Nasarawa State is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by the states of Taraba and Plateau, to the north by Kaduna State, to the south by the states of Benue and Kogi, and to the west by the

Federal Capital Territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

. Named for the historic

Nasarawa Emirate Nasarawa is a Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Nasarawa, located at 8°32'N 7°42'E, with a population of 30,949 (as of 2016). The local government area has an area of 5,704 km and a populat ...

, the state was formed from the west of

Plateau State Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...

on 1 October 1996. The state has thirteen

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 ...

and its capital is

Lafia Lafia is a town in North Central Nigeria. It is the capital city of Nasarawa State and has a population of 330,712 inhabitants according to the 2006 census results. It is the largest town in Nasarawa state. History Lafia, also known as Lafian b ...

, located in the east of the state, while a key economic centre of the state is the

Karu Urban Area The Karu Urban Area is an urban area in central Nigeria. The urban area is majorly located in the Nigerian state of Nasarawa, but with some parts stretching into the boundaries of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It has an area of 40,000 hect ...

—suburbs of

Abuja Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plann ...

—along the western border with the FCT. 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 ...

, Nasarawa is the fifteenth largest in area and second least populous with an estimated population of about 2.5 million as of 2016. Geographically, the state is mostly within the tropical

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. Important geographic features include the

River Benue The Benue River (french: la Bénoué), previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, is the major tributary of the Niger River. The river is approximately long and is almost entirely navigable during the summer months. The size of its bas ...

forming much of Nasarawa State's southern borders and the state's far northeast containing a small part of the Jos Plateau. Nasarawa State is inhabited by various ethnic groups, including the

Koro Koro may refer to: Geography *Koro Island, a Fijian island *Koro Sea, in the Pacific Ocean *Koro, Ivory Coast *Koro, Mali *Koro, Wisconsin, United States, an unincorporated community Languages *Koro language (India), an endangered language spoken ...

and Yeskwa in the far northwest; the

Kofyar The Kofyar are a population in central Nigeria numbering around 50,000. After several anthropological studies, they provide good illustrations of how colonial authorities become unwittingly enmeshed in local politics; of sustainable subsistence agr ...

in the far northeast; the

Eggon Eggon (also Egon, Ero, or Mo Egon), erroneously referred to as Mada - formerly a Plateau language spoken in central Nigeria. It is one of the major language in Nasarawa State. Classification The exact classification of the Eggon language has be ...

Gwandara Gwandara is a West Chadic language, and the closest relative of Hausa. Its several dialects are spoken in northern Nigeria, predominantly in the north central region of Nigeria by the Gwandara people and some settlers who are about 30,000 people. ...

Mada Mada ( sa, मद) is a term used in both Āstika and nāstika, Hindu theology and Hindu mythology, mythology. It is one of the Arishadvargas. It refers to one of the six enemy of the mind or a vice according to the Hindu texts, Hindu scriptures ...

, Buh, Ninzo, and Nungu in the north; the

Alago Alago, or Idoma Nokwu, is an Idomoid language spoken by the Sub-Saharan peoples of Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ...

Goemai PUR:purpose SG:singular DEF:definite ADVZ:adverbializer S:subject (intransitive and transitive) pronoun IDEOPH:ideophone O:object pronoun CONS:consequence clause PAST.REM:remote past DIM:diminutive GEN:genitive INSIDE:inside Goemai (also Ankw ...

, and Megili in the east; Eloyi (Ajiri/Afo) in the south; the Tiv in the southeast; the Idoma in southwest; and the Gade and

Gbagyi Gbagyi or Gbari (plural - Agbagyi/Agbari) is the name and the language of Gbagyi/Gbari ethnic group who are predominantly found in Central Nigeria, with a population of about 1 million people. Members of the ethnic group speak two dialects. While ...

in the west while the Hausa and Fulani live throughout the state. Nasarawa is also religiously diverse with large followers of both Islam and Christianity while followers of Traditional or Native Religions have declined over the years due to convertions to the two Abrahamic religions. In the pre-colonial period, the area that is now Nasarawa State was split up between various states with some states being tiny and village-based as others were part of larger empires until the early 1800s when 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 the region and placed the area under 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 ...

as the vassal states of Keffi, Lafia, and Nassarawa. In the 1890s and 1900s, British expeditions occupied the area and incorporated it into the

Northern Nigeria Protectorate Northern Nigeria (Hausa: ''Arewacin Najeriya'') was a British protectorate which lasted from 1900 until 1914 and covered the northern part of what is now Nigeria. The protectorate spanned and included the emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate an ...

. The protectorate later merged into British Nigeria in 1914 before becoming independent as Nigeria in 1960. Originally, modern-day Nasarawa State was a part of the post-independence Northern Region until 1967 when the region was split and the area became part of the

Benue-Plateau State Benue-Plateau State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 27 May 1967 from parts of the Northern Region and existed until 3 February 1976, when it was divided into two states - Benue and Plateau. The city of Jos was t ...

. After Benue-Plateau was split in 1976, what is now Nasarawa State became a part of the new

until 1996 when western Plateau was broken off to form the new Nasarawa State. Economically, Nasarawa State is largely based around agriculture, mainly of

sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...

soybeans The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...

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 ...

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...

, maize, and

yam Yam or YAM may refer to: Plants and foods *Yam (vegetable), common name for members of ''Dioscorea'' * Taro, known in Malaysia and Singapore as yam * Sweet potato, specifically its orange-fleshed cultivars, often referred to as yams in North Amer ...

crops. Other key industries are services, especially in urban areas, and the livestock herding and

ranching A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

of cattle, goats, and sheep. The state has been beset by violence at various points throughout its history, most notably the ongoing conflict between herders and farmers primarily over land rights. Despite the conflict, Nasarawa has the nineteenth highest Human Development Index in the country and numerous institutions of tertiary education.

History

Nasarawa was established on 1 October 1996 by the Abacha government, splitting it from the today neighboring

which previously had contained both their territories.

Geography

Climate

Nasarawa has a Tropical wet and dry or

savanna climate A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

. The city's yearly temperature is 29.39 °C (84.9 °F) and it is -0.07% lower than Nigeria's averages. Nasarawa typically receives about 136.71

millimeters 330px, Different lengths as in respect to the electromagnetic spectrum, measured by the metre and its derived scales. The microwave is between 1 meter to 1 millimeter. The millimetre (American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, ...

(5.38 inches) of precipitation and has 155.37 rainy days (42.57% of the time) annually. In Nasarawa, the dry season is humid and partially cloudy, and it is hot all year long. The wet season is oppressive and overcast. The average annual temperature ranges from 63 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, rarely falling below 57 or rising above 101. From 29 January to 14 April, the hot season, with an average daily high temperature exceeding 93 °F, lasts for 2.5 months. Nasarawa's

hottest Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied on ...

month of the year is March, with an average high temperature of 95 °F and low temperature of 74 °F. The 3.7-month cool season, which runs from 22 June to 13 October, has an average daily maximum temperature of less than 85 °F. Nasarawa experiences its coldest month of the year in December, with average lows of 64 °F and highs of 89 °F.

Boundaries

Nasarawa State is bounded to the north by Kaduna State for 169 km (105 miles), to the east by the states of Taraba for 109 km and Plateau for 219 km (136 miles), to the south by the states of Benue for 231 km, (mostly across the Benue River) and Kogi across the Benue River for 83 km, and to the west by Kogi for 68 km and the

for 156 km.

Transport

Nasarawa has a network of roads within the state, which link all rural areas and major towns. Federal Highways are * A3 north from Benue State near Yerewata as the Makurdi-Jos Rd via

and Wamba to

at Barimaw, * A234 east from

as the Keffi-Akwanga Rd via

Keffi Keffi is a town in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Keffi. Keffi is 50 kilometers from Abuja. Nasarawa State university is located in Keffi sitting along Keffi-Akwanga express way. It has an area of 138 km and a ...

and Garaku to A3 at Akwanga. Other major highways are * the Lafia-Shandam Rd east to

at Ungwan Mai Samari, * the Doma-Lafia Rd, * the Loko-Nassarawa Rd north from Benue State across the

Benue River The Benue River (french: la Bénoué), previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, is the major tributary of the Niger River. The river is approximately long and is almost entirely navigable during the summer months. The size of its bas ...

at Loko by the 1835 m Loko-Oweto Bridge (2022), * from the Abaji-Toto Rd to Nasarawa, * the Nasarawa-Keffi Rd. Railways: The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) operates train services with the 1067 mm Cape gauge Eastern Line north from Makurdi in Benue State via

to Kafanchan in

. Airports: Lafia Cargo Airport.

Population

Nasarawa State had a total population of 1,869,377 residents as of 2006, making the state the second least populated state in Nigeria after Bayelsa State.

Air Pollution

Particulate matter, a dangerous air pollutant that can lead to bronchitis, asthma attacks, and other serious lung conditions due to chemical interactions in the environment, poses a threat to Nasarawa.

Government

The Governor of Nasarawa State is the regional executive of Nasarawa. The state legislature,

Nasarawa State House of Assembly The Nasarawa State House of Assembly is the unicameral legislature of Nasarawa State in Nigeria. The House of Assembly consists of 24 members, including a Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The legislature is seated in Lafia Lafia is a town in North C ...

, is located in the capital of Lafia.

Local Government Areas

The State has three National Senatorial Districts, the South, North and West. Nasarawa State consists of 13

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 ...

(shown with 2006 population figures2006 Population Census
Federal Republic of Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics. Archived fro
the original
on 2009-03-25.): List of current Local Government Area Chairmen.

Languages

Languages of Nasarawa State listed by LGA: In Nasarawa State, there are 25 different ethnic groups. The major ones are Miligi (Koro), Alago, Mada, Gwandara, Kanuri, Hausa, Fulani, Gbagyi, Rindre,Buh, Afo, Eggon and Ebira

Religion

The dominant religions in Nasarawa State are Islam and Christianity, although a certain amount of traditional religion is still practised. The Emir of Lafia, Sidi Dauda Bage, is the head of the Tijaniyya Sufi Order, and the 3rd highest Muslim leader in Nigeria. About 11% Roman Catholic with 296,087 followers (2021) in the Diocese of Lafia (2000) with 15 parishes under Bishop David Ajang (2021), a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Abuja. The

Anglican Diocese of Lafia The Anglican Diocese of Lafia is one of 13 within the Anglican Province of Abuja, itself one of 14 provinces within the Church of Nigeria. The diocese was created in 1999 and the current bishop is Godwin Adeyi Robinson who replaced the pioneer bi ...

(1999) led by Bishop Godwin Adeyi Robinson (2017), is part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Abuja within the Church of Nigeria.

Economy

Agriculture is the mainstay of Nasarawa State's economy with the production of a variety of

cash crop A cash crop or profit crop is an Agriculture, agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate marketed crops from staple crop (or "subsistence crop") ...

s throughout the year. It also contains various minerals such as salt,

baryte Baryte, barite or barytes ( or ) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate ( Ba S O4). Baryte is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of the element barium. The ''baryte group'' consists of baryte, celestine (strontium sulfate), ...

, and bauxite, which are mostly mined by artisanal

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...

s. These mineral resources are also found in Nasarawa State: Coal, Dolomite/Marble, coal, Sapphire, Talc, Quartz, Tantalite, Tourmaline, Mica, Chalcopyrite, Clay, Cassirite, Iron-Ore, Columbite, Galena and Feldspar

Education

The state has a College of Education in Akwanga, Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, Federal College of Education (Technical) Keana, College of Agriculture in Lafia, Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic Lafia,

Nasarawa State University Nasarawa State University is located in Keffi 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 ...

Faculty of Agriculture Lafia Campus, a newly established

Federal University of Lafia The Federal University of Lafia formerly named Federal University, Lafia is a recently established university situated in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, this was done in 2010 by the Goodluck Jonathan administration as one of the nine new fe ...

, Mewar International University at Masaka, Bingham University at Karu, Hill College of Education Gwanje Akwanga, NACAP polytechnic Akwanga, Command secondary school Lafia, Command secondary school Rinze, Vocational And Relevant technology board, and many primary and secondary schools including the Federal Government Girls College, Keana

Tourism

Nasarawa State is home to the

Farin Ruwa Falls Farin Ruwa Falls is a waterfall found in the central region of Nigeria. It is among the highest waterfalls in Nigeria. It is significant among Africa's falls when the total height covered by the waterfall is considered. The source of Farin Ruwa fa ...

in Wamba Local Government area of the state. Farin Ruwa falls is one of the highest falls in Africa. The Salt Village in the Keana Local Government Area of the State produces naturally iodized salt from the lake located nearby. The town is also the cradle of Alago civilization, one of the major ethnic groups in the state. Also notable is the Eggon hills of the Eggon people which is situated around Nasarawa Eggon. This was the hills which the Eggon people had settled and established as an ancestral heritage as well. Tourists love to go hiking on this beautiful and high hill overlooking the Nasarawa Eggon local government and surrounding areas. Another tourist site in Nasarawa State is the Maloney Hill. Keffi Town from the top of Maloney Hill

Notable people

* Ahmed Abdullahi - footballer *

Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi (born 21 April 1968) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He is Nigeria's Minister of Environment. He was Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for Nasarawa State and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). ...

Abdullahi Adamu Abdullahi Adamu (born 23 July 1946) was governor of Nasarawa State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member and newly elected chairman of the ruling Party All progressives congress (APC). Background Abdullahi Adamu was born ...

- former National Chairman, APC *

Suleiman Adokwe Suleiman Asonya Adokwe (born 15 February 1954) was elected Senator for the Nasarawa South constituency of Nasarawa State, Nigeria, taking office on 29 May 2007. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). He is ethnically a member o ...

- former senator representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District *

Silas Ali Agara Silas Ali Agara (born January 1, 1973) is a Nigerian politician, sport enthusiast and the current deputy governor of Nasarawa State. He previously served as the Special Adviser on Sports to the Nasarawa State Governor, and was announced as the ...

- Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission *

Aliyu Doma Aliyu Akwe Doma (1 September 1942 – 6 March 2018) was a Nigerian civil servant who became governor of Nasarawa State in May, 2007, standing for the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Birth and education Aliyu Akwe Doma, was born on 1 September ...

- former governor Nasarawa state. * Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana- the Attorney General of Nasarawa State *

Umaru Tanko Al-Makura Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (August 1952) is a Nigerian businessman and politician and also a former governor who is a senator in Nasarawa State running in the ( All Progressive Congress) ticket. He was elected as a senator in 2019. Background Al-mak ...

- former governor Nasarawa state *

Faisal Shuaib Faisal Shuaib OON, MPH, DrPH, is a Nigerian medical doctor and public health specialist. He served as the executive director and chief executive officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, a parastatal of Federal Ministry o ...

- executive director, NPHCDA * Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim – Director-General of

NAPTIP The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) is a law enforcement agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, founded on the 14th of July, 2003 by the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administr ...

* Ahmed Wadada

References

External links

Nasarawa State website
{{Portal bar, Nigeria Nasarawa State States of Nigeria States and territories established in 1996 1996 establishments in Nigeria Emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate