Kwara State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Kwárà), is a
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
in Western
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, bordered to the east by
Kogi State
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to the s ...
, to the north by
Niger state
Niger is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. Niger state has three political zones, zone A,B and C. The state's capital is at Minna. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. It was fo ...
, and to the south by
Ekiti,
Osun
Ọṣun, is an orisha, a spirit, a deity, or a goddess that reflects one of the manifestations of the Yorùbá Supreme Being in the Ifá oral tradition and Yoruba-based religions of West Africa. She is one of the most popular and venerated ...
, and
Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the
international border with Benin Republic
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
.
Its capital is the city of
Ilorin and the state has 16
local government areas
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory.
The phrase i ...
.
Of the 36
states of Nigeria
Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and 1 federal capital territory. Each of the 36 states is a semi-autonomous political unit that shares powers with the federal government as enumerated under the Constitution of Nigeria, Constitution of the F ...
, Kwara is the
ninth largest in area, but the
sixth least populous, with an estimated population of about 3.2 million as at 2016. Geographically, Kwara state is split between the
West Sudanian savanna
The West Sudanian savanna is a tropical savanna ecoregion that extends across West Africa.
Geography
The ecoregion stretches east and west across West Africa, from the Atlantic coast of Senegal to the Mandara Mountains on Nigeria's eastern borde ...
in the west, and the
Guinean forest–savanna mosaic
The Guinean forest-savanna mosaic is an ecoregion of West Africa, a band of interlaced forest, savanna, and grassland running east to west and dividing the tropical moist forests near the coast from the West Sudanian savanna of the interior.
Set ...
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
in the rest of the state. Important geographic features of the state include rivers, with the
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[Lake Jeba
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...](_blank)
, before continuing as the border, while the Awun, Asa, Aluko, and Oyun rivers flow through the interior. In the far
northwest of the state is the
Borgu section of the
Kainji National Park
Kainji National Park is a national park in Niger State and Kwara State, Nigeria. Established in 1978, it covers an area of about .
The park includes three distinct sectors: a part of the Kainji Lake in which fishing is restricted, the Borgu G ...
, a large
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
that contains populations of
grey heron
The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more norther ...
,
kob
The kob (''Kobus kob'') is an antelope found across Central Africa and parts of West Africa and East Africa. Together with the closely related reedbucks, waterbucks, lechwe, Nile lechwe, and puku, it forms the Reduncinae tribe. Found along ...
,
hippopotamus
The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...
,
African bush elephant,
olive baboon
The olive baboon (''Papio anubis''), also called the Anubis baboon, is a member of the family Cercopithecidae Old World monkeys. The species is the most wide-ranging of all baboons, being native to 25 countries throughout Africa, extending fr ...
, and
roan antelope, along with some of the last remaining
West African lion
''Panthera leo leo'' is a lion subspecies, which is present in West Africa, northern Central Africa and India. In West and Central Africa it is restricted to fragmented and isolated populations with a declining trajectory. It has been referred to ...
s on Earth. In the far southwest, a small part of the
Old Oyo National Park
Old Oyo National Park is one of the national parks of Nigeria, located across northern Oyo State and southern Kwara State, Nigeria.
The park is 2,512 km2 of land in northern Oyo state, south west Nigeria, at latitude 8° 15’ and 9° 00’N ...
contains
crowned eagle
The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (''Stephanoaetus coronatus''), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa it is restricted to eastern areas.Sinclair & Ryan (2003) ...
,
martial eagle
The martial eagle (''Polemaetus bellicosus'') is a large eagle native to sub-Saharan Africa.Ferguson-Lees & Christie, ''Raptors of the World''. Houghton Mifflin Company (2001), . It is the only member of the genus ''Polemaetus''. A species of t ...
,
African buffalo,
oribi
The oribi (; ''Ourebia ourebi'') is a small antelope found in eastern, southern and western Africa. The sole member of its genus, it was described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann in 1783. While this is the only ...
, and
patas monkey
The common patas monkey (''Erythrocebus patas''), also known as the wadi monkey or hussar monkey, is a ground-dwelling monkey distributed over semi-arid areas of West Africa, and into East Africa.
Taxonomy
There is some confusion surrounding ...
populations.
Kwara state has been inhabited for years by various ethnic groups, primarily the majority
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
that live throughout the state, but there are sizeable minorities of
Nupe people
The Nupe (traditionally called the ''Nupawa'' by the Hausas and ''Tapa'' by the neighbouring Yoruba) are an ethnic group native to the Middle Belt of Nigeria. They are the dominant ethnic group in Niger State and a minority in Kwara State. T ...
in the northeast,
Bariba (Baatonu) and
Busa (Bokobaru) peoples in the west, and a small
Fulani
The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...
population in
Ilorin, moving through the state as nomadic
herders
A herder is a pastoral worker responsible for the care and management of a herd or flock of domestic animals, usually on open pasture. It is particularly associated with nomadic or transhumant management of stock, or with common land grazing. ...
.
In the pre-colonial period, majority of the area that is now Kwara state was part of the
Oyo Empire
The Oyo Empire was a powerful Yoruba empire of West Africa made up of parts of present-day eastern Benin and western Nigeria (including Southwest zone and the western half of Northcentral zone). It grew to become the largest Yoruba-speaking s ...
, with part of the western portions in the
Borgu Kingdoms peopled by the Bariba,
Boko and Bissa people, and
Nupe Kingdom
The Bida Emirate is a traditional state in Nigeria, a successor to the old Nupe Kingdom, with its headquarters in Bida, Niger State. The head of the state is the Etsu Nupe, considered the leader of the Nupe people.
History
The old Nupe Kingdo ...
(1531-1835). In the mid 1800s, the
Fulani jihad
The Fulani War of 1804–1808, also known as the Fulani Jihad or Jihad of Usman dan Fodio, was a military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman Dan Fodiyo, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled ...
annexed some part of what is now the state of Kwara and placed the area under the Gwandu sphere of the
Sokoto Caliphate
The Sokoto Caliphate (), also known as the Fulani Empire or the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fulani jihads after defeating the Hausa Kingdoms in the Ful ...
. In the 1890s and 1900s, British expeditions occupied the area and incorporated it into the
Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The Northern Nigeria later merged into
British Nigeria
Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. Britain a ...
in 1914, before becoming independent as
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
in 1960. Originally, the modern-day Kwara state was a part of the post-independence
Northern Region until 1967, when the region was split and the area became the
West Central State. In 1976, the state was renamed Kwara state and the name remained until the 1990s, when its southeast was split off to form a part of
Kogi state
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to the s ...
and its far northwest Borgu division was annexed into the Borgu division of
Niger state
Niger is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. Niger state has three political zones, zone A,B and C. The state's capital is at Minna. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. It was fo ...
.
Economically, Kwara state is largely based around
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
, mainly of
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
S ...
,
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
,
groundnut
Groundnut may refer to:
* Seeds that ripen underground, of the following plants, all in the Faboideae subfamily of the legumes:
** '' Best Basketball Player'', Obinna Udunni
** '' Arachis villosulicarpa'', a perennial peanut species
** ''Vigna sub ...
,
cocoa
Cocoa may refer to:
Chocolate
* Chocolate
* ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree
* Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao''
* Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...
,
oil palm
''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm '' Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its c ...
, and
kola nut crops. Other key industries are services, especially in the city of
Ilorin, and the
livestock herding and
ranching of
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
,
goats
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of th ...
, and
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
. Kwara state has the
joint-twentieth highest Human Development Index
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, whi ...
in the country and numerous institutions of tertiary education.
History
Kwara state was created on 27 May 1967,
when the Federal Military Government of General
Yakubu Gowon
Yakubu Dan-Yumma 'Jack' Gowon (born 19 October 1934) is a retired Nigerian Army general and military leader. As Head of State of Nigeria, Gowon presided over a controversial Nigerian Civil War and delivered the famous "no victor, no vanquishe ...
broke the four regions that then constituted the
Federation of Nigeria
The Federation of Nigeria was a predecessor to modern-day Nigeria from 1954 to 1963. It was a British protectorate until its independence on 1 October 1960.
British rule of Colonial Nigeria ended in 1960, when the ''Nigeria Independence Act 1960 ...
into 12 states. At its creation, the state was made up of the former
Ilorin and
Kabba
Kabba is a city in Kogi State in mid west Nigeria. It lies near the Osse River, at the intersection of roads from Lokoja, Okene, Ogidi, Ado-Ekiti, and Egbe. The town is about 295 kilometers away from Abuja. It is 511 kilometers from Lagos.
...
provinces of the then
Northern Region and was initially named the West Central State but later changed to "Kwara", a local name for the
River Niger
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, ...
, in the
Hausa language
Hausa (; /; Ajami: ) is a Chadic language spoken by the Hausa people in the northern half of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern half of Niger, Chad and Sudan, with significant minorities in Ivory Coast.
Hausa is a member ...
.
Kwara state has since 1976 reduced considerably in size as a result of further state creation exercises in Nigeria. On 13 February 1976, the
Idah
Idah is a town in Kogi State, Nigeria, on the eastern bank of the Niger River in the middle belt region of Nigeria. It is the headquarter of the Igala Kingdom, and also a Local Government Area with an area of 36 km. Idah had a population ...
/
Dekina
Dekina is a local government area in Kogi State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Dekina, on the A233 highway in the Middle Belt area at .
The northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude passes through the southeast of the LGA ...
part of the state was carved out and merged with a part of the then
Benue/Plateau state to form
Benue state
Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 among the 7 states created at that time.The state derives its name from the Benue River which is th ...
.
On 27 August 1991, five
Local Government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
areas, namely
Oyi
Oyi is a Local Government Area in Anambra State, Nigeria. It is home to the Oyi people. The towns that make up the local government are Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Awkuzu, Ogbunike, Umuneba, Umunya and Nteje.
Oyi/Ayamelum is a Federal Constituency ...
Yagba Okene
Okene is a town in the Nigerian state of Kogi. The town is based in a Local Government Area of the same name. Okene runs along the A2 highway. It had an area of 328 km² and a population of 320,260 at the 2006 census.
The predominant people ...
,
Okehi Climate
Okehi is a Local Government Area in Kogi State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Obangede.
It has an area of 661 km and a population of 199,999 at the 2006 census.
The postal code
A postal code (also known locally ...
and
Kogi
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to th ...
were also excised to form part of the new
Kogi state
Kogi State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti and Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, to the northeast by Nasarawa State, to the northwest by Niger State, to the s ...
, while a sixth,
Borgu Local Government Area, was merged with
Niger state
Niger is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. Niger state has three political zones, zone A,B and C. The state's capital is at Minna. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. It was fo ...
. The major populated local governments are
Ilorin and
Offa.
Kwara state has numerous mineral resources such as
tourmaline
Tourmaline ( ) is a crystalline silicate mineral group in which boron is compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is a gemstone and can be found in a wide variety of colors.
The ...
,
tantalite
The mineral group tantalite Fe,_manganese.html"_;"title="iron.html"_;"title="iron">Fe,_manganese">Mn)Tantalum">Ta2oxygen.html" ;"title="manganese">Mn)Tantalum.html" ;"title="iron">Fe,_manganese.html" ;"title="iron.html" ;"title="iron">Fe, manga ...
, and many mineral deposits in the northern part.
Cocoa
Cocoa may refer to:
Chocolate
* Chocolate
* ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree
* Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao''
* Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...
and
Kolanut in the Southern parts
Oke - Ero,
Ekiti and
Isin LGA.
Climate
The climate of the Kwara state capital, Ilorin, is tropically wet and dry and it has an annual rainfall, which ranges between 990.3 mm to 1318mm
mean value
There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics. Each mean serves to summarize a given group of data, often to better understand the overall value ( magnitude and sign) of a given data set.
For a data set, the ''arithm ...
. The city has a varying temperature of 33
0C to 37
0C, with the third month of the year, March, being the hottest. The minimum and maximum temperature, as well as the
relative humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Humidity dep ...
of the state capital, are on the rise between years 1978 and 2017. The wind that blows in this region constitutes both South-East and North-East continental wind.
Population
As at 2006, the
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of Kwarans was 2.37 million, based on the Nigerian
2006 Census
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
.
This population size constitutes about 1.69% of the nation's total population having relied upon
immigration
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
for population growth and
socioeconomic development
Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local ...
. The principal ethnic groups are Yoruba, Nupe, Fulani and Baruba.
Residents of the state are sometimes referred to as Kwarans.
Languages
Languages of Kwara State listed by LGA:
Other languages spoken in Kwara State include
Busa,
Boko, and
Sorko
Bozo ( meaning house of straw) is a Mande language spoken by the Bozo people of the Inner Niger Delta in Mali.
For Fishing, many Bozo are also found in other West African countries where there are Rivers and Dams, such as Nigeria, Burkina Faso a ...
.
Local Government Areas
Kwara State consists of sixteen
Local Government Areas
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory.
The phrase i ...
. They are:
*
Asa
ASA as an abbreviation or initialism may refer to:
Biology and medicine
* Accessible surface area of a biomolecule, accessible to a solvent
* Acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin
* Advanced surface ablation, refractive eye surgery
* Anterior spinal ar ...
*
Baruten
Baruten is a local government area in the North Central district of Kwara State, Nigeria, sharing a long border with the Republic of Benin. The local government begins in Ilesha Baruba and ends in Chikanda, the border town. Its headquarters is in ...
*
Edu
*
Ekiti
*
Ifelodun
*
Ilorin East
*
Ilorin South
*
Ilorin West
*
Irepodun
*
Isin
*
Kaiama
Kaiama is a Local Government Area and town in northwestern Kwara State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kaiama.
Description
Kaiama LGA has an area of 6,971km and a population of 124,164 at the 2006 census.
The postal code of the a ...
*
Moro
*
Offa
*
Oke Ero
Oke Ero is a Local Government Area in Kwara State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Iloffa. Other Major towns in Oke Ero are Odo-Owa, Idofin, Ekan Nla, Ayedun,Erin Mope, Egosi, Imode, Idofin Odo-Ase, Kajola and Ilale. The first ex ...
*
Oyun
Oyun is a Local Government Area in Kwara State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Ilemona.
It has an area of 476 km and a population of 94,253 at the 2006 census.
The postal code
A postal code (also known locally in variou ...
*
Pategi
Pategi or Patigi is a town and Local government in Kwara State, Nigeria with the headquarters located at the town. The town is the headquarters of Pategi Emirate. It is inhabited by the Nupe people who also exhibit a linguistic repertoire of the ...
Governor of Kwara State
The current governor of Kwara State is Governor
Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (born 5 February 1960) is a Nigerian politician, who has served as governor of Kwara State since 2019. He was previously the CEO of First Fuels Limited. He contested unsuccessfully for the governor of Kwara State in 2003, ...
, who emerged victorious in the March 9, 2019's governorship election, with the political party APC. AbdulRahman AbdulRazak was sworn in on May 29, 2019, making him the 4th democratic governor of Kwara state and the 20th governor of Kwara state overall.Kayode Alabi is serving as the deputy governor of Kwara state under AbdulRahman's administration.
Education
Kwara state has a federal
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, the
University of Ilorin
University of Ilorin, also known as Unilorin, is a federal government-owned university in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. It was established by a decree of the federal military government in August, 1975. The establishment aimed to implement one o ...
, a state university,
Kwara State University and seven other privately owned Universities:
Al-Hikmah University
Al-Hikmah University is an Islamic university located in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. It was founded in 2005 by AbdulRaheem Oladimeji Islamic Foundation (AROIF) based in Nigeria and World Assembly of Muslim Youths (WAMY) based in Jeddah. Profes ...
,
Landmark University, Summit University, Crown Hill University, Thomas Adewumi University, Ahman Pategi University and University of Offa. Kwara state also has five approved polytechnics; a federal polytechnics,
Federal Polytechnic Offa, a state owned polytechnics,
Kwara State Polytechnic
Kwara State Polytechnic is a Nigerian tertiary institution that was established in 1973 by the then Military Governor of Kwara State Col. David Bamigboye after the decision of establishing a polytechnic in Kwara State was announced in 1971. It is ...
and three privately owned: The Polytechnic Igbo Owu, Lens Polytechnic and Graceland Polytechnic. Of the fifteen Colleges of Education in Kwara state, eleven are owned by private establishments: College of Education Ilemona, Muhyideen College of Education, Kinsey College of Education, Ilorin, Kwara State, Moje College of Education, Erin-Ile, Imam Hamzat College of Education, ECWA College of Education, College of Education Offa, Nana Aisha College of Education, Adesina College of Education and Pan African College of Education. Four colleges of education in Kwara state are funded by the star government:
Kwara State College of Education Ilorin, College of Education Oro, Kwara State College of Education (Technical) Lafiagi and one federal government's institution offering NCE, the Nigeria Army School of Education. There is also a navy school, Nigerian Navy School of Health Science Irra Road Offa, Nigerian Navy School of Health Science, Irra Road, Offa and an aviation college, International Aviation College, Ilorin.
Tourism
Important tourist attractions in Kwara state include Esie Museum, Owu waterfalls, one of the highest and most spectacular waterfalls in west Africa.
Imoleboja Rock Shelter, Ogunjokoro, Kainji National Park, Kainji Lake National Parks, now in Niger state and Agbonna Hill-- Awon Mass Wedding in Shao. There is also Sobi Hill amongst other, which is the largest landform in Ilorin, the state capital. A huge natural reserve also divides the state into East and West. Ero Omola waterfall is also tourist attractions
Transport
The Nigerian Railway Corporation extends services from Lagos through the state to the northern part of the country. Ilorin Airport is a major center for both domestic and international flights and has now been built up into a hub for transportation of Cargo, cargoes.
Economy
Agriculture is the main source of the state's economy and the principal cash crops are:
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
, cocoa bean, cocoa, coffee, kola nut, Kolanut, tobacco, beniseed and palm produce. Kwara state is home to Shonga Farms, a product of the Back-to-Farm project of one of the past administrators of the state, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Abubakar Bukola Saraki. Shonga Farms is made up of 13 commercial farmers. Natural resource, Mineral resources in the state are Petroleum, Gold, limestone, marble, feldspar, clay, kaolin, quartz and Granite, granite rocks.
Infrastructure
*Hygiene and Sanitation
The government of Nigeria is increasingly aware of problems emanating from poor environmental sanitation, and Kwara state is working on improving its environment and sanitation. On September 22, 2020, Kwara state governor officially commenced the 'Clean Kwara' Campaign to end open defecation and promote good hygiene in the state.
The state government is working to fix all the roads and waterways to ensure free water flow,
putting in efforts to ensure water sanitation,
building toilets and making clean water accessible.
This is also to promote Sustainable Development Goals 3 & 6 (general access to safe and affordable drinking water and access to adequate and equitable sanitation, hygiene for all, and end open defecation by 2030)
Sports
Sporting activities are managed by the State Sports Council. The importance attached to sports led to the construction of a stadium, named-- Kwara State Stadium Complex. The facilities available at the stadium complex are mainbowl, indoor sports hall, hostel, recreational press center as well as an Olympic size swimming pool. The state is actively represented both in football and basketball. The state is the home to the Kwara United FC, Kwara United Football Club, ABS F.C., ABS FC and Kwara Falcons Basketball Club.
Notable people
*AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, politician
*Bukola Saraki, politician
*David Abioye, cleric
*Cornelius Adebayo, politician
*Femi Adebayo, actor and film producer
*Tunde Adebimpe, musician
*Kemi Adesoye, screenwriter
*Abdulfatah Ahmed, banker and politician
*Simon Ajibola, politician
*Mustapha Akanbi, lawyer
*Sheik Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory, Islamic scholar
*Sarah Alade, former CBN governor
*Lola Ashiru, architect and politician
*Adamu Atta, politician
*Kunle Afolayan, actor, film director and producer
*Ayeloyun, musician
*Joseph Ayo Babalola, cleric
*David Bamigboye, soldier
*Theophilus Bamigboye, soldier and politician
*Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore, jurist and former Chief Justice of Nigeria
*Oga Bello, actor and producer (real name Adebayo Salami)
*Ibrahim Gambari, diplomat
*Yusuf Gobir, administrator
*Ola Ibrahim, naval officer
*Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, politician
*Tunde Idiagbon, soldier
*Ahmed Mohammed Inuwa, politician
*Joana Nnazua Kolo, Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development
*Farooq Kperogi, journalist
*Mohammed Shaaba Lafiagi, politician
*Lagbaja, Lágbájá, musician
*Salaudeen Latinwo, soldier
*Mohammed Lawal, naval officer
*Lai Mohammed, lawyer and politician
*Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, politician
*Abdulkadir Orire, first Grand Khadi of the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal
*David Oyedepo, cleric
*Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, musician
*Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki, politician
*Olusola Saraki, politician
* Toyin Saraki, healthcare philanthropist
*Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, politician
*AbdulRazzaq Ibrahim Salman, cleric
*Bola Shagaya, businessman
*Tony Tetuila, musician
*Rashidi Yekini, soccer player
*Abimbola Abolarinwa, urologist
See also
*Kwara State Executive Council
References
{{Portal bar, Nigeria
Kwara State,
States of Nigeria
States in Yorubaland
States and territories established in 1967