Kwara () is a

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

in Western

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, bordered to the east by

Kogi State Kogi State is a States of Nigeria, state in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti State, Ekiti and Kwara State, Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Fe ...

, to the north by

Niger State Niger State is a state in the North Central (Nigeria), North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, ...

, and to the south by Ekiti,

Osun Osun (; ), is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria; bounded to the east by Ekiti State, Ekiti and Ondo State, Ondo states for 84 km and for 78 km respectively, to the north by Kwara State for 73&nb ...

, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the

international border Borders are generally defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ...

with

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

. Its capital is the city of

Ilorin Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State located in the Western region of Nigeria. The city is a major hub for transportation and commerce in the region. . Retrieved 18 February 2007 Although Ilorin is classified under the North-Central g ...

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 ph ...

. Of the 36

states of Nigeria Nigeria is a federation of 36 states, each of which is a semi-autonomous political unit that shares power with the federal government as enumerated under the Constitution of Nigeria, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In additi ...

, Kwara is the ninth largest in area but the sixth least populous with an estimated population of about 3.2 million as of 2016. Geographically, Kwara 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 bor ...

in the east and the

Guinean forest–savanna mosaic The Guinean forest-savanna, also known as the Guinean forest-savanna transition, is a distinctive ecological region located in West Africa. It stretches across several countries including Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, B ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

in the rest of the state. Important geographic features include rivers with the

Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...

flowing along the northern border into Lake Jeba 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 Game ...

, a large

national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

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 (''Hippopotamus amphibius;'' ; : hippopotamuses), often shortened to hippo (: hippos), further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Sahar ...

African bush elephant The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana''), also known as the African savanna elephant, is a species of elephant native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of three extant elephant species and, along with the African forest elephant, one ...

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 from ...

, and roan antelope, along with some of the last remaining

West African lion ''Panthera leo leo'' is a lion subspecies 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 as the no ...

s on earth. In the far southwest, a small part of the

Old Oyo National Park The 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 ...

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 more easterly areas.Sinclair & Ryan ...

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 The African buffalo (''Syncerus caffer)'' is a large sub-Saharan African bovine. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head, referred to ...

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 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 if there are v ...

populations. Kwara State has been inhabited for ages by various ethnic groups, primarily the majority

Yoruba people The Yoruba people ( ; , , ) are a West African ethnic group who inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, which are collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute more than 50 million people in Africa, are over a million outsid ...

that live throughout the state. There are also sizable minorities of

Nupe people The Nupe (traditionally called the ''Nufawa'' by the Hausa people, Hausas and ''Tapa'' by the neighbouring Yoruba people, Yoruba) are an ethnic group native to North Central Nigeria. They are the dominant ethnic group in Niger State and an impor ...

in the northeast, Bariba (Baatonu) and Busa (Bokobaru) peoples in the west, and

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...

people in

and 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. Th ...

. In the pre-colonial period, the majority of the area that is now Kwara state was part of the

Oyo Empire The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba people, Yoruba empire in West Africa. It was located in present-day western Nigeria (including the South West (Nigeria), South West zone, Benin Republic, and the western half of the North Central (Nigeria), North Cent ...

, 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 emirate is the ''Etsu Nupe'', who is the leader of the Nupe people. History The old Nupe King ...

(1531–1835). In the mid-1800s, the

Fulani jihad The Jihad of Usman dan Fodio was a religio-military conflict in present-day Nigeria and Cameroon. The war began when Usman dan Fodio, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher, was exiled from Gobir by King Yunfa, one of his former students. Us ...

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 (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fula jihads, Fulani jihads ...

. 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 ...

. The

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating ...

Nigeria Protectorate later merged into

British Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1st of October 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. Britain annexed Lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River Protectorate in 1884. British influen ...

in 1914, before becoming part of independent

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 States of Nigeria, state in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the west by the states of Ekiti State, Ekiti and Kwara State, Kwara, to the north by the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Fe ...

and its far northwest Borgu division was annexed into the Borgu division of

Niger state Niger State is a state in the North Central (Nigeria), North Central region of Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory, to the north by Kebbi State and Zamfara State, ...

. Economically, Kwara state is largely based around

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

, mainly of

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, 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 ...

, groundnut,

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, called oil palms, containing two species, native to Africa and the Americas. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. Description Mature palms are single-stemmed, and can gro ...

, and

kola nut The kola nut ( Yoruba: ''obi'', Dagbani: ''guli'', Hausa: goro, Igbo: ''ọjị'', Sängö: ''gôro,'' Swahili: ''mukezu'') is the seed of certain species of plant of the genus ''Cola'', placed formerly in the cocoa family Sterculiaceae and ...

crops. Other key industries are services, especially in the city of

, and the livestock herding and

ranching A ranch (from /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 farm. These terms are most often applied to li ...

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...

goats The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the famil ...

, and

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal 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 d ...

. Kwara state has the joint-twentieth highest

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

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 Nigerian former military officer and statesman who served as the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. Gowon was Nigeria's leader during the Nigerian Civil War where he delivered ...

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 196 ...

into 12 states. At its creation, the state was made up of the former

and

Kabba Kabba is a town 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, Nige ...

, in the

Hausa language Hausa (; / ; Hausa Ajami, Ajami: ) is a Chadic language spoken primarily by the Hausa people in the northern parts of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern parts of Niger, and Chad, with significant minorities in Ivory Coas ...

. Kwara state has since 1976 reduced considerably in size due to 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 part of the state was carved out and merged with a part of the then

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 In geology and ...

, to form

Benue state Benue is a State in the North Central Nigeria, North Central region of Nigeria. It is popularly referred to as part of the Middle belt. It has an estimated population of about 4,253,641 in List of Nigerian states by population, the 2006 census. ...

. On 27 August 1991, five

Local Government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

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, Umunede Umunya and Nteje. Oyi/Ayamelum is a Federal Constituency repres ...

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 peo ...

, Okehi and

Kogi Kogi State is a state in Nigeria. Kogi may also refer to: * Kogi people, people who live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia * Kogi language, a Chibchan language of the Kogi people * Kogi Korean BBQ, a truck-based restaurant in Los ...

were also excised to form part of the new

, while a sixth,

Borgu Local Government Area The Borgu Local Government Area is an administrative region in Niger State, Nigeria, It is one of the 25 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state, with the headquarter situated in the town of New Bussa. The postal code is 913. The Borgu LGA wa ...

, was merged with

. The major populated local governments are

and

Offa Offa ( 29 July 796 AD) was King of Mercia, a kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England, from 757 until his death in 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of ...

. Kwara state has numerous mineral resources such as

tourmaline Tourmaline ( ) is a crystalline silicate mineral, silicate mineral group in which boron is chemical compound, compounded with chemical element, elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. This gemstone comes in a ...

tantalite The mineral group tantalite manganese.html" ;"title="iron.html" ;"title="iron">Fe, manganese">Mn)Tantalum">Ta2oxygen">O6is the primary source of the chemical element tantalum, a corrosion (heat and acid) resistant metal. It is chemically simil ...

, 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 The kola nut ( Yoruba: ''obi'', Dagbani: ''guli'', Hausa: goro, Igbo: ''ọjị'', Sängö: ''gôro,'' Swahili: ''mukezu'') is the seed of certain species of plant of the genus ''Cola'', placed formerly in the cocoa family Sterculiaceae and ...

in the Southern parts Oke - Ero, Ekiti and Isin LGA.

Population

As of 2006, the

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of Kwarans was 2.37 million, based on the Nigerian 2006 Census. 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 usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents. Commuting, Commuter ...

for population growth and

socio-economic development Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analys ...

. The principal ethnic groups are Yoruba, Nupe, Fulani, and Baruba. The population estimate of Kwara State, as at July 2024, is put at 3,390,330. Residents of the state are referred to as Kwarans.

Languages

Languages of Kwara State listed by LGA: Other languages spoken in Kwara State include Busa, Boko, and Sorko.

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 ph ...

. They are: *

Asa Asa may refer to: People and fictional characters * Asa (given name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters so named * Asa people, an ethnic group based in Tanzania * Aṣa, Nigerian-French singer, songwriter, and reco ...

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 South is a Local Government Area in Kwara State, Nigeria. Established in 1996, its administrative headquarters is located in the town of Fufu. The LGA comprises three districts and includes 11 wards. It has an area of 174 km and a ...

Ilorin West Ilorin West is a Local Government Area in Kwara State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Wara Osin Area. It has an area of 105 km and a population of 364,666 at the 2006 census. The postal code A postal code (also known lo ...

* Irepodun *

Isin Isin (, modern Arabic language, Arabic: Ishan al-Bahriyat) is an archaeological site in Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, Iraq which was the location of the Ancient Near East city of Isin, occupied from the late 4th millennium Uruk period up until at ...

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 6,971 km and a population of 124,164 at the 2006 census. The postal code o ...

* Moro *

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 exe ...

* Oyun *

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 speak the Nupe language. They are farmers, ...

Governor of Kwara State

Like every other state in Nigeria, Kwara State has had a mix of civilian and military Governors. The first Governor of Kwara state was David Bamigboye. 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 the governorship of Kwara State in 2003, ...

, who emerged victorious in the 9 March 2019 governorship election, under the APC. Abdulrahman Abdulrazak was sworn in on 29 May 2019, making him the 4th democratic governor of Kwara State and the 20th governor of Kwara State overall. Kayode Alabi is the deputy governor of Kwara state under AbdulRahman's administration. On March 19, 2023, Abdulrazak won re-election and will remain governor until 2027 when he will be constitutionally ineligible to re-contest for a third term in office.

Education

Kwara State has a federal

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

, the

University of Ilorin University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) is a federal government-owned public research university in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The university's main campus sits on an expansive area of land, about 5,000 hectares in the ancient city of Ilorin; making ...

, 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. Muham ...

Landmark University Landmark University is a private Christian university, affiliated with the Living Faith Church Worldwide and located in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria. In 2014, it was featured among the top five universities in Nigeria by Webometrics. Gover ...

, Summit University, Offabr>Crown Hill UniversityThomas Adewumi University
Ahman Pategi University and University of Offa. Kwara state also has five approved polytechnics; a federal polytechnic, Federal Polytechnic Offa, a state-owned polytechnic,

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 to establish a polytechnic in Kwara State was announced in 1971. It is l ...

, and three privately owned: The Polytechnic Igbo Owu, Lens Polytechnic, Offa 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, and an aviation college, International Aviation College, Ilorin.

Healthcare

Kwara State has many

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

s and medical health cares; these include: * Kwara State University Teaching Hospital * University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital * Life Line Hospital * Lifefount Hospital * Yusjib Medicare Centre * Balm Hospital * Sadiku Hospital * Kwara State Civil Service Hospital * Sobi Specialist Hospital * Anchormed Hospital * Mimtaz Hospital * Asa Dam Hospital

Tourism

Important

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...

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 Lake National Parks, now in

, and Agbonna Hill—Awon Mass Wedding in Shao. There is also Sobi Hill amongst others, which is the largest landform in Ilorin, the state capital. A huge

natural reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologi ...

also divides the state into East and West. Ero Omola waterfall is also a tourist attraction

Climate

Located at an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

of 286.86 meters (941.14 feet) above sea level, Kwara has a Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate (Classification: Aw). The city's yearly

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...

is 29.54 °C (85.17 °F) and it is 0.08% higher than Nigeria's averages. Kwara typically receives about 101.45 millimeters (3.99 inches) of

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

and has 148.38 rainy days (40.65% of the time) annually. It is located at 4.3874051 longitude and 8.9668961 latitude. The table below has data for the whole year as an average taken from last 12+ years of historical data for Ilorin.

Incidents

According to reports, a boat capsized and broke in two on 12 June 2023, in the Niger River close to Pategi, in Kwara State, Nigeria. The guests on the boat were originally arriving on motorcycles, but the intense rain left them stranded. It was confirmed that at least 108 people have died and many are absent. On 25 October 2023, a tree fall killed two people and injured at least five. On 2 February 2024, Ejire Adeyemi Toun, the traditional ruler was assassinated in his palace, and his wife was kidnapped.

Transport

The

Nigerian Railway Corporation Nigerian Railway Corporation (commonly abbreviated as NRC) is the state-owned enterprise with exclusive rights to operate railways in Nigeria. History The Nigerian Railway Corporation traces its history to the year 1898, when the first railr ...

extends its services from

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

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 In transportation, cargo refers to goods transported by land, water or air, while freight refers to its conveyance. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in cas ...

es.

Economy

Agriculture is the main source of the state's economy and the principal cash crops are:

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

sesame Sesame (; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a 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 cultivated for ...

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.

Abubakar Bukola Saraki Abubakar Bukola Saraki (; born on 19 December 1962) is a Nigerian politician who served as the 13th president of the Nigerian Senate from 2015 to 2019. He was elected the President of Nigeria’s 8th Senate on 9 June 2015 under the All Progr ...

. Shonga Farms is made up of 13 commercial farmers.

Mineral resources Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

in the state are Petroleum,

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

feldspar Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagiocl ...

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

kaolin Kaolinite ( ; also called kaolin) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina (). ...

quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...

and granite rocks, and laterite found majorly in omuaran.

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 22 September 2020, the Kwara state governor officially commenced the 'Clean Kwara' Campaign to end open defecation and promote good

hygiene Hygiene is a set of practices performed to preserve health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...

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 A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human waste (urine and Human feces, feces) and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry toilet, dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be desi ...

, and making clean water accessible. This is also to promote

Sustainable Development Goals The ''2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'', adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of these global goals is "peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – wh ...

3 & 6 (general access to safe and affordable drinking water and access to adequate and equitable sanitation, hygiene for all, and end

open defecation Open defecation is the human practice of defecating outside ("in the open") rather than into a toilet. People may choose fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals, or other open spaces for defecation. They do so either because they do ...

by 2030)

Sports

Sporting activities are managed by the Kwara State Sports Commission. The importance attached to sports led to the construction of a stadium, named—

Kwara State Stadium The Kwara State Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Ilorin, Kwara State, Kwara, Nigeria. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and is the home stadium of Kwara United F.C. and ABS FC The stadium has a capacity of 18 ...

Complex. The facilities available at the stadium complex are the 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 Football Club, ABS FC and Kwara Falcons Basketball Club.

Notable people

AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq 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 the governorship of Kwara State in 2003, ...

, politician *

Bukola Saraki Abubakar Bukola Saraki (; born on 19 December 1962) is a Nigerian politician who served as the 13th president of the Nigerian Senate from 2015 to 2019. He was elected the President of Nigeria’s 8th Senate on 9 June 2015 under the All Progr ...

, politician * David Abioye, cleric * Abimbola Abolarinwa, urologist *

Cornelius Adebayo Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo is a former Senator of Nigeria, who became a state governor, and later was head of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Communications. Background Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo was born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja in K ...

, politician *

Femi Adebayo Femi Adebayo Salami (born 31 December 1976) is a Nigerian film director, actor, lawyer, producer and special adviser to the Governor of Kwara State on Arts, Culture, and Tourism. He is the son of actor Adebayo Salami. In 2024, he won the Afr ...

, actor and film producer *

Tunde Adebimpe Babatunde Omoroga Adebimpe (; born February 25, 1975) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known as a founding member and co-lead vocalist of the Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio, with whom he has recorded five st ...

, musician * Kemi Adesoye, screenwriter *

Abdulfatah Ahmed Abdulfatah Ahmed (born 29 December 1963) is a Nigerian banker and politician. He is the former Governor of Kwara State. Background Ahmed was born on 29 December 1963 in Share, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. He attended Gove ...

, banker and politician * Simon Ajibola, politician * Mustapha Akanbi (jurist), jurist * Mustapha Akanbi (academic), academic and lawyer * Sheik Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory, Islamic scholar *

Sarah Alade Sarah Omotunde Alade is a Nigerian economist. She was acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria during the suspension of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. She was appointed to the post by president Goodluck Jonathan on 20th of February 2014. She hel ...

, former CBN governor *

Lola Ashiru Oyelola Yisa Ashiru (born 14 June 1955) is a Nigerian architect and politician, who was elected as a senator to represent Kwara South Senatorial District in the 9th Senate. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Projects Limited, a real ...

, architect and politician *

Kunle Afolayan Kunle Afolayan (born 30 September 1975) is a Nigerians, Nigerian actor, producer, and director. He is credited for elevating the quality of Nollywood movies through larger budgets, shooting on 35mm, releasing in Movie theater, cinemas, and impro ...

, actor, film director and producer * Ayeloyun, musician *

Joseph Ayo Babalola Joseph Ayo Babalola (25 April 1904 – 26 July 1959) was a Nigerian Christian minister and the leader of the Christ Apostolic Church, popularly called CAC in Nigeria. He was a healing evangelist. Early life Babalola was born of Yoruba people, ...

, cleric * David Bamigboye, soldier * Theophilus Bamigboye, soldier and politician *

Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore (born 17 January 1937) is a Nigerian jurist and chief justice of Nigeria from 2006 to 2007. Biography Alfa Belgore was born on 17 January 1937, to a Ruling class Fulani family in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State ...

, jurist and former Chief Justice of Nigeria *

Oga Bello Adebayo Salami (born 9 May 1952) popularly known by his stage name Oga Bello , is a veteran Nigerian nollywood actor, filmmaker, film producer, and director. Early life and education Salami is a native of Pakata Oloje, Ilorin, Kwara State, h ...

, actor and producer (real name Adebayo Salami) *

Ibrahim Gambari Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, (; born November 24, 1944), is a Nigerian academic and diplomat who served as Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria from 2020 to 2023. He previously served as permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nat ...

, diplomat * Yusuf Gobir, administrator * Ola Ibrahim, naval officer * Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, politician *

Tunde Idiagbon Babatunde "Tunde" Abdulbaki Idiagbon (14 September 1943 – 24 March 1999) was a Nigerian general who served as the 6th Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters (second-in-command) under military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari from 19 ...

, soldier * Ahmed Mohammed Inuwa, politician * General Ayinla Kollington, musician * Joana Nnazua Kolo, Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development *

Farooq Kperogi Farooq Adamu Kperogi (born 1973) is a Nigerian-American professor, author, media scholar, newspaper columnist, blogger and activist. He was a reporter and news editor at many Nigerian newspapers including the ''Daily Trust'', '' Daily Triumph'' and ...

, journalist *

Mohammed Shaaba Lafiagi Sha'aba Lafiagi was elected governor of Kwara State in January 1992 on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) platform, and was removed from office by the administration of General Sani Abacha in November 1993. As governor he initiated construction ...

, politician * Lágbájá, musician *

Salaudeen Latinwo Salaudeen Adebola Latinwo (12 July 1943 – 12 August 2023) was a group captain in the Nigerian Air Force and a military governor of Kwara State, Nigeria, under Muhammadu Buhari's military government. Latinwo was part of the pioneering sets of ...

, soldier * Mohammed Lawal, naval officer *

Lai Mohammed Layiwola "Lai" Mohammed (born 6 December 1951) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as the minister of Information and Culture of Nigeria from November 2015 to May 2023. He is also the former National publicity secretary of the All ...

, lawyer and politician *

Saliu Mustapha Saliu Mustapha (born September 25, 1972) is a Nigerian politician who is the senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District since 2023. He is a member of the All Progressives Congress and a former deputy national chairman of the Congress ...

, politician *

Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe is a Nigerian medical doctor, politician and philanthropist. Oloriegbe graduated with MBBS degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria in 1985. He attended training programmes in Change Management, Advocacy, Fac ...

, politician * Abdulkadir Orire, first Grand Khadi of the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal *

Oye Owolewa Adeoye "Oye" Owolewa (born 1989) is a Nigerian-American politician, pharmacist, and a member of the Democratic Party. In November 2020, he was elected as the shadow representative of the United States House of Representatives from the District ...

, politician *

David Oyedepo David Olaniyi Oyedepo (born 27 September 1954) is a Nigerian preacher, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, and Senior Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. The church is also known as Winners' Chapel Inter ...

, cleric *

Wasiu Alabi Pasuma Wasiu Alabi Odetola (Pasuma) (born 27 November 1967), also known as "Oganla", "Gauzu Fuji", "Ijoba Fuji" is a Fuji musician, Nigerian film actor. Early life He was born on 27 November 1967 and is originally from Edunabon-Ife in Osun State. a ...

, musician *

Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki (; born 3 May 1965) is a Nigerian politician who served as the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development of Nigeria since 6 July 2022 till 29th May 2023. She served earlier as the Minister of State for Transpor ...

, politician *

Olusola Saraki Abubakar Olusola Saraki (; 17 May 1933 – 14 November 2012) was a Nigerian politician, who was a Senator in the Nigerian Second Republic (1979–1983). He was the holder of the chieftaincy title of the Waziri of the Ilorin Emirate, and belonge ...

, politician * Toyin Saraki, healthcare philanthropist * Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, politician *

AbdulRazzaq Ibrahim Salman Mallam AbdulRazzaq Ibrahim Salman is a Nigerian Muslim leader and activist from Ilorin, Kwara, best known as the President of Abibakr As-Sidiq Philanthropic Home. Salman was born and raised in Ilorin, Kwara. In 1998 he founded Abibakr As-Sidiq Ph ...

, cleric * Bola Shagaya, businessman * Rukayat Shittu, journalist and politician *

Tony Tetuila Anthony Olanrewaju Awotoye, better known as Tony Tetuila, also regarded as the golden father of Afrobeats is an artist from Nigeria. He was born in 1974. He is a native of Oro, Kwara state. He was a member of the now-defunct hip-hop group of ...

, musician *

Rashidi Yekini Rashidi Yekini (23 October 1963 – 4 May 2012) was a Nigerian professional footballer who played as a forward. Known by his Nigerian team mates and fans as 'The Goals Father', he scored over 480 goals in over 670 games in his careehttps://medi ...

, soccer player * Arinola Fatimoh Lawal, legislator *

Salihu Yakubu-Danladi Salihu Yakubu-Danladi (born 31 May 1985) is a Nigerian engineer and politician who was elected speaker of the 9th Kwara State House of Assembly in 2019. He was again reelected in 2023. Yakubu-Danladi is a second-time member of the state assembly ...

, Politician * Prince Samuel Adedoyin, Industrialist and Philanthropist

References

{{Portal bar, Nigeria States of Nigeria States in Yorubaland States and territories established in 1967 1967 establishments in Nigeria

History

Population

Languages

Local Government Areas

Governor of Kwara State

Education

Healthcare

Tourism

Climate

Incidents

Transport

Economy

Infrastructure

Sports

Notable people

See also

References