Southern Kaduna (formerly Southern Zaria) is an area inhabited by various non-Hausa peoples living south of Zaria Emirate of

Kaduna State Kaduna State ( ha, Jihar Kaduna جىِهَر كَدُنا; ff, Leydi Kaduna, script=Latn, ; kcg, Sitet Kaduna) is a state in northern Nigeria. The state capital is its namesake, the city of Kaduna which happened to be the 8th largest city in ...

. It is located in the

Middle Belt The Middle Belt (also spelt Middle-Belt or Central Nigeria) is a term used in human geography to designate a belt region stretching across central Nigeria longitudinally and forming a transition zone between Northern and Southern Nigeria. It is ...

region of

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 ...

. Southern Kaduna consist of 12 local Government out of Kaduna State 23 Local Government. Some view it as being less of a geographical identity and more of an ethnic identity concept.

Subdivisions

* Chikun * Jaba *

Jema'a Jema'a (also written ''Ajemaa'' and ''Jama'a'') is a Local Government Area in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria with headquarters at Kafanchan. The Local Government Council is chaired by Yunana Barde. It has an area of 1,384 km2 and a population ...

Kachia Kachia Hausa Fulani and Kadara and Jaba is a Local Government Area in the southern part of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kachia. It has an area of 4,570 km and a population of 252,568 in the 2006 census. The postal ...

Kaduna South Kaduna South is a Local Government Area in Kaduna Central Kaduna State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is the town of Makera. Other wards are Barnawa, Tudun wada, Television, Kakuri, Unguwar Muazu, Kabala West, Sabon Gari, Badikko, Unguwar Sanusi and ...

Kagarko Kagarko is a Local Government Area in Kaduna State of Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Kagarko. It has an area of 2,356 km and a population of 239,058 at the 2006 census. The Local Government Council is chaired by Nasara Rabo. The ...

Kajuru Kajuru ( Adara: Ajure) is a local government area in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Kajuru. The local government is located on longitude 9° 59'N and 10° 55'N and latitude 7° 34'E and 8° 13'E, with an area of ...

* Kaura *

Kauru Kauru is a Local Government Area in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria. The area is 3,186 km. Its headquarters are in the town of Kauru. The postal code of the area is 811. Boundaries Kauru Local Government Area shares boundaries with Zangon Kataf L ...

* Lere * Sanga *

Zangon Kataf Zangon Kataf ( Tyap: Nietcen-A̱fakan) is a Local Government Area in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is in the town of Zonkwa. It is also a name of a town ( Tyap: Nietcen-A̱fakan) in the chiefdom of the Atyap. Other towns include ...

Ethnic composition

Southern Kaduna is composed of closely related

ethnic groups An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

and several subgroups united by a common

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

and

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

. James (2000) classified these people based on their ethno-linguistic affinities under the topic "The

(Composition of the Nok Culture Area)", and grouping the subgroups into the following groups: the Southern kaduna population is estimated to be over 4.5 million people out of the estimated 8.5 million population in Kaduna state in 2016. Predicted 5.1 million people out of 12 million predicted population of

in 2021. The common general language speaking in the area is Hausa Language as medium of communication.

The Proto-Plateau ethnolinguistic cluster

I. ''Northern or Adara Group'' * Adara (Kadara) *

Ada Ada may refer to: Places Africa * Ada Foah, a town in Ghana * Ada (Ghana parliament constituency) * Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria Asia * Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, ...

(Kuturmi) * Ajure Adara (Kadara of Idon) * Anumafa Adara (Kadara Kateri) * Semi Ajure (Ankuwa, Gora) * Bakulu (Ikulu) II. ''Western or Koro Group'' * Koro Myamya * Koro Achel, Ashe or Wachi * Koro Ala or Agweshi * Koro Ham or Adong/Gbaham III. ''Ham or Northwestern Group'' * Ham Kpop (Jaba Kwoi) * Ham Ngat Ham (Jaban Katari) * Ham Shambang (Samban) * Ham Duhyah (Jaban Lungu) * Ham Gwong (Kagoma) * Ham Kworri (Chori) * Ham Det (Faik/Kenyi) * Ham Netkun/Netwho - Gbaham * Ham Nyakpah (Yeskwa) * Ham Kong/Rhuini (Kamantan) IV. ''Nerzit or Kataf (Atyap) Group'' *

Atyap The Atyap people ( Tyap: ''A̱tyap'', singular: ''A̱tyotyap''; Hausa exonym: ''Kataf'', ''Katab'') are an ethnic group found majorly in Zangon-Kataf, Kaura and Jema'a Local Government Areas of southern Kaduna State, Nigeria. They speak the ...

(Kataf, Katab) * Bajju (Kaje) * Agworok (Aegworok, Oegworok, Kagoro) * Asholyio (Osholio, Asholio, Moro'a) * Fantswam (Kafanchan) * Bakulu (Ikulu) * Anghan (Angan, Kamantan) * Atakad (Atakat, Attakar) * Atyecharak (Atyacherak, Attachirak, Kachechere) * Terri (Challa, Chara) * Atuku (tuku) Kuu"" V. ''South-western (Aninka) Group'' * Ninzam * Northern Mada * Gbantu (Gwantu) * Nindem * Nikyob (Kaninkon) * Kanufi * Nungu * Buh - Ayu * Ningeshe * Nandu * Numana The above grouping on the Proto-Plateau Ethnolinguistic Clusters was however modified based on the spoken languages by Blench (2008) as follows:Blench, Roger M. 2018. Nominal affixes and number marking in the Plateau languages of Central Nigeria. In John R. Watters (ed.), ''East Benue-Congo: Nouns, pronouns, and verbs'', 107–172. Berlin: Language Science Press. I. ''Northwest or Adara Group'' * Eda, Ada * Edra, Adara * Bakulu *Ẹjẹgha (Idon) *Doka *Ẹhwa (Iku-Gora-Ankwe) II. ''Atyap (Nerzit, Nenzit) Group'' * Bajju *

* Agworok (Kagoro) *Takad (Attakar) *Atyecarak (Kacicere) *Asholyio *

Fantswam Kafanchan ('' Fantswam'': A̠byin Fantswam; '' Nikyob'': Manɡyanɡ) is a town located in the southern part of Kaduna State, Nigeria, which owes much of its development to the railway development in the area, being situated at a particular jun ...

(Kafancan) *Atuku (Tuku) Kuu III. ''Koro Group'' *Ashe *Tinɔr (Waci-Myamya) *Idũ, Gwara *Nyenkpa-Barde IV. ''Ham Group'' *Shamang *Cori *

Ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term "ham ...

*Zhire *Shang V. ''Gwong Group'' * Gwong (Kagoma) * Anɡhan (Kamanton) VI. ''Ninzo Group'' *Ninzo (Ninzam) *Bu-Niŋkada *Mada *Numana-Nunku-Gbantu-Numbu *Ningye-Ninka *Anib *Nikyob *Nindem *Nungu *Ayu VII. ''Ndun Group'' *Ndun (Nandu) VIII. ''Alumu Group'' *

Sambe Sambe ( ko, 삼베), or hemp fiber, is a traditional fiber for Korean clothing. The knowledge of weaving sambe skillfully is being lost, has been deemed a national treasure, and specific individuals with the ability were designated intangible cu ...

*He also said that Nisam is a presumed Plateau language once spoken in Nince Village, Kaduna State, however, its place within the Plateau branch cannot be ascertained due to the lack of linguistic data and that in 2005, there was only one speaker of Nisam.Blench, Roger M. 2012
Akpondu, Nigbo, Bəbər and Nisam: moribund or extinct languages of central Nigeria Babur

The Proto-Kainji ethnolinguistic cluster

I. ''Eastern Kainji Group I'' *

Atsam Atsam, also known as Cawai (Chawai), is a Kainji language of Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West ...

(Chawai) * Amap (Amo) * Abisi (Piti) * Kuzamani (Shuwa-Zamani) * Ngmgbang (Ribam) * Dinani (Dingi) * Ribina II. ''Eastern Kainji Group II'' * Agbiri (Gure) * Aniragu (Kahugu) * Akurmi (Kurama) * Koonu (Kono) * Vono (Kiballo) * Tumi (Kitimi) * Nuno-Kaivi (Kaibi) * Mala-Ruma (Rumaya/Ruruma) * Abin (Binawa) * Kuvori (Surubu) * Atumu (Kinuku) * Shuwa-Zamani (Kuzamani) * Dungi (Dungu)

The Proto-Nupoid Ethnolinguistic Cluster

''Gbagyi (Gwari) Group'' * Gbagyi-Gbari (Gwari)

The Proto-West Chadic Ethnolinguistic Cluster

Outside of James (2000)'s classification lie the groups from the Proto-West Chadic Ethnolinguistic Cluster: * Gwandara (an afro-asiatic group, related to the

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

, said to have migrated from

Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria * Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State **Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries **Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between ...

.) * Sha (a migrant group from

Bokkos Bokkos is a Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Bokkos at . It has an area of 1,682 km and a population of 178,454 at the 2006 census. Ron languages are the indigenous languages spoken in Bok ...

, Plateau State.)

Languages

Southern Kaduna consists of a diverse minority of ethnolinguistic groups, who speak languages belonging to the Niger–Congo and

West Chadic The West Chadic languages of the Afro-Asiatic family are spoken principally in Niger and Nigeria. They include Hausa, the most populous Chadic language and a major language of West Africa. Languages The branches of West Chadic go either by n ...

language groups. Below are the languages and dialects spoken by the people of Southern Kaduna:

Natural resources

Former Nigerian Minister of Solid Minerals, Leslie Obiora, compiled a list of minerals across the country, which amounted to a total of 74 minerals; 34 were declared fit for mining on a commercial scale, with Southern Kaduna having over 30 minerals with over fifty percent (50%) of them minable.

Agriculture

In the 1990s,

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...

farmers enjoyed profit from the sales of their harvested crops due to the availability of ginger processing companies all over the region, but today, most of those companies have shut down without efforts to revive them on the side of the government.

Education

It was asserted by Kazah-Toure (1999:130) that Southern Kaduna took a lead in education in the defunct Northern Region, during the period around the

Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence ...

(between 1966 and 1970s). Bonat (1989:55) claims that a majority of the educated people from this region who are non-Hausa, were in the teaching profession and in the middle cadre of the civil service in contrast to the Hausa who were dominant at the highest bureaucratic levels.

Present Tertiary Institutions

* Air Force Institute of Technology (Nigeria),

Kaduna Kaduna is the capital city of Kaduna State, and the former political capital of Northern Nigeria. It is located in north-western Nigeria, on the Kaduna River. It is a trade Centre and a major transportation hub as the gateway to northern Nige ...

Greenfield University Greenfield University is a private university in Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a countr ...

, Kaduna *

Kaduna Polytechnic Kaduna Polytechnic is one of the earliest polytechnics in Nigeria, located at Tudun Wada area of Kaduna South local government of Kaduna state, North-Western Nigeria. It was established in 1956 as Kaduna Technical Institute after the British ...

Kaduna State University Kaduna State University is located in Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria. It was established in 2004. It has seven faculties with over 39 departments and a library that contains over 17,000 volumes of books. It has two campuses: Kafanchan and Kaduna. ...

and

Kafanchan Kafanchan ('' Fantswam'': A̠byin Fantswam; '' Nikyob'': Manɡyanɡ) is a town located in the southern part of Kaduna State, Nigeria, which owes much of its development to the railway development in the area, being situated at a particular jun ...

Campuses *

National Open University of Nigeria The National Open University of Nigeria is a federal open and distance learning (ODL) institution, the first of its kind in the West African sub-region. It is Nigeria's largest tertiary institution in terms of student number and is popularly ...

, Gworok Study Center *

Nigerian Defence Academy The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is a military university based in Kaduna, Nigeria that trains officer cadets for commissioning into one of the three services of the Nigerian Armed Forces: the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. The duration of ...

(NDA),

* Kaduna State College of Education,

* School of Agricultural Technology,

Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic is a tertiary education institution in Zaria Kaduna State, Nigeria. The polytechnic was established on 2 February 1989 by the Kaduna state government to provide training and development techniques in the Field of engineer ...