital is Gombe. The boundaries of the state roughly correspond to those of the Gombe Emirate,a traditional state.[2]...
, and Jigawa
Jigawa State
-Location:Jigawa State is one of thirty-six states that constitute Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is situated in the north-western part of the country between latitudes 11.00oN to 13.00oN and longitudes 8.00oE to 10.15oE. Kano State and Katsina State border Jigawa to the west, Bauchi State to the...
. It borders the Diffa Region and the Zinder Region to the north in The Republic of Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. Because the state lies mainly in the dry savanna
Savanna
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...
belt, the state is dry and hot for most the year, except in the southern part of the state which has a milder climate.
History
Yobe State came into being on the 27 August, 1991. It was carved out of the old Borno StateBorno 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...
by the Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
administration. Yobe State was created because the old Borno State was one of Nigeria's largest states in terms of land area and was therefore considered to be too large for easy administration and meaningful development. Ethnic rivalries within the old Borno State also contributed to the decision.
Local Government Areas
Yobe State consists of 17 local government areas, or LGAs. They are:- BursariBursariBursari is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Dapchi in the far south of the area at.It has an area of 3,818 km² and a population of 109,124 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 622....
- DamaturuDamaturuDamaturu is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Damaturu, the State capital.The postal code of the area is 620....
- GeidamGeidamGeidam is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Geidam in the northwest of the area at.It has an area of 4,357 km² and a population of 157,295 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 632....
- BadeBade, NigeriaBade is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Gashua.It has an area of 772 km² and a population of 139,782 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 631....
- GujbaGujbaGujba is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Buni Yadi at towards the south of the area; the eponymous town of Gujba lies in the north of the area....
- GulaniGulaniGulani is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Bara.It has an area of 2,090 km² and a population of 103,510 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 621....
- FikaFika, NigeriaFika is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Fika in the south of the area at.It has an area of 2,208 km² and a population of 136,895 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 622.-Geography:...
- Fune FuneFune is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Damagun in the southwest of the area on the A3 highway at.It has an area of 4,948 km² and a population of 300,760 at the 2006 census....
- JakuskoJakuskoJakusko is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Jakusko in the west of the area at.It has an area of 3,941 km² and a population of 229,083 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 631....
- KarasuwaKarasuwaKarasuwa is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Jajimaji on the Hadejia River at.It has an area of 1,162 km² and a population of 106,992 at the 2006 census.Land Areas...
- MachinaMachina, NigeriaMachina is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Machina at. It shares a border in the north with The Republic of Niger....
- NangereNangereNangere is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Sabon Gari Nanger at.It has an area of 980 km² and a population of 87,823 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 631....
- NguruNguru, NigeriaNguru is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Nguru near the Hadejia River at .It has an area of 916 km² and a population of 150,632 at the 2006 census....
- PotiskumPotiskumPotiskum is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Potiskum on the A3 highway at.It has an area of 559 km² and a population of 205,876 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 631....
- TarmuwaTarmuwaTarmuwa is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Babangida at.It has an area of 4,594 km² and a population of 77,204 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 620....
- YunusariYunusariYunusari is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kanamma in the north-east of the area on the Burun Gana River at . It shares a border in the north with The Republic of Niger....
- YusufariYusufariYusufari is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Yusufari in the south-east of the area at. It shares a border in the north with The Republic of Niger....
Economy
While Yobe state is an agricultural state it also has rich fishing grounds and mineral deposits of gypsum in Fune LGA, kaolin, and quartzQuartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
. The state's agricultural products include: gum arabic
Gum arabic
220px|thumb|right|Acacia gumGum arabic, also known as acacia gum, chaar gund, char goond, or meska, is a natural gum made of hardened sap taken from two species of the acacia tree; Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal...
, groundnuts, beans, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. The state is also said to have one of the largest cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
market
Market
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 in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
located near Potiskum
Potiskum
Potiskum is a Local Government Area in Yobe State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Potiskum on the A3 highway at.It has an area of 559 km² and a population of 205,876 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 631....
.
Ethnic groups
The major ethnic group living in Yobe State are Fulani, while other ethnic communities include Kanuri, Kare-KareKare-kare
Kare-kare is a Philippine stew. It is made from peanut sauce with a variety of vegetables, stewed oxtail, beef, and occasionally offal or tripe. Meat variants may include goat meat or chicken. It is often eaten with bagoong , sometimes spiced with chili, and sprinkled with calamansi juice...
, Bolewa, Ngizim
Ngizim
The Ngizim people live in Yobe State, northeastern Nigeria. As of 1993, there were an estimated 80,000 Ngizim. The Ngizim live in the area to the east and south of Potiskum, the largest city in Yobe State, as well as in Potiskum, which was originally an Ngizim town...
, Bade
Bade language
Bade is a West Chadic language spoken by the Bade people in Yobe State and Jigawa State, Nigeria. Their traditional ruler is the Emir of Bade....
, Hausa
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...
, Ngamo and Shuwa.