Wase (pronounced: Wersay) is a town and

Local Government Area 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 federated state, state, province, division (politica ...

(LGA) of

Plateau State Plateau is a northern states of Nigeria, Nigerian state. It is located in the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria and includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and Tourism". Th ...

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, ...

, situated some 216 km south east of Jos, the Plateau State capital. It shares its name with the nearby Wase River. The population of the LGA was 159,861 people as of 2006, with an urban area of 1750 km².

Climate

The climate of Wase is Tropical Continental Climate it is also called Sudan Climate this climate is also known as Aw Köppen Climate In Wase, the dry season is oppressively hot and partially cloudy, and the wet season is oppressively hot and cloudy. The average annual

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 ...

fluctuates between 65°F and 101°F, rarely falling below 60°F or rising over 105°F.

Average Temperature

The 2.5-month hot season, which runs from January 29 to April 14 (average daily high temperature above 97°F), is marked by high temperatures. March is the warmest month of the year in Wase, with typical high temperatures of 100°F and low temperatures of 75°F. The 3.9-month chilly season, which runs from June 23 to October 18, has daily highs that are typically lower than 87°F. In Wase, August is the coldest month of the year, with typical lows of 72°F and highs of 84°F.

History

The region of Wase was first inhabited by the Jukuns, centered around the traditional walled town of the same name. At first, Bashar was at it present location. She contained a chiefdom ruled by the Jukun in Mavo and lastly by Tarok in Kadarko this comes after the second crises between Tarok and Fulani. The Local Government Area was predominantly inhabited by Tarok people, Hausa Fulani, Burmawa and Jukun tribes and other minor tribes and Basherawa. Later on Wase became part of the British

Royal Niger Company The Royal Niger Company was a mercantile company chartered by the British government in the nineteenth century. It was formed in 1879 as the ''United African Company '' and renamed to ''National African Company'' in 1881 and to ''Royal Niger C ...

protectorate (later

Northern Nigeria Northern Nigeria (or Arewa, Arewancin Nijeriya) was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962, it acquired t ...

) following the arrival of British troops in 1898. Wase was a part of Plateau Province when it was established in 1926, and then Plateau State upon

Nigerian Independence Nigeria's Independence Day is a public holiday observed annually on 1 October to commemorate the country's declaration of independence from British rule in 1960. It marked the end of over sixty years of colonial governance and the emergence o ...

in 1960.

Environment

Around 321 hectares (790 acres) of land around Wase is conserved for wildlife development and serves as a bird sanctuary - local species include the Rossy White

Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before ...

. The protected land includes Wase Rock, a massive dome-shaped

inselberg An inselberg or monadnock ( ) is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. In Southern Africa, a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, an ...

of volcanic origin standing at 350m in height, making it visible from a distance of some 40 km (25 miles). The region is renowned for its mining activities due to a high concentration of lead, zinc, tin and other minerals. This has attracted considerable interest from

Chinese investors Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

who have constructed few local bridges and other infrastructure close to Wase's mining sites, although these services have not always reached the local community. Wase River

Population

The 2006 census population of Wase LGA was 159,861. There is a near-equal gender distribution (50.3% male) and a predominantly youthful population - 47.3% are younger than 15, whereas only 2.7% are aged 65 and over. The ethnic groups in Wase are the Hausa/Fulani, Yankam (

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 ...

: Basharawa), Boghom (Hausa: Burmawa), Jukun and Tarok (Hausa:Yargamawa). The major religions are Islam,

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

, and the traditional African religion.

Traditional council

The main tribal groups in the local council are Boghom, (Yankam) Basharawa people ruled by the Rekna, who use the Yankham language, and Jukun ruled by Nkir. Emirs are selected by a council of seven kingmakers. The 13th Emir of Wase was Alhaji (Dr.) Haruna Abdullahi Maikano. He was nominated three months after the death of his father in September 2001, although this was not confirmed until the following year. He was assisted by the Rekna of Bashar, Alh. Adamu Idris, in conducting the affairs of the traditional council, who rule in the absence of the emir. Haruna Abdullah died in September 2010 at the age of 64. Alh Dr Muhammadu Sambo Haruna replaced late Dr Haruna Abdullah as the 14th Emir of Wase with effect from 28 October 2010.

Political Division

Administratively, Wase was divided into four districts, namely: Wase district, Bashar, Lamba, and Kadarko. Each of these districts is being headed by a district head known as the "Hakimi", while the various towns and villages under each district is being headed by the ward head known as Mai Unguwa.

References

{{LGAs and communities of Plateau State Local Government Areas in Plateau State Emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate